By CAITLIN CROWLEY
INCENTIVISING millennials and overseas-born migrants to move to regional Australia could be key to addressing worsening skills shortages according to new research from the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), which found both groups were already more willing to move remote places than the general population.
RAI’s Big Movers 2023 report revealed a surge of millennials (25-39 years) left Australia’s capital cities for country communities during the latest census period (2016-2021), and regional Queensland emerged as the most popular destination for the overseas-born population moving from metropolitan areas and all those relocating from other parts of regional Australia.
RAI CEO Liz Ritchie said the significant increase in the number of millennials and overseas-born residents moving from urban to regional areas was a dynamic change in Australia’s demographic landscape.
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“Australia’s in the midst of a regional renaissance,” Ritchie (pictured) said.
“We need governments, policymakers, leaders and community to work together to support regional Australia through this period of change, we need them to shift their gaze towards our regions.
“This data shows there’s been a remarkable turnaround during the last Census, with a net loss of just over 37,000 millennials in the regions in 2011-2016, to a net gain of more than 57,000 in 2016-2021.
“Millennials and the overseas-born population are highly skilled and well educated. Their desire to live in regional Australia can partly be attributed to the strong jobs market in country areas, as well as the enviable lifestyle benefits – like the reduced cost of living, and more space.
“We must see collaboration between federal and state governments to ensure regional Australia has the services and investment it needs so it can thrive and take its rightful place in our country’s history.”
The RAI developed four categories of regional settlements; Regional Cities, Industry and Service Hubs, Connected Lifestyle Areas and Heartland Regions.
The vast majority of country Queensland’s Local Government Areas (LGAs) were designated Heartland Regions, including the Western Downs, Goondiwindi and Maranoa Regional Councils.
The report found millennials had a higher propensity to move to Heartland Regions than the general public and were more open to relocate from one regional area to another.
Nationwide more than 150 Heartland Regions recorded a positive net migration rate of millennials, with Queensland’s top five net migration rates for that cohort recorded in the Blackall Tambo, Weipa, Mareeba, Tablelands and Isaac Regional Council areas.
Almost 20% of all millennials living in Regional Cities like Toowoomba arrived from other areas less than 5 years ago.
“Overseas-born people also show a propensity to relocate to regional places,” the report said.
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The RAI suggested “specific programs and policy levers” could be considered to incentivise both groups to move to remote areas, particularly to address current labour shortages.
“Regional job vacancies reached a record high of 94,000 last October and have remained elevated throughout 2023,” Liz Ritchie said.
“Policies that focus on aligning these two key demographics with the skills and qualifications needed in regional Australia would maximise the economic impact of internal migration.”
Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) is currently working on new “lifestyle guides” for the Western Downs and Toowoomba regions, which employers can use to help encourage people to make the move.
“TSBE sees the importance of the data released by the RAI and wanted to highlight this information and the future jobs and the economic and social opportunities for our region,” TSBE CEO Greg Bowden (pictured) said.
The report also said a National Population Plan was critical to enable regions to meet the growing demand for infrastructure and services including healthcare, housing, childcare and education.