REIQ apologises for publishing misleading report

Published on 16 June 2017

The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) has issued an apology after releasing a false and damaging report stating more than 3,565 people left Rockhampton in the last financial year.

Rockhampton Region Mayor Margaret Strelow contacted REIQ this morning to clarify the misleading figures when a spokesperson confirmed the statistic related to the entire Fitzroy Region, not just Rockhampton.

“They say lies, damn lies and statistics and this report is a case in point,” Mayor Strelow said.

“The report used the Fitzroy Statistical Area – which includes Gladstone, Livingstone, Banana, Emerald, Blackwater, Moura and other mining towns – and applied that loss of population just to Rockhampton, which is clearly wrong.

“The ABS figures show Rockhampton’s net population loss is less half a per cent for last financial year which also includes Livingstone’s population as well. We should know a definitive figure when the then ABS releases census data later this year.

“We are seeing green shoots in the economy at the moment and this unhelpful, false report has created the wrong impression,” Mayor Strelow said.

Following Mayor Strelow’s contact with REIQ, they have since issued a public correction and apology:

The REIQ March Queensland Market Monitor reported that more than 7000 people moved away from Mackay and Rockhampton in the 2016 financial year.

The boundary descriptions are inaccurate. It should have read: “Regional Queensland is also facing population issues as ABS and CoreLogic data reveals that almost 7000 people moved away from the central Queensland regions of Fitzroy SA4 (-3565) and Mackay SA4 (-3248) in the 2016 financial year.”

To clarify, the boundaries are:

  • Fitzroy SA4: Rockhampton, Central Highlands, Gladstone, Banana and Woorabinda LGAs

  • Mackay SA4: Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac LGAs

The REIQ apologises for this inaccurate description of boundaries.  

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