Australians are increasingly leaving major cities behind and moving to regional areas, data has revealed.
The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) on Thursday revealed that more than 400,000 Australians chose to set up life in rural areas in five years.
The RAI, a think tank devoted to issues concerning regional Australia, on Thursday published its National Population Plan for Regional Australia, which included five recommendations to better balance Australia's rapid population growth, such as improving education and training in regional areas, balancing infrastructure spending to improve livability outside major cities and programs to support the economic diversification of the regions.
Australia's population hit 25 million in 2018 but a vast majority of the growth has been in Sydney and Melbourne, the nation's two largest cities, leaving smaller cities and towns to combat stagnating growth.
"Last year, we hit the 25 million mark which was two decades earlier than predicted and now is the time to place regional Australia into the mix to help solve our city congestion problems," Kim Houghton, chief executive of RAI, said in a media release on Thursday.
"Australian residents are showing that they want to live in regional areas, but to see further growth, we need to support communities to improve several factors, including livability."
RAI's modelling shows that the majority of population growth over the next 40 years will occur in the outer suburbs of major cities rather than in the cities or rural towns.
The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) on Thursday revealed that more than 400,000 Australians chose to set up life in rural areas in five years.
The RAI, a think tank devoted to issues concerning regional Australia, on Thursday published its National Population Plan for Regional Australia, which included five recommendations to better balance Australia's rapid population growth, such as improving education and training in regional areas, balancing infrastructure spending to improve livability outside major cities and programs to support the economic diversification of the regions.
Australia's population hit 25 million in 2018 but a vast majority of the growth has been in Sydney and Melbourne, the nation's two largest cities, leaving smaller cities and towns to combat stagnating growth.
"Last year, we hit the 25 million mark which was two decades earlier than predicted and now is the time to place regional Australia into the mix to help solve our city congestion problems," Kim Houghton, chief executive of RAI, said in a media release on Thursday.
"Australian residents are showing that they want to live in regional areas, but to see further growth, we need to support communities to improve several factors, including livability."
RAI's modelling shows that the majority of population growth over the next 40 years will occur in the outer suburbs of major cities rather than in the cities or rural towns.
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