June 24, 2015
by Dafyd Martindale
A report by accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) which claims Nanango has experienced the sharpest drop in economic output of any town or region in Australia has been questioned by South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann.
The report said one-third of Australia was now in recession and a shrinking handful of locations were generating most of the nation’s wealth.
According to PwC, one in every five dollars of national income was now produced by just 10 locations out of 2214 nationally, led by Melbourne and Sydney’s CBDs and the Pilbara iron ore region in north-west Australia.
At the other end of the spectrum, PwC listed 10 towns which it said had suffered the steepest declines in economic output, with Nanango leading the pack.
PwC said Nanango had suffered a 61 per cent drop in economic output ($1.22 billion) between 2001 and 2014, the period covered by the report.
However, the study appears to overlook the fact Tarong North Power Station was being built between 2001-2002 and many economic benefits from that project flowed to nearby Nanango.
“I don’t think they’re comparing apples with apples,” Mayor Kratzmann told southburnett.com.au
“Nanango and other parts of our region went through a bit of a mini-boom when Tarong North was being built, but this levelled off back to normal once the new power station was commissioned.
“Then we had a bit of a slump in 2011 with the floods, then another one with the drought, and then the 2013 floods.
“I think all of these things have distorted the figures.”
The Mayor said any long-term view would show Nanango’s population has grown steadily over many decades regardless of short-term fluctuations in the local economy.
- External link: Australian Financial Review report
Nice cherry picking by a Mayor who by his own admission has no further interest in leading our shire into the future.
The fact that during this period we were forced into amalgamation without our consent and that the shire of Nanango which was thriving prior to this was effectively asset stripped through the process has no bearing or has it?
It is easy to blame the weather in hindsight but in reality there is no excuse for mediocre management and this is apparently by all accounts what the SBRC has had to date.
In defence of the Mayor he was not actually elected to the role but was the only person to put his hand up for the job.
Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics. I acknowledge that many in the South Burnett have experienced hardship for a variety
of reasons.
However I would like to focus on the positive. In the period mentioned, many Nanango businesses have chosen to invest in Nanango with great results. But rather than focus on money, I would like to list a few things this community has achieved since 2001:
Statistics say nothing about the spirit of Nanango and the great lifestyle we enjoy. We are lucky that we have so many of our community that are active in creating great facilities for us to enjoy.
Good on you Nanango. I am proud to live in this town with so many community achievements.
Can someone explain why there are so many houses for sale in the South Burnett along with empty shop fronts, is it only because of the drop in population from 12,000 to 8000 in Kingaroy alone and if so the Mayor has done a good job or is it the balance of the damage caused by the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd Government. I tend to believe the latter.
As I’ve said before, the mayor didn’t have much to start (ie. flood and road damage) but I’m sure that the incoming Shire Mayor will continue what this mayor has been able to achieve so I would like to think that all is not doom and gloom.
Not sure where you get your population stats from, however the ABS shows a continual growth in Kingaroy’s population, ie
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@nrp.nsf/Previousproducts/315106632Population/People12006-2010?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=315106632&issue=2006-2010
However, we suspect you are comparing old Kingaroy Shire Council LGA figures (the whole shire) with Kingaroy town area figures (which don’t include Kumbia, Coolabunia etc)
Graham is right, the Mayor is right, and PcW are wrong.
If Nanango really had suffered a 61% drop in economic output between 2001 and 2014 its population would’ve shrunk as people left the town in droves but the exact opposite has happened.
http://www.queenslandplaces.com.au/nanango
PcW came up with their conclusion by drawing a line between Nanango at the top of a boom (Tarong North construction) down to a bust (flood recovery) instead of taking a year-by-year average.
But the things Graham lists, and the census data on population growth, tells the real story.
PcW owes Nanango an apology.
And here is a link to some population statistics for Kingaroy town http://www.queenslandplaces.com.au/kingaroy
Mr Archdall’s wise comment reinforces the old saying that we live in communities, not economies, and that listing a community’s assets in the comprehensive way that he has reminds us that looking a dollar signs exclusively will never tell the full picture of a community’s “worth”.
Whoever is from the News Desk, cast your mind back some 18 month to two years ago when on the outskirts of Kingaroy both ways stood a KINGAROY’S POPULATION 12000 Sign NOW stands a sign reading 8000. My stats are from the real world. Oh! Forgive Me, Of cause you’d well remember the sign that also boasted Kingaroy – The next BOOM Town Again. A real sign from the real world.
This story contains a photo of one of the old signs you’re referring to: Goodbye To Farewell Signs
As you can see, these signs flagged the population of Kingaroy Shire as it was around 2006, not the population of Kingaroy township (which was 7620 in 2006 and is estimated to be over 10,400 now).
Kingaroy has had a growth in population but they have no jobs or regular income. This is why there are so many unemployed and on welfare. This does towns like those in the South Burnett no good at all. This is why we have $2 shops on every corner and other quality retailers and small businesses closing their doors at a rate of knots.
People are moving here from the outer suburbs of Brisbane (among other places) because the rents are far cheaper here than there. This puts a massive burden on the health services and has created a welfare state.
The next Mayor needs to focus less on Private hospitals and elitist facilities and more on the communities needs JOBS JOBS JOBS! That is the only thing that can save the South Burnett.
Also how arrogant is the outgoing Mayor to question PwC who are a lot smarter than he is? You can have pride Mayor but you cannot lie to yourself and ignore he facts.
Newsdesk: quoting ABS stats that are 5 years old do not back up your point of population growth either!
Mr Archdall I could debate your comments however to remain positive I would like to say your outstanding positive sell on Nanango is worthy of the real estate salesperson of the millennium!
James, the Australian Census has been run every 5 years for over a century and the 2011 figures are the latest data publicly available. The Australian Bureau Of Statistics explains the process on this page of their website.
The next Census will be carried out in 2016 and the data from it is expected to be available in 2017.
In between each Census, State Governments run their own economic forecasting units to plan for future growth (or decline) using long-term averages drawn from Census data and other sources of information. In Queensland, the relevant bodies are the Office Of Economic and Statistical Research (OESR) and the Planning Information Forecasting Unit (PIFU), which are part of the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office.
So apart from previous Census data, we also looked PIFU’s population projections for Nanango to check if there was any evidence to back up PcW’s claim, which has been made by no other comparable firm. PIFU’s data shows no decline either.
This is the first time I’ve read the comments on an article published by South Burnett Online and I am reminded of an old homily, “There are two sides to every story and somewhere in the middle lies the truth” (my rememberance of the homily).
I’ve seen so many heated arguements develop over statistics. Having studied and worked with stats for many years I’m acutely aware of the traps for young players. And the above comments fall into this category – and I’m not being perjorative when I use the term “young players” ’cause I realise that attempts to shore-up these arguements have used reliable stats. So the real question is “How is the South Burnett doing?” I’ll leave that question hanging for others to answer.
I agree with Graeme Bates in that sometimes the argument over stats can push aside the message. If there is a problem (and I do mean, IF) then point blank denying the stats will prevent the discussions that could lead to solutions. If there are people in Nanango and the South Burnett who are struggling – as this report suggests – then refusing to accept that there is a problem leaves them hanging with little hope of improvement.
Thx Sassyr. It also reminds me “Can’t see the forest for the trees!” I seem to recall that South Burnett is still growing (I guess that means population growth) faster than many regions in Queensland and thank goodness we don’t rely on “the minerals/mining” boom/bust!