As the CEO of the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), I’ve spent countless hours talking about population data – specifically the steady rise over the last two decades of metropolitan Australians leaving the bright lights of our capital cities and relocating to the regions. Recently, however, I crossed the threshold of being an astute observer to an active participant – finally making my own return to the regions. I grew up in rural Australia and I’ve been fortunate to live in many parts of this great nation, but today I’m proud to share the Bega Valley has captured my heart and is now my new home – and what a home it is!
During my family’s first six months here, all the reasons we yearned to move to the regions for, have been realised. The dream is now a reality. And yes, there are limitations, but there is also a new sense of calm and appreciation that words cannot convey easily.
By chance, my move coincided with new research the RAI was undertaking, delving into Australia’s regional renaissance, and updating previous analysis undertaken in 2020 and 2023: Were urban dwellers still interested in regional life? What was drawing them in, and what was making them hesitate?
The desire to live regionally has increased. Two-in-five capital city residents would now consider a regional move, up from one-in-five just two years ago. More affordable housing, cheaper cost-of-living and closer connection to nature were the top three lures of regional living. Concerns exist though regarding access to quality healthcare, isolation from family and friends, and access to the big cities. These push and pull factors provide firsthand evidence of the importance of the RAI’s Regionalisation Ambition. As a nation, we can ‘rebalance’ our population to ensure Australia’s growth delivers the most beneficial outcomes for the future of our country.
But we won’t be able to do that until the inequities that exist between our regional and metropolitan communities are lessened.
Almost half of those who were interested in moving regionally indicated they’d continue their current role on a remote or hybrid basis. Remote work was something many of us were thrown into during the pandemic, but unlike our memories of lockdowns, it’s not fading. In fact, the recent federal election campaign provided a very clear mandate regarding the importance of working-from-home to our contemporary workforce. And this is where an enormous economic opportunity lays.
Individuals shouldn’t be limited in their career goals by their postcode. Our federal and state politicians aren’t – they helped pioneer the system in Australia, splitting their time between inner-city based houses of parliament and their electorates, wherever they may be. If those we entrust to guide our states and country can do it, why shouldn’t the wider workforce?
There remains a very important need for workers to relocate to help fill the 67,000 vacancies that exist across regional Australia, but I truly believe there’s also a need for remote workers in our regional communities. The people in our research: current capital city dwellers who want to keep their metro job but live a regional lifestyle.
I’m immensely proud that more than half of the staff at the Canberra based RAI – including now myself – work remotely. For many of us the regions are home, and as a result we are helping to build the human capital in our communities, whether it be a little innovation in Albury or creativity in Kamilaroi Country. For remote workers employed by big business, state or national organisations, don’t just sit in their home offices tapping away at keyboards in isolation. They also contribute to their communities using their skills and abilities, be it helping to promote a school fundraiser or supporting a local chamber of commerce; and their wages get spent and recirculated locally. They build both the knowledge and fiscal economies in our regions, which in turn not only bolsters their community, but the nation as a whole, spreading more evenly expertise and spending across the country.
Whilst I have strong roots in regional Australia, having spent my childhood in Deniliquin in south-western New South Wales, returning to the regions after many years away has provided me with new perspectives and a deeper understanding of the current opportunities and challenges communities are facing. Australia is a vast country and experiences vary immensely. By having more people and indeed CEOs, directors and senior managers living in more diverse locations, the more insights we gain, and the more informed our business or policy decisions can be. We pop the capital city bubble and truly start understanding what’s happening on the ground across the country. Interestingly, our research highlighted that those on salaries of $150,000+ valued remote work the most, indicating there is a market for more regionally based executives.
Becoming the living embodiment of the data the RAI produces has opened my eyes to the incredible future that’s within grasp for our country. A place where more CEOs split their time between Cloncurry and Canberra, Singleton and Sydney, Mildura and Melbourne; and as a result, a new holistic viewpoint emerges where regions aren’t an afterthought, they are front and centre.
It’s a future I’m thrilled to be a part of and if it’s one you’ve been dreaming about, I highly recommend making it a reality.
Liz Ritchie
CEO, Regional Australia Institute