CENSUS results have revealed Bunbury is struggling to match population predictions.
The 2011 census revealed a number of social and economic curiosities about our city when released last Thursday.
Records showed the city had increased from 29,702 up to 31,348 in the five year gap between census results, 3,000 behind expected figures.
City of Bunbury Mayor David Smith said the results were worrying.
“If you compare the count for Bunbury to estimations of population based on 2006, then we have hardly grown,” he said.
“For the whole region, these low figures compared to the estimations 35,000 plus do concern me.”
“If we get a reputation as a region of no growth, it will have a negative impact on private enterprise.”
Mayor Smith said the Perdaman project and shift of government departments to the city were imperative to expansion.
“We want to keep growing and be in the top five or 10 growth spots in the country,” he said.
“If we are going to ensure people stay in Bunbury, we need to ensure employment opportunities.”
Household pay packets grew by $179 dollars in the midst of cost of living pressures over five years, while nearby shires experienced increases more than double that figure.
The weekly household average income in Bunbury had the smallest shift from $960 up to $1,139, while Harvey Shire, Dardanup Shire and Capel Shire recorded $331, $377 and $407 increases respectively.
Last week’s results found there were 8,246 families throughout the local government area with an average of 1.8 children each.
The median age of the city was found to be two years higher than the national average at 39.