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September quarter figures show that Australians from the capital cities are still seeking sea and tree changes in record numbers.
The latest Regional Movers Index reveals that the number of capital city residents moving to regional areas rose 2 per cent during the last quarter. That’s up 3 per cent from the same period last year.
The report, which was created by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) in collaboration with the Commonwealth Bank, indicates that regional net migration increased 14 per cent during three months to September, while residents of country and coastal towns were deciding to stay put.
The index was launched earlier this year, using Commonwealth Bank data from its 10 million customers to track relocations.
Liz Ritchie, RAI CEO, noted that the latest figures were reported during a period that posed numerous challenges for people making big relocations.
“Sydney was in lockdown for the entire September quarter and Melbourne for two-thirds of it, and still we see an increase in the overall number of people choosing a regional lifestyle,” Ms Ritchie said.
Large coastal centres continued to attract metro movers in high numbers, with Queensland’s Gold Coast the most popular destination for relocators. The Sunshine Coast followed soon behind, with Greater Geelong in Victoria and Wollongong and Lake Macquarie in NSW also proving popular.
RAI chief economist Dr Kim Houghton said that in some smaller locations, the influx of former city dwellers would be hard to miss, with even a small inflow resulting in a large percentage growth.
“South Australian local government area (LGA) Wattle Range – which neighbours Mt Gambier and stretches from the coast, through the Coonawarra wine district, to the Victorian border – saw an 83 per cent growth in the number of metro movers for the year to September 30,” he noted.
The Queensland region of Douglas, home to Port Douglas and Daintree, saw the second-largest gain of 71 per cent over the last 12 months. This was followed by Port Augusta in South Australia and Moree Plains in NSW, both with 55 per cent increases.
Grant Cairns, the Commonwealth Bank’s executive general manager for regional and agribusiness banking, said he didn’t expect that the flow of Australians moving from the capitals to regions would dry up any time soon.
“Despite the lockdowns in New South Wales and Victoria, we have seen key projects – such as infrastructure projects – create more jobs in the regions. More job opportunities combined with the fact that many Australians have the opportunity to work remotely means we will likely continue to see a shift in the number of people choosing to live in the regions.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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