Australia’s NSW to experience unprecedented population growth

Sydney, Sep 12 (IANS) The population in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) is expected to grow to almost 10 million in the next two decades, media reports said.

Updated population projection data released by NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes on Monday showed the number of people living in the state is expected to grow from 7.2 million in 2011 to 9.9 million by 2036, representing about 225,000 people more from the 2014 forecast, Xinhua news agency reported.

A net total of 1.74 million people is expected to arrive from overseas to make their home in NSW between 2011 and 2036, while 370,000 people currently residing in the state were expected to move interstate over the same period of time.

Metropolitan Sydney alone is expected to grow from 4.2 million in 2011 to 6.4 million residents in 2036.

NSW state Premier Mike Baird acknowledged that the higher headcount would put more pressure on Sydney which was already grappling with traffic jams and low housing affordability.