Australian Migration Habits Fuelled By Seas And Trees

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) published data on Australian internal migration which indicated that migration is gathering pace in select sea-change and tree-change areas.

Gold Coast saw the most net internal arrivals at 6,428 persons over the year - the highest on record and 39.4% higher over the past year. It was also the first time since 2006-07 that the Gold Coast had seen the nation’s highest rate of net internal migration.

Top 25 SA4 regions for net internal migration, 2015-16.

Of the top 25 regions for net internal migration over the past year, 13 were located outside of the capital cities; generally in areas either adjacent or close to capital cities.

CoreLogic noted that these regions were a mix of sea-change and tree-change type locations.

"Interestingly, each of these regional markets has recorded an increase in net internal migration over the year," they said.

"The data supports the strong price rises being recorded across many of Australia’s coastal and hinterland regions, especially those within easy commuting distance of the major capital cities."None of the 12 capital city regions on the top 25 list were inner city areas in which high rise unit development is at unprecedented levels and density is increasing.

Sydney’s Inner South West recorded the largest migration away from the area over the year, losing a net 8,747 residents. It was the 10th consecutive year that Inner South West has recorded the largest greatest loss from net internal migration.

Bottom 25 SA4 regions for net internaL migration, 2015-16.

Seventeen of the 25 regions listed in the second table were located in a capital city market.  These areas were either seeing greater high density new housing development or very little new housing construction. The non-capital city markets are characterised as regional and linked to either agriculture or the mining and resources sector.

Looking at the broader capital city and regional markets, net internal migration over the year was strongest into: Regional NSW (11,827), Brisbane (10,149), Regional Vic (8,429) and Melbourne (8,270). The net losses from internal migration were greatest for: Sydney (-23,176), Adelaide (-6,088), Regional WA (-4,433) and Perth (-3,270).

Net internal migration to Regional NSW, Melbourne, Regional Victoria and Brisbane was the greatest it has been in at least 10 years. Meanwhile, net internal migration to Sydney was the lowest since 2011-12 and it was the lowest in at least 10 years to Regional Queensland, Adelaide, Perth and Regional Western Australia.

CoreLogic said Sydney was increasingly shedding residents to other parts of the country which was most likely linked to the high cost of housing. Coastal, regional areas of NSW and Victoria along with Melbourne and Brisbane were benefactors of the deteriorating housing affordability in Sydney as an increasing number of people leave the city for more affordable locations.