A New Era of Regionality Dawns

Regional Australia Institute (RAI) CEO Liz Ritchie said data shows that, during the June 2024 quarter, 27 per cent more people moved from cities to regions than in the opposite direction, building on the pattern seen in previous RMI releases.

“Regional Australia has become the nation’s new frontier. This analysis is clearly showing the population movement we’re seeing is a sustained new trend, that is higher than pre-Covid migration patterns. The regional Australia we have now, is quite different to the regional Australia of five years ago,” Ms Ritchie said.

“The emergence of this new era signifies how important the regions are to the future of our nation. The regions will be at the heart of Australia’s net zero transition, and it is vital the infrastructure and services our growing regions require are met to ensure long-term prosperity and sustainability of our country.”

The data shows despite a seasonal dip in overall movement across the country in the June quarter, the Australian population remains highly mobile, with city-to-regional relocations tracking 16 per cent above the pre-Covid average, and regional-to-regional relocations 10 per cent above.

The RMI is a partnership between the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), which analyses quarterly and annual trends in people moving to and from Australia’s regional areas.

“Australia’s love for regional Australia shows no sign of slowing down, as movers from metro areas continue to reap the lifestyle and economic rewards of life in the regions,” CBA’s Executive General Manager Regional and Agribusiness Paul Fowler said.

The latest report also shows the emergence of new regional hotspots, with Lake Macquarie, north of the NSW Central Coast, one of Australia’s most popular destinations for movers, securing an almost 5 per cent share of net internal migration over the past year.

When it came to growth hotspots, the neighbouring NSW South Coast Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Bega Valley and Eurobodalla both experienced strong annual and quarterly surges in movement.

“The coastal appeal of regional hubs like Lake Macquarie, Bega Valley and Eurobodalla offer an attractive lifestyle with convenient access to quality healthcare and education services, as well as employment opportunities, further bolstered by major industry investments like the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project in Southern NSW,” Mr Fowler said.

While large centres within a few hours’ drive of capitals remain popular with many movers, regions experiencing the most growth over the last 12 months were generally further afield, including Townsville (QLD), Mid-West Regional (NSW), Strathbogie (VIC), Murray Bridge (SA), Greater Geraldton (WA), Coomalie (NT) and George Town (TAS).

Ms Ritchie said around three-quarters of city dwellers who made the move to the regions in the past three months had settled in either regional NSW or Victoria, reflective of capital city net migration data which shows Sydney, and to a lesser extent Melbourne, continue to shed the largest number of people.

“With so many people settling in our southern states, it’s critical governments, industry, business and community work together on ensuring regional cities and towns are supported during this phase of expansion,” Ms Ritchie said.

“The regions provide so much: affordability, a sense of community, fulfilling career options and green space. Let’s ensure this new era of regionality is met with vision and leadership to drive a more decentralised Australia.”