Regional Profile

The Rockhampton Regional Council area comprises six statistical local areas (SLAs) and covers a total area of 18,356 sq km, which accounts for 1.1% of the state. It includes the urban centres of Emu Park, Gracemere, Mount Morgan, Rockhampton and Yeppoon.

Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Standard Geographical Classification 2008

For more information on the regional profile, click here.

The full Economic Profile is available for members from the Members Area of this website.

Jump to other sections:
        Demography
        Employment
        Business and Industry
        Building Activity
        Tourism
        Education
        Transport
        Affordability


Demography

• The estimated resident population of the Rockhampton Regional Council area in 2008 was 111,528 persons. 
• Between 2003 and 2008, the population increased by an average of 1.9% per annum.
• The Rockhampton Regional Council area had a greater proportion of persons aged 5-19 years, 45-54 years and 65 year and over, when compared with Queensland.
• Between 2003 and 2008, the greatest increase in population in the Rockhampton Regional Council area was persons aged 25 to 29 years.
• Population projections indicate that the population of the Rockhampton Regional Council area. 
• It is predicted the region will grow on average by 1,830 persons per year between 2006 and 2031.

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Employment

• The total estimated labour force in the Rockhampton Regional Council area for 2008 was 57,429 persons.
• The unemployment rate in the Rockhampton Regional Council area in the December quarter of 2008 was 5.3%.
• The estimated number of unemployed persons for the December quarter of 2008 was 3,069 persons.
• The mean taxable income of taxpayers in the Rockhampton Regional Council area for the 2006-07 financial year was $48,619.
• Between 2005-06 and 2006-07, the mean taxable income in the Rockhampton Regional Council area increased by 9.7%.
• Personal income from salaries and wages in the Rockhampton Regional Council area for the 2005-06 financial year was $37,213, which was $114 less than the mean income from salaries and wages for Queensland.
• At the time of the 2006 Census, retail trade was the largest employment industry in the Rockhampton Regional Council area, accounting for 16.7% of the region's employed workforce.
• The government administration and defence industry experience the highest percentage growth of employed persons by industry between 2001 and 2006.
• Health and community services had the greatest increase in the number of persons employed of all industries between 2001 and 2006.
• Persons employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing experience the largest decline in employed persons between 2001 and 2006.
• At the time of the 2006 Census, the largest occupational group of residents in the Rockhampton Regional Council area was intermediate clerical, sales and services workers.
• In 2006, 969 persons who worked in the Regional Council area resided outside the region.
• Of the 43,933 employed persons residing in the Rockhampton Region Council area in 2006, 85.9% worked within the region, while 8.8% worked outside the region.

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Business and Industry

• Mining was the prominent industry in the Fitzroy Statistical Division, at 39.3% of nominal gross value added (GVA) in 2005-06, up 18 percentage points from 2000-01.
• In 2006, the total number of businesses listed with Sensis (Yellow Pages Directories) in the Rockhampton Regional Council area was 6,234.
• Between 2002 and 2006, the largest percentage increase in businesses listed with Sensis was in accommodation, cafes and restaurants (11.6%).
• In 2006-07, there were 7,281 businesses registered in the Rockhampton Regional Council area. The industry with the most businesses was property and business services (20%).
• Of the 7,291 businesses registered in the Rockhampton REgional Council area, 24.6% reported a turnover of between $0 and less than $50,000.
• The total gross value of agricultural production for the Rockhampton Regional Council area in 2006 was $125.7 million.
• The most valuable agricultural product in the region in 2006 was cattle and calves slaughtering.
• Livestock slaughtering made up 65.6% of Rockhampton Regional Council area's total value of agricultural production.
• In 2007-08, coal has the highest value of production for the Fitzroy Statistical Division.
• The value of overseas commodity exports originating in Queensland and exported from Fitzroy regional ports in 2008-09 was $14,277.1 million.
• In dollar value terms in 2008-09, coal, coke and briquettes was the main type of Queensland-produced commodity exports from the Fitzroy Statistical Division ports.
• In 2008-09, Japan was the major country of destination for Queensland commodity exports from ports within the Fitzroy Statistical Division.
• In the June quarter of 2009, overseas exports of coal, coke and briquettes from Fitzroy Statistical Division Gladstone ports was 11.1 million tonnes.
• In 2008-09, Queensland commodities exports overseas from the Fitzroy Statistical Division ports increased 104.5%.

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Building Activity

• There were 432 residential dwelling approvals in the Rockhampton Regional Council area in 2008-09.
• Residential dwelling approvals in the area were valued at $133 million.
• Total building value for the Rockhampton Regional Council area decreased 45.6% between 2007-08 and 2008-09.
• The value of residential building approvals in the Rockhampton Regional Council area during the June quarter of 2009 was higher than the March quarter of 2009.
• Residential building value in the June quarter of 2009 was the highest since the September quarter of 2008.
• The value of non-residential buildings approved in the Rockhampton Regional Council area in the June quarter of 2009 was $32.7 million.
• In the Rockhampton Regional Council area, 1,134 lots were approved in 2008.

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Tourism

• The Rockhampton Regional Council area had 1,814 guest rooms in December 2008.
• The average room occupancy rate for the 12 months ending December 2008 was 65.4%.
• Takings from tourist accommodation in 2008 were $44.9 million.
• Between January 2007 and March 2009, monthly guest arrival numbers in the Rockhampton Regional Council area varied from 23,940 persons to 41,827 persons.
• In 2008, a total of 66,706 international visitors stayed one night or more in the Rockhampton Regional Council area.
• In 2008, 34.8% of international visitors to the region stayed in hotels, resorts, motels or motor in accommodation.
• There were 18,164 international visitors to the region in 2008 from the United Kingdom.
• In the Rockhampton Regional Council area, 77.3% of international visitors in 2008 stayed for holiday or pleasure.
• In 2008, a total of 558,698 domestic visitors stayed one night or more in the region.
• In 2008, 35.3% of domestic visitors stay in the Rockhampton Regional Council area to visit friends and relatives.
• Of domestic visitors to the Rockhampton Regional Council area in 2008, 86% were from Queensland.

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Education

• In June 2009, there were 2,490 apprentices and trainees in the Rockhampton Regional Council area.
• In June 2009, 210 school-based apprentices and trainees were in training in the Rockhampton Regional Council area.
• During 2008-09, 7,995 students undertook vocational education and training.
• There were 1,499 students enrolled at the Central Queensland University, Rockhampton campus in 2008.
• In the Rockhampton Regional Council area at the time of the 2006 Census, 45.6% of persons 15 years and over held a non-school educational qualification.
• At the time of the 2006 Census, the most common field of qualification was engineering and related technologies.
• The Rockhampton Regional Council area has 41 primary schools, 9 secondary school and 6 schools that combine both primary and secondary schooling.
• Of the 19,753 primary and secondary school students in the Rockhampton Regional Council area, 63.1% attended government schools and 36.9% attended non-government schools.

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Transport

• Of the five ,major roads providing access to Rockhampton, in 2008 the Yeppoon Road at Iron Pot Creek has the high average daily traffic movements (9,595 vehicles).
• The Bruce Highway, north of Scrubby Creek has the highest average daily number of heavy vehicles in 2008 (1,938 vehicles).
• The Yeppoon Road at Iron Pot Creek had the highest number of light vehicles (9,018) and the highest percentage of light vehicle traffic (94%).
• Rail passenger arrivals at Rockhampton Station in 2007-08 were 35,754.
• During the person July 2005 to June 2008, September and October had the highest number of rail passenger arrivals and departures in Rockhampton.
• During 2007-08, a total of 690,242 passengers passed through Rockhampton Airport.
• Passenger movement through Rockhampton Airport increased 8.1% between 2006-07 and 2007-08.

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Affordability

• Indexed retail prices in Queensland in May 2006 show all centres surveyed in the Fitzroy Statistical Division, with the exception of emerald, recorded lower prices than Brisbane.
• Rockhampton's average monthly unleaded petrol prices were generally higher than Brisbane Metro between April 2000 and April 2009.
• Average monthly unleaded petrol prices fell from a high of 158.5 cents per litre in July 2008 to 103.8 centre per litre in January 2009.
• The median house price for the Rockhampton Regional Council area in the 12 months to the end of June 2009 was $300,000.
• The median unit and townhouse price for the Rockhampton Regional Council area in the 12 months to the end of June 2009 was $265,000.
• The median vacant urban land price for the Rockhampton Regional Council area for the 12 months ending June 2009 was $145,000.
• During the December quarter of 2008, the Rockhampton Regional Council area recorded a median weekly rental price for two-bedroom flats/unit of $220 per week and $280 for three-bedroom houses.

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