ROOT
Why this expert doesn’t expect the regional appeal to last
A certain class of individuals is heading to the regions, with their city jobs in tow, as a direct result of the shifting mindset created by the COVID-19 pandemic, but will this trend last and should investors heed the shift?
Why this expert doesn’t expect the regional appeal to last
A certain class of individuals is heading to the regions, with their city jobs in tow, as a direct result of the shifting mindset created by the COVID-19 pandemic, but will this trend last and should investors heed the shift?
Griffith University senior lecturer Dr Tony Matthews has seen the impacts of COVID on urban and environmental planning firsthand and believes the regional shift may not turn into a full-blown trend.
“Everyone has an opinion on this, and it’s hard to give an absolute diagnosis, and the other thing to remember is that what we’ve been looking at, up to now, is not even a full year of trend, but within that what can we see?
“Well, regional residential property prices seem to be accelerating a little faster than they are in the capital cities. There seems to be a net loss of population from both Sydney and Melbourne, and mostly that is attributed to people taking their capital city jobs and moving to a regional area, but what’s also very important to note here is that international, overseas migration has completely switched off,” Dr Matthews explained on a recent episode of nestegg's sister publication The Smart Property Investment Show
Prior to 2020, close to 200,000 people per year were coming into Australia from overseas. As such, Dr Matthews explained, that while capital cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne, both lost people to regional areas, that number needs to be offset against the lack of population gain through overseas migration.
“Eventually, that will switch back on. Overseas migration is just too important for Australia to not be brought back,” Dr Matthews opined.
“That is going to bring people back to the capital cities. Usually, overseas migrants go to capital cities first. So eventually, there will be an upswing in capital city accommodation.”
Another thing to remember, Dr Matthews said, a lot of people that are upping stumps and moving regional are either very qualified, high-earning professionals or they have a substantial, built-up wealth.
“They’re the high-demand workers who can negotiate an arrangement for themselves with their employer because they’re not easy to replace and have a long track record and more capital.
“For most workers, this is not available or viable,” Dr Matthews said.
An example Dr Matthews gave is Melbourne, where the state government has asked 75 per cent of the workforce to return to the CBD.
“Victoria is not looking at remote workers being a significant part of the workforce arrangement long-term.
“So, that will be something that plays out over a few years,” Dr Matthews said.
He does, however, predict that certain regions will boom for the time being, including the Central Coast in NSW and the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
“Those are the regional areas doing well now, but you can’t necessarily say the same for further regional towns once you start heading two to three hours west,” Dr Matthews added.
For more information on the regional trend, click here to listen to our podcast.
RELATED ARTICLES
About the author
About the author
Earn
January’s strategic edge: Turn a quiet month into outsized returns by 2026
January isn’t just a fresh calendar page; it’s an underpriced window to make high‑conviction decisions before the competitive noise returns. With budgets locked, risk appetites clear and board agendas ...Read more
Earn
Case study: How Australia’s broker ecosystem turned a volatile 2025 into a strategic advantage
A year defined by rate cuts, lender policy resets and government schemes reshaped Australia’s mortgage and finance market. This case study dissects how leading brokerages converted macro whiplash into ...Read more
Earn
Peak season powers a nationwide workforce rebound
Australia’s labour market is experiencing a significant resurgence as peak season spending revitalises employment across the nation. The latest November Jobs Report from Employment Hero, a global ...Read more
Earn
From lone wolves to performance systems: how to convert individual drive into repeatable team wins
High-performing individuals are valuable; systems that meaningful scale their behaviours are priceless. Agency leaders say networks can transform ambition into organisational advantage—if the ...Read more
Earn
State Street economist comments on recent Labour Force data, urging RBA caution
In light of the recently released Labour Force data, Krishna Bhimavarapu, an economist at State Street Global Advisors, has provided insights that may influence the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) ...Read more
Earn
Job market booms, but falling hours keep productivity under pressure
Australia's job market is experiencing a significant resurgence, with employment figures showing a robust increase, according to the latest report from Employment Hero. The October Jobs Report, ...Read more
Earn
Rate cut back in play: how a softer labour market could reshape Australian balance sheets by Christmas
With unemployment at a four‑year high and policy makers signalling a controlled easing in labour conditions, markets are again pricing the possibility of an RBA cut before year‑end. Beyond the ...Read more
Earn
New Business Boom: Australia’s Top Ten Suburbs Lead Entrepreneurial Growth
Australia's entrepreneurial landscape is witnessing a remarkable transformation, with the latest data from the Lawpath New Business Index highlighting a significant surge in new business registrations ...Read more
Earn
January’s strategic edge: Turn a quiet month into outsized returns by 2026
January isn’t just a fresh calendar page; it’s an underpriced window to make high‑conviction decisions before the competitive noise returns. With budgets locked, risk appetites clear and board agendas ...Read more
Earn
Case study: How Australia’s broker ecosystem turned a volatile 2025 into a strategic advantage
A year defined by rate cuts, lender policy resets and government schemes reshaped Australia’s mortgage and finance market. This case study dissects how leading brokerages converted macro whiplash into ...Read more
Earn
Peak season powers a nationwide workforce rebound
Australia’s labour market is experiencing a significant resurgence as peak season spending revitalises employment across the nation. The latest November Jobs Report from Employment Hero, a global ...Read more
Earn
From lone wolves to performance systems: how to convert individual drive into repeatable team wins
High-performing individuals are valuable; systems that meaningful scale their behaviours are priceless. Agency leaders say networks can transform ambition into organisational advantage—if the ...Read more
Earn
State Street economist comments on recent Labour Force data, urging RBA caution
In light of the recently released Labour Force data, Krishna Bhimavarapu, an economist at State Street Global Advisors, has provided insights that may influence the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) ...Read more
Earn
Job market booms, but falling hours keep productivity under pressure
Australia's job market is experiencing a significant resurgence, with employment figures showing a robust increase, according to the latest report from Employment Hero. The October Jobs Report, ...Read more
Earn
Rate cut back in play: how a softer labour market could reshape Australian balance sheets by Christmas
With unemployment at a four‑year high and policy makers signalling a controlled easing in labour conditions, markets are again pricing the possibility of an RBA cut before year‑end. Beyond the ...Read more
Earn
New Business Boom: Australia’s Top Ten Suburbs Lead Entrepreneurial Growth
Australia's entrepreneurial landscape is witnessing a remarkable transformation, with the latest data from the Lawpath New Business Index highlighting a significant surge in new business registrations ...Read more
