Data released by the Regional Australia Institute this week revealed more people were moving to regional areas, with the trend expected to grow in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
RAI chief executive Liz Ritchie said the way people work had been turned on its head since the pandemic began, and hoped the change would further sharpen the spike in the number of people moving to regional areas.
“From 2011 to 2016, our two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, lost more residents to regions than they gained — and this was well before COVID-19,” she said.
“Over the last few months, we’ve all had to change how we work and this has allowed staff and employers to see that location is no longer a barrier for where we choose to work.”
The data revealed between 2011 and 2016, more than 1.2 million people either moved to or moved around regional Australia, with Melbourne loosing 21 609 people to the trend.
Kevin Hicks from Kevin Hicks Real Estate was not surprised by the data, and said he had seen a strong migration of working-class people to the Greater Shepparton region in recent years.
“These people are opportunist,” he said.
“People are coming to the district taking up positions as health professionals, as civil engineers and in the construction industry.
“The modernisation of the irrigation system and big projects in the last three years like the Shepparton Art Museum construction, the court house and the Echuca bridge have provided more opportunities for people to ply their trades.”
The data also found millennials were some of the biggest movers, with 200 000 people aged 20 to 35 moving between regions during 2011 and 2016.
“I think COVID-19 might make people remember how healthy and happy people can be living in regional areas,” Mr Hicks said.
“In terms of housing, we cater for people’s needs — whether it's elite living standards to budget buying, there are accommodation options here for all types of people.”
Mr Hicks said the Federal Government's new HomeBuilder scheme would also help people make the decision to stay in the area.
“More home-grown educated kids are finally looking at opportunities in their backyard, and this home buyers’ grant will galvanise that opportunity,” he said.
While the data listed Greater Geelong, Ballarat and Greater Bendigo in the top 12 local government areas popular among millennials, Greater Shepparton didn’t make the cut.
Committee for Greater Shepparton chief executive Sam Birrell said there was still work to be done to make the region more attractive to newcomers.
“The research shows there's significant movement in regional areas both from capital cities and other regions, and the willingness to move seems to be promising among millennials,” he said.
“A better lifestyle, less travel time to employment and more affordable housing is what I think squares with why we’ve seen people wanting to move to regional areas.
“But there are a number of regional centres that have employment opportunities like us, so there's a lot of competition to attract those millennials that are wanting to make that tree change."
Mr Birrell said making the region more attractive was a priority of his committee.
“We are trying to make it stand out with better infrastructure, better schools, better hospitals and a modern cultural scene,” he said.
“Another positive aspect people have here is the ability to live in the small towns that surround us, like Toolamba and Dookie.
“I believe the situation is improving, but there’s more to be done … we need to talk to the people that have moved here and see what makes them stay, and leave.”
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