SOMERSET Regional Council has recorded population growth of 2.1% to 26,251 in the 2022/2023 year according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Somerset Mayor Jason Wendt said he was pleased to see the region growing although it was no surprise.

“We are always pleased to see the annual official population increase figures as they help confirm that people are voting with their feet and moving to Somerset to enjoy the lifestyle we offer,” Cr Wendt said. 

“The latest figures are from the 2022/2023 year - so they were affected by the 2022 floods - but we are pleased with the rate of growth in Somerset compared to other areas.”

Cr Wendt said the ABS reported that the Lowood/ Fernvale SA2 statistical area grew by 2.5% with Kilcoy SA2 growing by 1.8% followed by Esk/ Toogoolawah SA2 growing by 1.2%.

“At a practical level, the increasing population will help us to continue securing grants for our region which in turn helps Council to provide services at an affordable cost,” he said.

“We can also invest these grants into transport and other infrastructure to make our community safer and more productive.”

The 2023 regional population statistics were issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on 26 March 2024 and are available at https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/2022-23.