The regional migration trend started long before Covid

The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (Ahuri) showed that more people from the capitals of Australia and area cities from the Australian areas have moved out of regional or rural areas to a year since 2007.

In contrast to the popular opinion, those who leave cities are not primarily young specialists, but older, financially safe people who are looking for a better lifestyle.

Professor Nicole Gurran from the University of Sydney, who headed research, said that the demographic profile of regional moving companies was surprising for many.

“Our studies showed that people who leave cities are usually not young people at the beginning of their career, but older people with more financial resources,” said Professor Gurran.

“They often look for a better lifestyle and often become homeowners in their new places.”

The strongest growth occurs in regions near metropolises and on the coasts, especially in areas with favorable climates, a higher number of university graduates and robust tourism cectors.

This migration pattern creates significant challenges for the affordability of living space in regional Australia.

The studies show that increased migration leads to higher prices for rental and self-purchasing, not only at the locations where people settle, but also in surrounding areas.

“Real estate prices in regions are further affected because households with low incomes are forced to move significant distances that they can afford,” said Professor Gurran.

The wave effect of rising housing costs displaces regional residents in need of protection and causes the researchers to demand increased financial support for tenants with low income and stronger investments in social and emergency apartments in regional areas.

Ahuri research also highlighted the need for more precise and timely population data in order to plan political decision -makers for the growing regional communities.

“The government was relatively conservative in its use of data,” said Professor Gurran.

“There is only limited use of new generation methods and non-traditional data sources.

“In order to react to the requirements of rapidly growing regions, planners need more consistent and more timely data.”

In research, several political measures are recommended, including the development of a nationally consistent program for collecting timely population data, the creation of incentive systems in order to gain high -quality industries for regional areas and to coordinate efforts at all government levels.

It is also recommended to support the growing population in non-metropolitan areas.

“Research illuminates the growing connections between urban and regional real estate prices. It is important that more people in regional areas put pressure on housing costs, tenants with low income in regional areas support financial aid and renting, ”said Professor Gurran.

“There is also a real need to increase social and emergency apartments in regional Australia.”