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1.General Description
Catchment Facts:
The Upper Parramatta River Catchment:
- covers an area of 107 km
- is 70% urbanised
- contains approximately 80,000 properties
- has a population of 220,500 (Australian Bureau of Statistics,
1999).
- 30% of the population were born overseas.
- The cities of Parramatta and Blacktown are located at the
perimeter of the catchment; Parramatta Central Business District
being at the river outlet, and Blacktown at the western extremity.
- Major transport corridors are the M2 and M4 motorways, the
Great Western Highway, James Ruse Drive, Cumberland Highway
and Windsor Road.
- Industrial areas are located at Seven Hills, Girraween and
North Rocks.
- The majority of land use zoning in the catchment is urban
(94%), of which
- 72% is residential,
- 10% commercial
and industrial, and
- <12% infrastructure.
- Of the remaining 6%
- 5% of the
catchment is open space and bushland
- 1% is zoned
‘rural’.
The Parramatta CBD is a good example of the multicultural nature
of the Upper Parramatta River Catchment, with retailers and visitors
representing a large diveristy of ethnic backgrounds
2.Description of Types
The Australian Bureau of Statistics provided data for the catchment
based on the 1996 Census of Population. The following demographic
data is useful for comprehending the social characteristics of
the catchment, customising potential stormwater education and
awareness programs and consulting the community:
Fig. C2.1 Demographic Characteristics of the Upper Parramatta
River Catchment
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Median Age
Median weekly individual income
Median weekly household income
Average household size (no. of persons)
Proportion of catchment speaking English only
Proportion
of catchment which does not speak English well
Proportion of catchment which does not speak English at
all
Proportion of catchment with birthplace other than Australia
Proportion of catchment with language spoken at home other
than English
Proportion of catchment traveling to work by car (as driver)
Ratio of low to medium to high density housing in catchment
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33 years
$300-$399
$700-$999
3.0
38%
9%
2%
31%
25%
60%
20:4:1
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3.Distribution
The Upper Parramatta River Catchment is one of Australia’s
most densely populated centres. Blacktown has the third largest
population of any Local Government Area (LGA) and has the largest
population in the state. Parramatta has the seventh largest population
of any LGA and is Australia’s sixth largest CBD.
The following demographic figures are extracted from the 1996
Census, Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Fig C2.2 Population Density of LGA’s in the Upper Parramatta
River Catchment.
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LGA
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Density
Person/km2
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LGA in km2
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Parramatta
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2,345.9
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61.0
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Holroyd
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2,076.9
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40.3
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Blacktown
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999.5
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239.9
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Baulkham Hills
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313.4
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400.6
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Rest of Sydney
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1,246.8
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Fig C2.3 Proportion of Local Government Area
(LGA) in the Upper Parramatta River Catchment (UPRC)
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LGA
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Area in UPRC
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Proportion of
UPRC (%)
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Baulkham Hills Shire
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42.5 km 2
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39.7 (40%)
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Blacktown City
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23.4 km 2
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21.9 (22%)
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Parramatta City
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21.7 km 2
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20.3 (20%)
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|
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19.4 km 2
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18.1 (18%)
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Total
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107 km 2
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100.0
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Fig
C2.4 Properties per Sub Catchment
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Sub Catchment
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Area
– hectares
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Number of Properties
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Blacktown Creek
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732
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5058
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Finlaysons Creek
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613
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5739
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Grantham Creek
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253
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2442
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Greystanes Creek
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936
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4236
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Coopers Creek
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526
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4010
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Lalor Creek
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730
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5325
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Pendle Hill Creek
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550
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4917
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Toongabbie Creek
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1279
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8113
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Parramatta River Floodplain
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820
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4976
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Hunts Creek sub catchment
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1166
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7227
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Darling Mills Creek sub catchment
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1870
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10775
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4.Reasons for
Distribution
The Upper Parramatta River Catchment was originally home to the
Dharug Aboriginal tribe who had inhabited the area for more than
forty thousand years before British settlement in 1788. Very early
in the history of white settlement in Australia the soils of the
Cumberland Plains provided the arable land which enabled the fledgling
colony to become self sufficient for food.
The history of the Upper Parramatta River district is closely
interwoven with the colonial history of New South Wales. The development
of farms, vineyards, tanneries, woollen mills and quarrying occurred
in and around Parramatta. The town of Parramatta was laid out
in 1790. The first land grants were provided in the Blacktown
district in 1791, in the same year as the founding of Toongabbie.
The first farm at Baulkham Hills was granted in 1795. Settlement
proceeded rapidly, especially along the transport lines, both
road and rail and on the flat, arable land of the Cumberland Plain.
By the 1940’s centres such as Parramatta, Blacktown and Toongabbie
had become large town centres. The surrounding areas of West Pennant
Hills, Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills, being of more difficult
terrain, were lightly urban with a patchwork of agricultural fields.
Today Parramatta is the geographic and demographic centre of
greater Sydney. It is a thriving urban area and a major regional
centre for Western Sydney and NSW. The catchment area of 107 km2,
is 70% urbanised and contains approximately 80,000 properties
and a population of 220,500 (Australian Bureau of Statistics,
1999). The cities of Parramatta and Blacktown are located at the
perimeter of the catchment; Parramatta Central Business District
being at the outlet, and Blacktown at the western extremity.
5.Other Resources and Links
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Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust www.uprct.nsw.gov.au
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Parramatta City Council www.parracity.nsw.gov.au
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Baulkham Hills Shire Council http://www.baulkhamhills.nsw.gov.au/
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Holroyd City Council www.holroyd.nsw.gov.au
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Blacktown City Council http://www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/
·
University of Western Sydney www.uws.edu.au/crri/html/body_pa_demographics.html
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