Figures released by the NSW Infrastructure and Planning Department last year predicted Cootamundra’s population would drop by 400 within the next 20 years, a projection that was question by Cootamundra Shire Council at the time.

CSC general manager Ken Trethewey says the department have since re-evaluated their prediction, and anecdotal or experiential evidence suggests the shire’s population is actually slowly increasing.

“We will hold our own as a shire,” Mr Trethewey said, “our population is just creeping up by about 20 people annually.”

Cootamundra is not immune to national trends though, with smaller households and an ageing population becoming the status quo around the country.

Ray White Cootamundra licensee Janet McAtear confirmed that many of Coota’s newest residents are retirees, with the town “ticking all the boxes” for those who shop around for a place to settle down.

Ron Loiterton licensee Daryl Sedgwick agreed most new residents are normally retired or semi-retired, but explained over the last four to five months it has been a pretty even split with younger families coming here for employment opportunities.

“Young families assist all areas of our economy, and the fabric of the town itself,” Mr Sedgwick said.

“They bring fresh new ideas, enthusiasm, and partake in the town’s activities.”

Mr Sedgwick said the challenge with attracting new residents is selling the town before you sell property, but believed that is easy in Cootamundra.

“It’s a tidy town, not much grafitti, very low crime, many great schools, and anyone who has been here recently couldn’t fail to be impressed by the things going on,” Mr Sedgwick said.

Ms McAtear indicated though that this year has been quieter for investors than recent years, which is odd considering the area’s strong rental market.

“We get good returns of eight to nine per cent, which you can’t get in Sydney, and interest rates are low, so it’s a mystery why we don’t have more investors at the moment,” Ms McAtear said.

One problem standing in the way of developers right now is the lack of available land.

Mr Trethewey says there has been a steady demand for land over the last ten years with an average of 15-20 new buildings popping up annually, but Ms McAtear thinks less than ten have been built so far this year due to the lack of space.

This is also a problem for farmers and others seeking larger property, with Denise Smith from Holman Tolmie saying demand is exceeding supply right now for farmlets.

CSC bought a large lot of land between the cemetery and Bradman Street four years ago as part of a long-term residential investment, and Mr Trethewey says work will begin on the first 12 lots within the next three months, with individuals probably able to purchase a lot in the first quarter of 2015.

There has been no determination on price yet but this appears to be good news for Cootamundra’s property market, and with approximately 140 lots in total available in that space for a trickle release, council are anticipating demand will remain steady in the town for years to come.