THE lure of the treechange has seen the Mansfield Shire named as one of the top five local government areas (LGA) in the state for growth in internal migration in the latest Regional Movers Index (RMI) report.
Australia has entered a new era of internal migration according to new data indicating the nation’s love of regional living is becoming a sustained population trend.
The Mansfield Shire coming in at number five in Victoria with 61.1 per cent growth reflects this movement.
Neighbouring shire Strathbogie took the number one spot with 296.9 per cent, followed by the sea changers on the Surf Coast at 225 per cent and Queenscliff at 184 per cent, and Moira Shire with 91.9 per cent.
“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 Institute (RAI) CEO Liz Ritchie said.
Latest Stories
“Regional Australia has become the nation’s new frontier."
The CEO said this analysis was showing the population movement being witnessed was “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 RAI, which analyses quarterly and annual trends in people moving between Australia’s regional areas.
New analysis this quarter also provides valuable insights on movement on a state-by-state basis, with the top five LGAs by share and growth in net internal migration revealed across the country.
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 the Strathbogie Shire in Victoria.
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 according to Ms Ritchie.
“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,” she said.
Some of the attractions of the regions she cited were affordability, a sense of community, fulfilling career options and green space.
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast retained its title as the nation’s most popular destination for movers, accounting for a 14 per cent share of net internal migration, however the Gold Coast slipped down in ranking on account of experiencing a net outflow of people to other regional areas, suggesting it’s fast becoming a gateway to more remote and rural areas of the country.
