'The best decision we’ve ever made': Is the tree change trend really all it’s cracked up to be?

If you’ve dreamed of moving to the country, you’re not alone.

With rents in the capitals soaring, house prices remaining elevated, and remote working still an option for many, the growth of the regions seen during the pandemic is still happening.

According to the latest ABS data, regional Australia grew at the same rate as the Australian capitals combined, with both populations increasing by 1.2 per cent over the 2021-22 financial year.

Over the previous year, the population of the capitals decreased by 0.1 per cent, outpaced by population growth in the regions at 0.9 per cent as tree-changers fled the city for greener pastures during the pandemic.

But while lifestyle destinations such as Byron Bay, Margaret River and Noosa will always be dream locations for retirement, another trend is occurring.

The best of both worlds

“A big clustering of growth is taking place around a two-hour-drive radius from the big cities’ CBDs,” says demographer Simon Kuestenmacher.

With some employers that offer hybrid working requiring a few days per week in the office, and some tree-changers wanting to retain a link to friends and family in the city, areas within reach of capitals continue to appeal.

Just under two hours drive west of Sydney is Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains.

Food editor Francesca Percy bought a house backing onto bushland there in November 2020 and fell in love with the town.

“We were always pretty set on the Blue Mountains,” she says. “It just has the right balance for us.”

“We just love all of the walks and the scenery. We like getting all of the proper winters and feeling like we’re getting the full seasons.”

During the pandemic, the Blue Mountains experienced a wave of millennials leaving their small, inner-city apartments, in favour of fresh air and a change of pace.

“Millennials have babies in their mid-30s, so, they need a three or four-bedroom house,” says Kuestenmacher. “And so Millennials are going wherever those homes are available.”

With space for the kids, a home office and somewhere for parents to stay, a tree change can be more affordable and sometimes, more appealing than the outer suburbs.

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The Southern Highlands in NSW is another area popular with buyers escaping the city. Picturesque Bowral is two hours’ drive south-west of Sydney CBD and one hour from Wollongong’s beaches.

“It’s got gorgeous rolling hills and the countryside, fresh air, beautiful trees and lovely people,” says buyer’s agent Katie Marsden from Earth Property in the Southern Highlands.

“We moved here only a few years ago. The ability to still work from home and have our money go much further was really attractive. We just wanted a slower pace of life and accessibility to those cities if we needed it.”

Living in an area surrounded by bush was important for Marsden.

“There’s like a peacefulness, tranquillity and a sense of serenity and space. It’s very good for inner peace.”

Regional cities are on the rise too. Wodonga, on Victoria’s border with NSW is just over three hours’ drive from Melbourne and almost six hours from Sydney. Its population increased by 1.7 percent last financial year, growing faster than regional areas as a whole.

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While this regional city is further from the capitals, its larger economy offers more ammenities than many smaller towns on the fringes of the capitals.

“It’s a big regional city, which offers a lot to people who are looking for that tree change,” says real estate agent William Bonnici of First National in Wodonga.

“I suppose one of the attractions for a place like Wodonga, it’s probably more about services. Moving to a regional city gives you a little bit of the best of both worlds.”

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“The weather is amazing. Summer is hot, winter is cool but the windchill factor is not there. Spring and autumn are just amazing. There are definitely four seasons. In Melbourne you get four seasons in one day.”

Risks and challenges of rural living

However, living in the bush can have its drawbacks. Bushfire is an ever present threat, and for those considering keeping animals or livestock, predators such as foxes, snakes and feral cats are a potential danger.

“Our chickens were killed by, we think, a quoll,” says Percy. “They took all four in one night.”

Investing in good fencing and having the snake handlers’ number close at hand can help. And a fire plan is critical, just in case.

“Make sure you have your gutters cleared and if you’ve got overhanging branches, [trim them],” says Marsden. “We have a really wonderful fire service here.”

Another growing challenge facing the regions is affordability. While the difference in the cost of housing is often what draws city buyers, the growing demand can create problems, with rents and property prices rising as more people compete over the limited number of homes available.

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“You’re pricing low-income local workers out of local markets,”says Kuestenmacher. “So, they leave those regional towns, and you lose services.”

After summing up the pros and cons, Percy says she wouldn’t move back to Sydney.

“Moving here is really the best decision we’ve ever made. I was super nervous about whether or not I would miss being close to the city. But I don’t miss it at all.”