Net migration to the regions more than doubles as COVID makes Australians reconsider lifestyles
Net migration to the regions in 2020 and 2021 more than doubled from the two previous years as the COVID-19 pandemic causes a lifestyle rethink, according to new data from the Regional Australian Institute (RAI).
Relocation from capital cities to the regions was 15% higher in 2020 and 2021 than in 2018 and 2019, with net migration pushed even higher as fewer people relocated from regions to cities, according to a report by The Australian.
The quarterly Regional Movers Index, produced by the RAI and Commonwealth Bank, found that Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast local government areas saw the largest number of people move in from large cities last year. More than one in 10 Australians who moved from a capital city last year relocated to the Gold Coast.
The Port Augusta local government area in South Australia posted a 54% spike in migration from capital cities last year, followed by the Douglas (49%) and Western Downs (48%) LGAs in Queensland and Mount Gambier, SA (44%), I reported.
“With two years of the index, we can now clearly see the positive impact COVID has had on people seeking a regional lifestyle,” acting RAI chief Kim Houghton told The Australian. “It looks like the pandemic is changing some long-established movement paths, which is a good sign for more balanced population growth.”
RAI data revealed a 10% drop in city dwellers moving to the regions in the final quarter of 2021, which Houghton said might be a combination of factors such as not wanting to make big decisions at the end of the year – but could also be due to a tightening of some regional housing markets.
“If you drill into housing data, it is clear that listings in regional areas are at historical lows for most of 2020 and 2021,” he told The Australian. “The numbers of houses on the market for sale and for rent are low, which is consistent with people deciding to stay put. But after big house price increases earlier in the pandemic in some popular regional places, we see some slowing of inflows and a slowing of house price growth, so there are stabilisers in the property market.”
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The trend for regional living is being fed by a growing awareness that many people can work remotely, said Paul Fowler, CBA executive general manager for regional banking.
“Citysiders have really embraced the regions over the past two years, and as we see flexible working arrangements continue and domestic and international borders opening up, it’s likely we will continue to see this movement as people recognise the benefits of a regional lifestyle,” he told The Australian.
