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We often talk about places as being cities, suburban or rural but have you ever wondered what the specific characteristics are that classify an area as such? And what do these characteristics mean in the context of planning? Let’s take a look at some typologies that can be used to talk about places.
Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Australia comprise a diverse range of communities with considerable variation in economic and environmental characteristics. With 565 local councils currently operating across the country, it holds true that not all councils face the same challenges. Planning priorities in remote Western Australia will likely to be vastly different to those in suburban Sydney or regional Victoria. Recognising this diversity, a useful way to understand demographic and economic trends is to classify LGAs according to their location and function.
Every LGA in Australia can be grouped into one of five major typologies:
The CBD is the political, economic and cultural hub of each state or territory. In Australia, there are 7 local government areas that can be categorised under this typology: City of Darwin, City of Melbourne, City of Sydney, City of Perth, City of Brisbane, City of Adelaide, and City of Hobart.
Interestingly, while Canberra is Australia’s capital, it does not have local governments. Instead, in the Australian Capital Terrority (ACT), responsibilities usually handled by local government are administered by a department of the territory government.
Common characteristics of a CBD are:
Suburban areas are fast-growing regions, with culturally and socially diverse communities. They are often residential or mixed use areas, either existing as part of an urban area or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city. In Australia, there are 130 local government areas that can be categorised as suburban areas.
Some characteristics of suburban areas include:
Peri-urban areas (sometimes referred to as semi-rural areas) are contested spaces wedged between the state capital and regional areas that are neither urban nor rural. There are 34 local government areas that fit in this category that including Mornington Penninsula (VIC) and Blue Mountains (NSW).
Characteristics of peri-urban/semi-rural areas include:
There are 57 local government areas that fall into this category. Regional cities are centres for economic activity, performing the ‘capital city’ role in their region. Examples of regional cities are Geelong (VIC), Newcastle (NSW) and Toowoomba (QLD).
Typical characteristics of regional cities include:
Rural local government areas are dispersed councils with low population densities and slow or stagnant growth. There are over 350 local government areas that fall under this category – that’s way over half of all local government areas in Australia!
Rural areas are characterised by:
Which category does your local government area fall under? Let us know below!
.id is a team of demographers, population forecasters, spatial planners, urban economists, and data experts who use a unique combination of online tools and consulting to help governments and organisations understand their local areas. Access our free demographic resources here
Our specialists have deep expertise in demographics and spatial analysis, urban economics, housing research, social research and population forecasting
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