The key factors influencing where families want to live

Wanting to buy a property in an area that just isn’t in the budget is a familiar story for Australian home buyers. Escalating prices in capital cities can sometimes make the dream home seem totally unattainable. 

Sonia Cazzulino-Blake wanted to stay in Sydney’s northern suburbs so her family could lead a coastal lifestyle close to schools, shops and everything they needed. But real estate prices forced her to look elsewhere, which is when she “accidentally” found Lake Macquarie. 

“We couldn’t afford to buy what we wanted to live in, we had no hope,” Cazzulino-Blake says. “We came to look around the Newcastle area, and one day I got lost in the car, and I ended up at Warners Bay.

“As I drove down and the lake appeared in front of me with the beautiful esplanade, shops, cafes and everything, I thought, ‘I’ve found my northern beaches somewhere else’. It was completely by accident that this is where we ended up, but it was the best accident ever.”

Originally from the UK, Cazzulino-Blake and her husband, along with their two teenage daughters, have now settled into life around “Lake Mac”. Cazzulino-Blake is the executive manager of Lake Mac Family Life, an online magazine, events guide and resource directory for locals.

She says it was initially surprising to find all her family’s needs were catered for without having to travel further.

“When I first came here I assumed … that I would need to go into Newcastle and people said to me, ‘You’ll never go to Newcastle’, but I was used to living in Sydney and I thought they had no idea what they were talking about,” she says.

“But they were absolutely right because everything you want is in Lake Mac city. We’ve got the big shops like Costco and Harvey Norman, but also a great sporting centre at Glendale and everything really; it’s all on our doorstep.”

Housing affordability and a vibrant events calendar are making Lake Macquarie an easy choice for home buyers, particularly families. The work-from-home trend continues to support sea and tree-changers and at Lake Macquarie, there’s plenty of water and natural bushland to swap the hustle and bustle for. 

Data shows capital to regional migration remains high even after the pandemic. December 2022 quarter statistics from the Regional Movers Index report, a collaboration between the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) and the Commonwealth Bank, shows migration flows from capitals to regions accounts for 12 per cent of net internal migration in Australia. Lake Macquarie jumped from fifth to fourth place nationally and to number one in NSW for people moving from big cities.  

With good road and rail connections making travel and commuting easy, the Lake Macquarie region is proving a popular place to work, live and invest in.

The bustling centres of Charlestown and Warners Bay suit those looking for easy access to shops and restaurants, while the south-east suburbs of Swansea and Catherine Hill Bay offer relaxed lifestyles by the beach and bush. The north-west, around Cardiff and Glendale, is well-located to access the best of the Hunter Region. 

Recent efforts by the Lake Macquarie City Council to attract new people have been paying off, says Sheena Harvey, chief executive of community organisation CALM Inc.

“There’s been a big investment in family-friendly infrastructure, so every suburb has a brand new spectacular playground or a skate park and barbecue areas,” she says.

“We’ve had a lot more festivals that we see new faces coming to and particularly in the north of Lake Macquarie, there’s a lot of new suburbs in the Cameron Park area and it’s straight off the freeway, so for people who are commuting it’s very easy to get to.

“If you love being outdoors and you love natural playgrounds, this is the place.”