Fair slice for Far North

Mayor seeks equitable share of funding

CAIRNS Mayor Bob Manning has again called on the State Government to keep up its end of the funding bargain for regional areas as populations boom.

The comments come as new analysis by buyers’ agency Propertyology shows Cairns is among 33 regional locations where population growth was outstripping the capital cities.

Cairns population rose 1.3 per cent last year to 164,536.

Cr Manning said by 2050 the population of greater Far North Queensland would be about 500,000 with the Cairns local government area home to about 320,000.

“We don’t control that, we have to react to it though. That is the business of government, to stay ahead of the growth curve,” he said.

“That’s why we’re saying to the State Government, you’ve got to give regional areas their fair share.

“It can’t be a double whammy of lower standards of living and also not getting the funding.”

Propertyology head of research Simon Pressley said expensive housing, resistance towards overseas migration, and congestion was pushing about 20,000 people per year away from Sydney while a lack of jobs appeared to be pushing others out of Perth, Adelaide and Darwin.

“At the same time, greater appreciation for regional lifestyles is pulling others towards wonderful inland and coastal locations outside of capital cities,” he said.

“Housing is very affordable and, contrary to what many think, job prospects are available.

“Regional Australia’s population increased by 77,740 people over the 2017 financial year.

“That’s comparable to a city the size of Port Macquarie – Australia’s 29th largest city – in just one year.

“Propertyology has seen first-hand that affordable housing, job growth, and desirable regional lifestyles are a good combination for property markets. Many regional locations are performing very well.

“It’s a big decision for one to pack up the household and move but tens of thousands of people did that.”

As a proportion of total population growth over 2016/17, the biggest beneficiaries of interstate migration were Tasmania at 22.5 per cent and Queensland at 21.9 per cent.

Highlighting the pull of the regions, just 846 of the 17,246 internal migrations to Queensland in 2016/17 chose to relocate to Brisbane.

The majority went to the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Cairns, Ipswich and the Scenic Rim, according to the research.