Campaign call to promote regions

Aaustralian think-tank group devoted to regional

issues has called for a national awareness campaign to promote opportunities of living in regional Australia and to help drive a population shift.

Regional Australia Institute has made the recommendation as part of its new report launched in Melbourne, Regional Population Growth: Are We Ready?.

The report is based on the economic consequences of pursuing alternative population scenarios to counter predictions of an ‘Australian megacity future’. It also explores stimulating regional areas.

Regional Development Minister Jaclyn Symes launched the report as part of the institute’s national Regions Rising roadshow.

Institute joint chief executive Kim Houghton said the report raised serious questions about the type of future Australia had if predicted population growth continued as projected in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

“The new research has shown that many workers living in our outer city suburbs could be financially better off if they moved to regional Australia,” Dr Houghton said.

“Many home owners in our state capitals are paying double the mortgage of their regional city counterparts but have a similar average wage.

“Australia’s population is set to grow by up to 19-million by 2056, with Sydney and Melbourne to hit megacity status in the next few decades. Brisbane and Perth will grow to the size of what Sydney and Melbourne are today.

“But if we continue with our current geographic patterns of settlement, most of that population will end up in the outer suburbs.”

The institute’s other chief executive Liz Ritchie added that rapid urban population growth created challenges already clear to residents in outer suburbs of capital cities.

“In Melbourne, the average home in the suburbs costs $776,276, while in Victoria’s regional centres, the figure is less than half, at $344,365,” she said.

Detailed in the new report, scenario modelling found that under a business-as-usual scenario, commute distances in Melbourne would increase by about 60 percent.

“Under the alternative distributed population scenario, where population growth is shared more evenly between outer suburbs and regional centres, commute distances for Melbourne would rise by 40 percent.”

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank director and key community-bank figure David Matthews of Rupanyup also spoke at the Melbourne launch.

He said with job opportunities growing in regional Australia, there was more reason than ever for people living in large cities to consider a change in lifestyle.

“Regional Australia has so much to offer, be it more affordable housing, a quicker commute to work and a safe welcoming environment to share with your family,” he said.

“With an intelligent and sustainable population strategy, Australians, no matter where they live, can continue to enjoy the lifestyle that we’re most famous for around the world.”

The institute has also unveiled its latest tool, ‘MOVE’, which provides potential home owners a way to find out which areas in Australia gave them the best chance of paying off their mortgage faster.

“This new research really poses a significant question to families in the future – will you be financially better off setting up a life in regional Australia? We know the answer could be yes,” Ms Ritchie said.