Ballarat enjoys younger blood

Updated November 5 2012 - 2:14pm, first published March 2 2007 - 12:54pm

BALLARAT has one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in regional Victoria.
The average age of people who call the city home is 35.8 years - third youngest among Victorian regional councils.
And the city is equal third, with Shepparton, in terms of speedy growth.
Ballarat's resident numbers are up 1.9 per cent - just behind Mildura and Bendigo with 2.2 and two per cent respectively, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show.
The young median age and growing population has been described good news, allowing Ballarat to attract new skills, government funding and increased investment.
City of Ballarat manager of economic development Fiona Davey said the young median age was very positive for Ballarat.
"It means we are bringing a new generation of skills into Ballarat and that will certainly assist in the longer term with the impact of the aging population," Ms Davey said.
She said the younger generation would bring new and established skills into the city which would help to offset older people leaving the workforce.
She said the average age of Ballarat residents meant the city would be home to many families with children.
Other benefits to the city would be sustained and support social and economic growth, Ms Davey said.
"There are flow on benefits in a number of sectors, particularly in construction and retail," Ms Davey said. "Having a younger and growing population also helps us to attract investment in infrastructure in terms of health services
or education provision."
Almost 3500 residents have taken up the Ballarat My Choice packs since 2001.
Figures show around 55 percent of households have moved to Ballarat from interstate, overseas and Melbourne, while the rest had moved from elsewhere in regional Victoria.
The majority of new residents are coming to Ballarat for work (31 per cent) and lifestyle (29 per cent).
Proximity to family and to Melbourne, education, facilities, housing affordability and even climate were also cited as reasons for moves to the city.
Ms Davey said Ballarat had the benefit of being a city with a "country-type" atmosphere.
"And particularly for Ballarat, our education and health facilities are very important - our universities and high level public and private schools."

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