The Sunshine Coast is cementing its status as Australia’s most popular regional destination, even as more people look south in search of cooler climates.
The latest Regional Movers Index (RMI) shows that relocations from capital cities to regional areas continue to outpace moves in the opposite direction by more than 36 per cent.
While the Sunshine Coast retained the largest share of net internal migration, Regional Australia Institute CEO Liz Ritchie says Victorian and Tasmanian regions are recording notable growth.
“We are seeing interesting moves in the southern states with Victoria’s Wodonga seeing the strongest annual net migration growth, while three Tassie spots – Latrobe, Devonport and Huon Valley – ranked second to fourth,” she says.
“Grouped together, these areas saw a five-fold increase in net migration over 12 months.”
The RMI, produced in partnership with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), reveals net migration to regions rose 11.8 per cent, with Sydney and Melbourne driving the trend.
Ms Ritchie says familiar favourites continue to dominate: “The perennially popular top-three spots: the Sunshine Coast with 8.8 per cent of total net internal migration to regions, Greater Geelong (7.7 per cent) and Lake Macquarie (4.1 per cent) all feature.”
CBA executive general manager, regional and agribusiness banking, Kylie Allen says lifestyle and opportunity are key drivers.
“While the outlook is positive, attracting and retaining skilled professionals remains a challenge across regional areas,” she says.
“Even with a growing population, some sectors remain under pressure.
“Continued investment in training and upskilling will be key to meeting demand.”
