DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES
Regional Profile
The East Gippsland region is no longer serviced by a rail network and relies on a road network which is of varying quality and management status. The region is close to the power generation centre of Victoria. Piped natural gas is not supplied east of Sale or through the southern part of the East Gippsland region. Rural water infrastructure is owned and operated by Southern Rural Water (external link) while the urban infrastructure networks are operated and maintained by the East Gippsland Region Water Authority.
The population of the East Gippsland region on 30 June, 1996, was 39 094. This increased from 37 319 people in 1991 (an average annual rise of 0.9%) (ABS, 1998). This regional population of East Gippsland is very small and sparse in the context of the rest of Victoria - representing just 0.8% of Victoria’s total population. Total density of the region’s population is just 1.9 persons per kmē (ABS, 1998). Predictions of population change between 1996 to 2021 for the region include that the total will increase from roughly 39 879 to 52 558. Further information on the population in the East Gippsland Region is available on the "Know your Area" section of the DSE website (external link)
In the East Gippsland region of Victoria, the primary industries sector of the economy is dependent on resources such as timber and fish and on the region's wealth of natural attractions (C of A and State of Victoria, 1996). Agriculture is an important sector of the East Gippsland regional economy in terms of its contribution to Gross Value of Production (GVP), value adding and employment. The timber industry accounts for approximately 27% of manufacturing turnover within the East Gippsland Statistical Division (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996). Approximately 33% of the total Victorian fish catch is landed at Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota.
The Shire of East Gippsland (external link) is the only Local Government Authority that has an office based in the East Gippsland region.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), (1998) Regional Statistics Victoria, AGPS, ACT.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), (1996) Integrated Regional Database, Version 2.0, CD-ROM.
Commonwealth of Australia (C of A) and State of Victoria, (1996) East Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement: Comprehensive Regional Assessment, AGPS, Canberra.
Related Links
The Regional Matters - Atlas of Regional Victoria website (external link) highlights issues related to the impact of change on
regional areas. It includes information on: population, jobs and industry, housing, road and rail transport, education etc.
The "Know Your Area" section of the DSE website (external link) provides a range of data about people (e.g. population, housing, employment) for a number of areas of Victoria (including Local Government Areas, towns, statistical divisions).
© The State of Victoria, 1996 - 2008.
This document was last reviewed on 25/09/2008