Key Points
- The migration flows within Australia in 2022 have been analysed in a new report.
- Regional Queensland and Victoria proved the most popular destinations for city-dwellers making the move in 2022.
- Those relocating within regional Australia flocked to Ballarat, Townsville and Murray Bridge.
Migration from capital cities to regional Australia remain elevated throughout 2022 - sitting at around 16 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels in both 2018 and 2019, according to a new report.
Regional Australians also relocated, with destinations in Queensland and Victoria proving popular.
Analysts say the housing affordability issue and job opportunities are among the drivers for the change.
shows movement between regional areas rose in 2022, averaging 8 per cent higher than the two years before the pandemic.
Region-to-region migration increased by 2.2 per cent in the December quarter, the second highest level since the pandemic began.
The Index, a quarterly report from the Commonwealth Bank and the Regional Australia Institute, said the increase was down to post-pandemic housing market disruption.
"These disruptions are affecting housing and rental affordability, particularly for low-income regional dwellers previously able to access and afford housing," the report said.
"Part of the increase in inter-regional migration is likely reflecting people searching for and relocating to other places where housing is more available and affordable."
Movements within regional Australia
The most popular regions for country Australians to move to were Fraser Coast, Bundaberg, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, along with Maitland, NSW.
The areas that experienced the largest growth in residents from other regions were Ballarat in Victoria, Townsville, Rockhampton and Gladstone in Queensland and South Australia's Murray Bridge.
Commonwealth Bank's head of regional and agribusiness banking Paul Fowler said while housing accessibility may be pushing country residents to other regions, the strong labour market was a "pull factor".
"The number of job vacancies in regional Australia are still at record highs,"Mr Fowler told AAP.
"For most skills and occupations, if there's a desire to move to another LGA, there is an opportunity to find prosperous employment there."
Shift from city to regional Australia
Net migration from capitals to regions in 2022 still averaged 45 per cent more than the average in the two years prior to the pandemic.
Regional Queensland and Victoria were the most popular as destinations for city-dwellers - accounting for net outflows from cities to regions at 34 and 33 per cent (up by more than 10 per cent compared to 2021).
Regional New South Wales fell out of favour to account for 26 per cent of net capital outflows - a 50 per cent reduction compared to 2021.
Regional Queensland and Victoria were the most popular as destinations for city-dwellers - accounting for net outflows from cities to regions at 34 and 33 per cent (up by more than 10 per cent compared to 2021). Credit: SBS
"The areas experiencing significant net migration increases would certainly be feeling the impact on house prices and rents, local services and infrastructure," the institute's chief executive Liz Ritchie said.
"For that reason, policy makers, industry and regional leaders need to heed these results, to ensure adequate planning and resourcing is put in place to accommodate demand both now and in coming decades."
LISTEN TO
New report shows Australia's population to be older and smaller in future
SBS News
06/01/202305:40
How is the federal government responding?
Federal Transport Minister Catherine King said the Commonwealth government is making resource provision for the regions that are emerging as growth areas.
She said she felt the movement to regional Australia is likely to be a permanent shift.
"It feels like a change that is staying," she told the National Press Club on Wednesday.
"I think it is a trend that will continue. But what it requires government to do is to think - between local, state and federal - about where do you invest money - and how you invest money.
"We've developed a regional investment framework that is really largely about making sure that government invest in people... so liveability and infrastructure, investing in services, and investing in our economy."
