Population migration data into regional centres hit a high, with Sydney and Melbourne leading the capital-city outflow.
Australia’s regional centres have remained resilient amid the property market downturn, with population movements driving their strong performance.
Recent Cotality data found that while property values declined 1.8 per cent annually across the capitals, regional dwellings stayed consistent, rising by 5.6 per cent over the same period.
As buyers chase affordability, regional centres continue to benefit from rising population outflows from the capitals, bringing more owner-occupiers to the market.
According to the latest Regional Movers Index by Regional Australia Institute (RAI), Sydney and Melbourne led the way for residents moving from the capitals to regional Australia.
Sydney had the largest population outflow, accounting for more than half of all capital-to-regional migration at 52 per cent.
Melbourne saw the next-highest outflow at 36 per cent, with the nation’s two largest capitals responsible for almost 80 per cent of total movements away from the capitals.
In contrast, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth combined accounted for 13 per cent of population outflows.
The data showed that 11.7 per cent of all significant relocations occurred with residents moving away from the capitals.
Capital-to-regional movers outnumber the reverse by 30 per cent, according to the data.
RAI CEO Liz Ritchie said relocation movements typically slowed during the June quarter, making the result particularly notable.
“This tells us the appeal of country living remains incredibly strong all year round, even outside of the traditional peak moving periods,” Ritchie said.
“It shows Australians are increasingly considering a broader range of regional communities when deciding where to live, with the benefits of regional living extending beyond popular coastal towns and inland communities.”
Regional mover hotspots revealed
The data showed that Queensland’s Sunshine Coast remained the most popular destination for movers, with a total inflow of 8.7 per cent.
Geelong, Lake Macquarie, Fraser Coast and Moorabool rounded out the top five destinations for population inflows.
Meanwhile, Central Goldfields in regional Victoria led all LGAs in annual internal migration growth, with inflows up 312 per cent over the year.
Ritchie said that beyond established destinations such as the Sunshine Coast, Queensland was seeing growth in relocations to the north Queensland markets of Tablelands, Douglas and Burdekin.
According to Kylie Allen, CBA regional and agribusiness banking executive general manager, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing supported these strengthening regional markets.
“Across Northern Queensland, local investment is helping regions capitalise on their distinct strengths and drive broader economic growth,” Allen said.
“When local businesses invest and expand, the benefits flow through the wider economy, creating jobs, attracting skilled workers and strengthening the services and supply chains that help regional communities thrive,” Allen said
Allen said the most significant finding was the ripple effect of regional population growth.
“As established regional centres expand, people are increasingly moving deeper into surrounding areas in search of greater housing, employment and lifestyle opportunities,” Allen said.
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