The Sunshine Coast continues to be the most popular destination in Australia for people moving away from cities and other regional areas.
The quarterly Regional Movers Index, a collaboration between the Regional Australia Institute and Commonwealth Bank, shows regional growth is not just a short-term trend in response to the COVID pandemic.
“Good regional job prospects and the likelihood of better house prices and availability are attracting many people to these more remote regional growth hotspots,” the bank’s head of regional and agribusiness Paul Fowler said.
“Digital connectivity also means where you are is less relevant today.
“As a result, it’s likely many millennial small business owners are choosing to take advantage of the increasing investment and interest in regional development.”
The Regional Movers Index September 2023 Quarter Report says the Sunshine Coast remains at the top of the list for its share of total net internal migration in the past 12 months.
“The Sunshine Coast firmly cemented its position as the most popular destination for Australian movers, topping the top-five list for the fourth consecutive quarter,” it said.
“A particular favourite for city movers, the Sunshine Coast accounted for a 16.7 per cent share of all net internal migration flows – of which, more than three quarters came from
capital cities.”
The report noted that those making the move were more likely to be from cities in closest proximity, with Brisbane accounting for 32 per cent of those moving to the Sunshine Coast.
The Regional Movers Index was launched at the height of the pandemic to track population flows away from the cities.
The most recent figures showed regional migration was 11 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels, in part due to more than 90,000 job vacancies in country areas.
Major growth spots in the past year were far from their state’s capitals, including Douglas, in far north Queensland, and Ceduna, in coastal South Australia, which calls itself the “oyster capital”.
Sydney continues to lose the most residents to the Australian countryside, as young city slickers seek a slower pace and greater affordability.
The harbour city accounted for 80 per cent of all migration away from the capital cities in the year to September, compared to 60 per cent the year before.
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“It suggests the bigger our cities get, the stronger the draw to our wonderful regions becomes,” Regional Australia Institute chief executive Liz Ritchie said.
For the first time in 18 months, NSW overtook Queensland as the most popular place for city residents to find their new country home, according to the bank’s lending data.
Ms Ritchie said the research showed growth in the regions was not a short-term trend.
“But to support our expanding regions, we need to ensure rental vacancy rates rise, building approvals keep pace with population growth and services like childcare and transportation are at suitable levels,” she said.
AUSTRALIA’S POPULATION MOVEMENTS
- Movement from the capital cities to the regions is 11 per cent higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic
- People moving in the other direction, from the regions to the cities, made up 9 per cent of all relocations
- The rate of tree and sea changes is steady, though it shows no signs of returning to pre-pandemic levels
WHERE AUSTRALIANS ARE MOVING
- The most attractive areas for people moving from the capitals in the year to September were Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Fraser Coast, along with Greater Geelong and Moorabool in Victoria
- The areas with the greatest growth were Waroona and Greater Geraldton in WA, Snowy Valleys in NSW, Golden Plains in Victoria and Douglas in far north Queensland
- Sydney is losing the most residents to the regions of all the capital cities, followed by Melbourne
- Regional NSW took in the most tree-changers, ahead of Queensland, Victoria and WA
- Both regional and city movers found Brisbane and Perth the most appealing capitals
WHY WE’RE MOVING
- There were 91,400 jobs advertised in country areas in September, a major pull factor for people making the move, according to the Regional Australia Institute
- “As cost of living pressures escalate, the latest data shows city dwellers are continuing to flock to the regions at a higher rate than those moving in the opposite direction”
Source: The September quarter Regional Movers Index, a collaboration between the Commonwealth Bank and the Regional Australia Institute
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