Buyers are aware of the potential disaster in the rush to the regions

Around three-quarters of Australians would move from a capital city to a mid-sized regional town under the right circumstances, new research shows, but the threat of bushfires and floods play into where they would choose to live.

Only 16 per cent are happy to stay put in the city, a new Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute report, titled Understanding what attracts new residents to smaller cities, revealed.

As part of the research, undertaken by the University of South Australia, RMIT and UNSW Sydney, more than 3000 Australians aged 18 and older were surveyed about their preferences for city or regional living.

The survey was conducted in January and February last year, still within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the report author – University of South Australia senior research fellow Associate Professor Akshay Vij – said there were unexpected results.

“We weren’t expecting such a strong response of people wanting to move to mid-sized cities – it was a bit surprising,” Professor Vij said.

“The 16 per cent who are happy to stay in the city – they are usually young professionals with no kids. I’m surprised how small the segment is, given 80 per cent of the Australian population lives in big cities. So, it seems like everyone else is just sucking it up.”

Lifestyle and flexible work conditions since the start of the pandemic were the main reasons people were moving to regional cities, but Professor Vij said the risk of natural disasters was influencing where people would choose to live.

According to the survey, around 72 per cent of people said extreme heat and bushfires would be important factors in their decision, while 66 per cent said cited floods and flash floods.

Sixty-two per cent listed drought and water shortages as most important, while 54 per cent would factor in pandemic impacts.

The survey was undertaken before the recent flood crisis in Brisbane and the Northern Rivers, where many people fled during the pandemic to escape lockdowns and inner-city living.

While natural disasters influenced location choice, amenities offered by regional cities also affected decisions, with 21 per cent of those surveyed wanting to move somewhere with job opportunities comparable to those in capital cities, and better educational opportunities, especially universities.

More than half – 54 per cent – viewed mid-sized cities in regional Australia as excellent places to retire, with more inclined to move if there was more support for homeownership and healthcare.

That was the reason Noel Clifford and his wife Jan made the decision to move to the regional Victorian city of Bendigo this year, as they headed towards their retirement.

The couple is in the midst of moving from Melbourne to Sedgwick, about 20 minutes from the Bendigo CBD, to enjoy the lifestyle on offer.

“It was a fairly considered decision because neither of us have lived in a regional city before … we’ve done a fair bit of regional and outback travel, and we’ve really been drawn to the regions during holiday times,” Mr Clifford said. “We have an interest in sustainability and permaculture, so we bought a place where we could grow veggies and have chooks and all those sorts of things.”

Mr Clifford said he asked questions about bushfire threats in the region, and was also aware of the bushfire zones and clearings near the property.

“In the process of choosing the home, we knew we were moving to a much dryer area that was prone to bushfire. I have experience of bushfire level ratings, and we knew there were things we needed to consider.”

The couple is looking forward to the tranquillity of the area, but was also glad to be close to a regional city where they could enjoy dinner and a movie and other cultural activities. It was the best of both worlds, Mr Clifford said.

Waller Realty Bendigo selling agent Tim Noonan said many buyers were looking for the same thing, with the push to the region still a trend.

Buyers from other capital cities are also looking to move to the regional centre almost two hours from the Melbourne CBD, with buyers from Sydney and even Darwin buying in the area in recent weeks.

“People really want to know about hospitals, they want to know if they can have a hip replacement without having to go back to the city to have it done,” Mr Noonan said. “It’s also the price difference. If they’ve sold for $3 million they can buy here for $1.5 million – affordability is a big thing as well.”