The average Australian is now a female millennial living in a family with children with an average weekly family income of $3,000 or more.

Much has been made of the 'generational shift', but in the Illawarra, this shouldn't be a surprise. The 2021 census data shows the average person in Wollongong is a 39-year-old female with 1.8 children with a median household income of $2,167.

You would know if you have visited any of our green spaces at the weekend.

We have more 10 to 19-year-olds than 60 to 70-year-olds, while 20 to 24-year-olds make up 7.4 per cent of the Wollongong population compared to 6.2 per cent across Australia.

Of course, some of these statistics are a nod to the popularity of the University of Wollongong both as an educational establishment and a place of work.

Almost 30 per cent of Wollongong people identified as having both parents born overseas. While 74 per cent were born in Australia, 61 per cent said their ancestry was not Australian.

These stats shouldn't be surprising if you walk around the Illawarra or Wollongong CBD. They describe a vibrant, diverse city, a place that is changing and is figuring out what it stands for.

The federal election last month and the council election late last year both showed how sentiment is shifting in the city. Once a Labor city and still a Labor city, but there's a touch more green. And we see with the striking nurses and teachers, both predominately female professions, that the region's women are ready to use their voice.

We should remember that the voices that make up our community are not fairly represented in local leadership. At the risk of making a sweeping stereotype, they are typically white, boomer men.

So we ask the leaders of our community to listen closely to the new average Australian. Please help them step up to lead our region because they are our future.

- Gayle Tomlinson