The City of Busselton, located in the renowned Cape to Cape sub-region of the South West of WA, is experiencing high rates of demographic and economic growth. This is a local government authority dedicated to meeting the challenges presented by being such a fast growing area and to offering a diverse range of services and facilities to the community.

The City of Busselton became the sixth regional city in Western Australia on January 21st, 2012 – joining the City of Albany, the City of Mandurah, the City of Bunbury, the City of Greater Geraldton and the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. More importantly, the City of Busselton is now the second City in the South West along side our close neighbour the City of Bunbury.

The population of the City of Busselton now exceeds 31,000 people and this growth is projected to continue. The City is located in the Margaret River wine region and includes Busselton, Dunsborough and Yallingup.Busselton beachfront

The town of Busselton is situated approximately 220kms south of Perth (the capital city of Western Australia). It is one of the most popular holiday destinations in rural Western Australia and a premier seaside resort and coastal playground.

It is a place of splendid contrasts, from tranquil waters to the rugged cliffs of the surfing coast, ancient caves, picturesque vineyards, sprawling pastures and magnificent forests. The City of Busselton covers 1454 km² and contains a gateway to many attractions and towns in the South West of the State.

Moderate weather conditions are enjoyed with an average maximum temperature of 22.1°C and an average minimum temperature of 11°C. The temperature remains in the high 20s or above between December and February.

Busselton, Dunsborough, Yallingup and Cape Naturaliste are extremely popular holiday destinations offering safe swimming areas for children as well as excellent boating and fishing. Yallingup is probably best known for its excellent surf. The City of Busselton is extremely busy in the summer season.

The average annual rainfall is 864 millimetres with the wettest months usually being May to October. The area is very good for agriculture, including viticulture, dairy and beef cattle.

The west coastal area of the City of Busselton contains some of the State's most famous surfing breaks and a number of the State's best known and most prestigious wineries and caves as well as large areas of national park and State forest.

The City of Busselton had a preliminary estimated resident population of 31,767 in 2010 according to the ABS, however it is estimated that visitors increase this to over 60,000 on any one day during peak tourism periods and prior booking of accommodation is essential at these times. The City of Busselton's average annual growth rate over the past 20 years has been one of the highest sustained growth rates for a regional area in Australia in excess of 4%. Approximately 67% of the total population is located in the town of Busselton. Read more in our Demography and Planning report (below).

The Dunsborough urban area has achieved healthy population growth in recent times and has a permanent population of approximately 4,000. The ratio of unoccupied private dwellings in Dunsborough continues to be significant, at approximately 45% of the total number of private dwellings when the census was taken in August 2006, which is very high in comparison to other areas.

The City of Busselton's current population structure reflects a broadening of the area's economy and increasing employment opportunities with a corresponding reduction in the significance of the area's ‘retirement' function. This is highlighted by the reduction in the percentage of residents aged over 55 from 25.1% in 1996 to 23% in 2001 while the percentage of residents aged 5-54 increased from 67.5% to 69.9% during that time.