Top pick for Vic switch

Geelong destination of choice

GEELONG has maintained its status as a “destination of choice”, with the region the most popular with people making a move within Victoria.

The Great Migration: Leaving our Cities for the Regions report from the University of Melbourne found the City of Greater Geelong was the top regional destination for those opting out of life in Melbourne.

Some 12 per cent of surveyed internal migrants picked Geelong as their relocation choice, while 8 per cent chose the Surf Coast.

Committee for Geelong chief executive Jennifer Cromarty said Geelong had “always been a destination of choice” for people relocating.

Ms Cromarty said before the pandemic the city’s growth rate was 2.7 per cent, “well above” that of Melbourne.

“What happened during the pandemic is that accelerated,” she said.

“This report proves what we’ve been seeing . . . it turbocharged the growth.

“We are closer to Melbourne ... at a commutable distance.

“Geelong also has the bay, the beaches, all those natural environmental aspects that make it so attractive.

“We also have ... a really consistently reliable rail service (compared with Ballarat or Bendigo) ... plus the airport and, soon, the Spirit of Tasmania.”

The report noted the main reasons for internal migration included better lifestyle and amenity (73 per cent), being closer to natural environment (63 per cent) and housing affordability (52 per cent).

Ms Cromarty said more infrastructure support was needed from all levels of government to maintain Geelong as a desired location.

“We need all governments – federal, state and local – to ensure things like our public transport system is upgraded, improved,” she said.

“It’s important now and into the future. The Commonwealth Games is a huge opportunity.

“We need to understand really clearly what ... infrastructure we can leverage for Geelong.”

According to the report, an “overwhelming majority” (75 per cent) of respondents indicated they were “extremely satisfied” with their move to regional Victoria.

Ms Cromarty said it was “good the data’s catching up to what we know”.