A landmark former orphanage site in Surrey Hills could be transformed into a new residential community under plans lodged by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/antipodean-land-developments">Antipodean Land Developments</a> that would deliver 76 apartments and townhouses while restoring some of the suburb's most significant heritage buildings.

The burgeoninng Melbourne-based developer has submitted plans for the 9,158 sqm site at 1 Kent Road and 24 Durham Road, home to the former St Joseph's Home for Destitute Children, a historic institutional complex dating back to the late 19th century. The proposal seeks to adaptively reuse several heritage buildings while introducing two new four-storey residential buildings set within extensive landscaped grounds.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> and Kerstin Thompson Architects, the project has been conceived as a contemporary residential village embedded within a restored heritage precinct. The development team describes the design approach as "The Village in the Garden," with new buildings positioned among mature landscaping by OCULUS and significant heritage structures.

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="44ec8c1b-c0b6-44ae-859e-5811b3e6a023" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29.png?VersionId=p.p1_KFh4iQoV4nisdnPfQBAsWNi7m79" />

The proposal would deliver 76 dwellings comprising a mix of apartments and duplex-style residences, significantly increasing housing supply on one of the largest privately held residential landholdings in Surrey Hills. The development includes 127 car spaces, 24 bicycle spaces and more than 1,000 sqm of communal amenity, with the existing chapel building earmarked for conversion into resident facilities.

According to the planning submission, the project centres on the restoration and adaptive reuse of the site's most significant heritage assets, including the original c.1889 St Joseph's building, the chapel designed by architect Augustus Andrew Fritsch, and the historic brick perimeter walls and entry gates. The proposal also incorporates the retention of other contributory buildings including the former infirmary and school building.

Tract Consultants, in the planning report accompanying the application, said the scheme had been shaped through extensive heritage analysis and design development.

"The shared vision for the Site by the project team has culminated in a scheme which successfully breathes life back into a historic site while delivering upon the objectives of Victoria's Housing Statement in a carefully curated and contextually responsive manner."

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7263b7d8-95ea-400f-9531-6ca7d22c3c33" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29.png?VersionId=4cR1tiWOsDpgxEOwZi5vVFcyvvOsYkIE" />

The proposal is being assessed under Victoria's Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway. As part of the application, three per cent of the project's residential development cost would be contributed to the Social Housing Growth Fund. The development would also provide a diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom residences targeting a broader range of buyers than typically found in Surrey Hills' detached housing market.

Sustainability initiatives include an anticipated 66 per cent BESS score, natural cross-ventilation to 80 per cent of apartments, 28 per cent deep soil landscaping and a canopy cover outcome exceeding local planning requirements. The proposal also sets aside more than 1,083 sqm for communal indoor and outdoor resident amenity spaces.

<img alt="First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="33fad46f-fe26-4d0a-acfd-6b776e1c6a3d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Untitled%20design.png?VersionId=D9F6WVSyYCtGvSUmith35LRp6R7PQkw_" />

Planning documents describe the property as one of the largest underutilised residential sites in Surrey Hills, arguing it presents a rare opportunity to introduce "missing middle" housing in an established inner-eastern suburb while preserving and revitalising a significant heritage precinct.

Antipodean Land Developments has built a reputation for design-focused residential projects across Melbourne, particularly in the medium-density sector. Previous developments include Neighbourhood in Brunswick East, delivered with Breathe Architecture, and Balfe Park Lane, designed by Kerstin Thompson Architects.

They've been very active in site acquisition as they build out their future development pipeline. They recently launched Thornubury House, 45 apartments above a mix of commercial, retail, and food and beverage tenancies, and have plans for a boutique project in Fitzroy and another <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/antipodean-plan-apartments-for-deepdenes-missing-middle-on-whitehorse-road">"missing middle" project</a> on Deepdene's Whitehorse Road.

Joel Robinson

First look: Antipodean Land Developments plans heritage-led apartment community in Surrey Hills

Developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/auyin-property-development">Auyin</a> is the latest to turn to the Victorian Government's Development Facilitation Program in an effort to secure approval for its long-planned, mixed-use project in Elsternwick.

In 2018, Auyin lodged plans with Glen Eira City Council for a 14-storey building, however Council approved a reduced eight-storey scheme. A subsequent VCAT appeal in 2019 upheld the eight-storey height limit.

The project was later amended to nine storeys, but Auyin is now seeking to revive something closer to its original vision. The developer argues that the planning context has evolved significantly over the past decade, particularly within the Elsternwick Activity Centre, where higher-density development has increasingly been encouraged along Glen Huntly Road.

The proposal would transform the 1,239 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/7-12-horne-street-elsternwick-vic-3185">7-15 Horne Street</a>, opposite Elsternwick Railway Station, into a 13-storey residential and retail development designed by CBG Architects, with 40 apartments

The site currently comprises three commercial properties.

<img alt="First look: 13-storey mixed-use tower planned for Elsternwick activity centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5f465dd4-509b-4082-a669-0253b313914b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/elsternwick%20podium.png?VersionId=72frWi0SmQ5AVJ3ARRhX5ILUYObhTm7x" />

The proposed apartment mix comprises 25 two-bedroom and 15 three-bedroom residences above 200 sqm of retail space at ground level. Residents would have access to a 90 sqm wellness facility, a 351 sqm communal indoor and outdoor terrace on the third level, and extensive landscaped areas throughout the development. A publicly accessible 135 sqm plaza would be created on the north-east corner of the site, providing seating, landscaping, and a new gathering space adjoining Horne Street.

The design adopts a four-storey podium that references the finer-grain character of the surrounding streetscape, with the upper tower recessed behind generous setbacks on all boundaries.

<img alt="First look: 13-storey mixed-use tower planned for Elsternwick activity centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e637e763-2abc-4c34-a0aa-5c7ad36fae18" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/elsternwick%20open.png?VersionId=J1AoOpZgTyaF.KeeFSX6lMjEScX8KKRi" />

A key element of the proposal is the reconfiguration and widening of the surrounding laneways. Vehicle access would be retained from Lois Lane, with upgraded pedestrian connections linking Ross Street and Horne Street. The development would provide 58 residential car spaces, two retail car spaces, and 52 bicycle spaces across two basement levels and ground-floor facilities.

Architecturally, the building draws inspiration from the established character of Elsternwick Village. The façade combines dark charcoal brickwork, textured concrete, bronze-toned metal detailing, and extensive planting integrated into podium and tower levels. The design also incorporates a chamfered corner treatment and publicly accessible plaza intended to strengthen pedestrian activity around the station precinct.

Elsternwick's last new development completion was&nbsp;EVA Elsternwick by Pitard late last year. <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/milieu-property">Milieu</a> is working away on its nature-led neighbourhood, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/elsternwick-gardens-by-milieu-8-gordon-street-elsternwick-vic-3185">Elsternwick Gardens</a>, on Gordon Street, with its first stage expected to complete next year.

First look: Auyin seeks mixed-use apartment project in growing Elsternwick Activity Centre

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/otium-parkdale-123-125-como-parade-east-parkdale-vic-3195">Otium Parkdale</a>, the 13-residence boutique development by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/huxtable-property">Huxtable Property</a>, has entered its final stages of delivery, with completion expected within the coming month and more than half of the residences sold.

The Como Parade East project is nearing the finish line at a time when opportunities to purchase new apartments in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parkdale-vic-3195">Parkdale</a> remain exceptionally limited. Fewer than 10 per cent of dwellings in the bayside suburb are apartments, making developments like Otium a relatively rare addition to a market traditionally dominated by detached housing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134974 project_image_fid=5427]

The three-level development comprises 13 residences, including ten two-bedroom apartments and three larger three-bedroom homes, all positioned above a secure basement car park.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/almeida-architects">Almeida Architects</a> with a strong connection to its coastal surroundings, Otium combines red brick, exposed concrete and dark metal detailing with integrated landscaping and greenery. Expansive glazing, generous balconies and terraces have been incorporated throughout the design to maximise natural light and reinforce indoor-outdoor living.

Inside, the residences feature engineered European oak flooring, natural and reconstituted stone benchtops, Bosch kitchen appliances, ducted heating and cooling, lift access and secure entry systems. The larger three-bedroom residences on the upper level have been designed with house-like proportions, while the two-bedroom apartments prioritise functionality, flexibility and low-maintenance living.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134974 project_image_fid=5421]

The project is now in its final stages, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/labco">Labco</a> completing the remaining landscaping and external finishing works following the completion of the residences' interiors.

Otium's location within the heart of Parkdale continues to underpin its appeal. Residents will be just steps from local cafés, restaurants, shops and the newly elevated Parkdale Station, while the beach is less than a kilometre away.

With the project tracking ahead of schedule, buyers can currently secure a residence with a five per cent deposit and benefit from settlement terms of up to eight months. The advanced stage of construction also provides buyers with the opportunity to walk through the near-complete residences and experience the quality and finishes firsthand ahead of completion.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=134974]

Otium Parkdale enters final month before completion as rare apartment opportunity nears sellout

A new boutique apartment development is entering the market in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/chermside-qld-4032">Chermside</a>, with Brisbane-based developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ausdev">Ausdev</a> bringing 33 residences to a well-connected pocket of Brisbane's north.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/parkdrive-apartments-chermside-25-sammells-drive-chermside-qld-4032">Parkdrive Apartments</a>, at 25 Sammells Drive, will comprise a mix of one- and two-bedroom residences positioned within walking distance of Westfield Chermside, The Prince Charles Hospital, and Bradbury Park.

Established in 1989, Ausdev has a long-standing presence across both development and construction, with Parkdrive Apartments representing its latest residential project in Brisbane's northern suburbs.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152125 project_image_fid=363778]

The development has been designed around open-plan living and natural light, with residences featuring stone benchtops, timber cabinetry, BOSCH appliances, and private balconies that extend the living areas outdoors.

Kitchens are positioned as the centrepiece of the homes, incorporating natural material palettes and integrated appliances, while bathrooms have been designed with a focus on functionality and understated finishes.

Residents will have access to a communal barbecue and entertaining area on Level 3, providing shared outdoor space within the development. Secure parking and lift access are also incorporated into the building.

The project will deliver a limited collection of 33 apartments, with one-bedroom residences priced from $749,000.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152125 project_image_fid=363782]

Beyond the building itself, the location places residents within easy reach of several of Chermside's key amenities. Bradbury Park is around 350 metres away, while Westfield Chermside is approximately 1.3 kilometres from the site. The Prince Charles Hospital is located within 750 metres, and the Chermside Bus Interchange is around 1.5 kilometres away, providing connections across Brisbane.

Parkdrive Apartments adds to the growing residential pipeline in Chermside, a suburb that continues to evolve as a major retail, healthcare, and transport hub for Brisbane's north.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152125]

Ausdev introduces boutique Parkdrive Apartments to Chermside's growing centre

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/skymark-group">Skymark</a>'s boutique Cronulla development Solis has secured a 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy through Resilience Insurance, providing buyers of the 16-residence building on Ewos Parade with structural and waterproofing protection that extends a decade beyond the building's completion.

Currently under construction and due for completion in late 2027, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/solis-cronulla-8-ewos-parade-cronulla-nsw-2230">Solis</a> is one of a small number of new developments in the Sutherland Shire to carry Resilience LDI coverage, a distinction that carries increasing weight as buyer confidence in the off-the-plan sector continues to be shaped by how developers stand behind their product.

Latent Defects Insurance, which entered the Australian market in 2022 when Resilience Insurance was approved to offer the cover, protects buyers against major structural or waterproofing defects for ten years post-completion. Unlike traditional statutory warranties, it operates as a first-resort policy, if a covered defect arises, the insurer responds directly, without the buyer needing to pursue the builder or developer through a lengthy claims process.

Resilience Insurance CEO Corey Nugent has noted that the product addresses something fundamental to the new apartment market.

"The overarching feedback from prospective buyers in the new development space is that they want more confidence and assurances around the quality of the build," Nugent says.

"Resilience Insurance Latent Defects Insurance not only gives them complete peace of mind for 10 years, but it shows the developer they are buying from is standing by their product."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370898]

For Solis, the Resilience LDI policy adds a meaningful layer of accountability to an already considered project. The development comprises nine two-bedroom and seven three-bedroom residences, including one dual-level three-bedroom apartment, across a five-storey building on Ewos Parade, positioned between Shelly Beach and South Cronulla.

Garden apartments connect directly to private landscaped courtyards, while upper-level homes capture beach views to the east from level four and above.&nbsp;

All 16 residences include at least one balcony or courtyard, and select apartments on the upper floors feature bar areas and secondary flexible living spaces.

Hiba Sander, Managing Director of Skymark, says Solis offers a rare balance, nestled between the quiet beauty of secluded beaches and the lively charm of South Cronulla's esplanade.

"It's a place to choose your pace and live gracefully, seaside'," Sander says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370900]

The architecture, designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/ida-design-group">IDA Design Group</a>'s Michael Trinh, draws from the natural erosion patterns of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/cronulla-nsw-2230">Cronulla</a>'s sandstone headlands, translating the organic forms of the coastline into soft curves, pavilion-style massing, and a material palette chosen for longevity in a salt-tinged environment.&nbsp;

Textured natural stone, soft renders, and timber-look battens reference the tones of the surrounding cliffs, while the building has been oriented to maximise natural light and passive ventilation, with primary living spaces facing north and east to capture morning sun and sea breezes.

"At Solis, our aim was to create architecture that feels quietly confident, grounded in natural materials like stone and timber, and elevated by light and landscape," Trinh says.&nbsp;

"The buildings are designed to sit gently within their coastal surrounds, with expansive glazing and abundant greenery creating a seamless dialogue between inside and out."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370897]

Interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hot-black">Hot Black</a> carry the same material language through to every room. Kitchens feature integrated Gaggenau appliances, sculpted stone benchtops, and Lo &amp; Co joinery, while bathrooms feature natural stone, timber, and brushed metal finishes.&nbsp;

Hot Black Founder and Design Director Sophie Safrin describes the intent as one of considered restraint: "At Solis, every detail has been thoughtfully considered to create a timeless coastal retreat, calm, refined, and effortlessly liveable. From natural finishes to seamless indoor-outdoor flow, Solis offers a quiet elegance that's deeply connected to its surroundings.

The landscape, designed by Julian Brady of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/sitedesignstudios">Site Design Studios</a>, treats green space as an integral part of the resident experience rather than an afterthought.&nbsp;

"Gentle curves and layered native plantings mirror the ebb and flow of the ocean," Julian Brady says, "creating a serene connection between architecture and place."&nbsp;

Coco Republic has provided bespoke furniture packages tailored to the project's coastal palette.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150499 project_image_fid=370899]

Skymark has an established track record in the Sutherland Shire, with a portfolio spanning Cronulla, Woolooware and Burraneer that includes Isla, Sylva, Bask, Shells, Sula and Mist. Securing LDI on Solis reflects a broader shift in how the developer is positioning its buildings to buyers, at a time when Resilience Insurance expects the policy to become mandatory in New South Wales by 2028.

Sales at Solis are launching soon through Ray White Projects, with an official event scheduled for 11 June. Enquire for more information.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150499]

Skymark takes out 10-year Resilience Insurance LDI at Solis Cronulla

Regional

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The top 20 locations in Australia for long-term capital growth are all regional locations.
That may surprise many people because the general theme in media is that the capital cities out-perform their regional markets. 
The misconception arises when research houses spit figures out of their computers and rush them off to media without providing any analysis of the realities behind the generalised figures.
A general figure describing growth in regional New South Wales will often produce a low growth figure because there are lots of mediocre small town markets, which drag down the average. The generalised number for regional Queensland will be low because there are numerous markets in decline, thanks to their links to the resources sector and/or developer oversupply. 
But the best individual towns often deliver higher long-term growth than the best of the capital city suburbs.
The latest Hotspotting survey for the Capital Growth Superstars report - examining long-term capital growth rates for every suburb and town in Australia - shows that, once again, the best growth rates are all regional.
The best of the capital cities are two suburbs of Darwin, Gray and Fannie Bay, which average 10.2% per year. But that’s barely good enough to make the Top 20 list for regional Australia.
The Top 20 regional locations have growth rates ranging from 10.2% to 20.7% per year.
Most of them are mining towns, resources regional centres or country towns boosted by recent resources activity. This is despite the sharp decline in prices in many resources-impacted towns over the past 2-3 years.
But the No.1 location in Australia for long-term capital growth is not a mining-related location. It’s the oddly-named Humpty Doo, a town of 6,000 about 40km from Darwin on the road to Kakadu National Park. It has a capital growth rate of 20.7% per year, largely because of growth generated by the outward sprawl of Darwin. 
Newman, an iron ore town in the Pilbara region of WA, is No.2 with a price growth average of 18% per year over the past decade. This is actually a significant drop on the town’s peak, about three years ago, when it averaged 30%-plus as the median price reached $780,000. It has dropped back to $685,000, according to the latest figures, but the growth rate is still the second best in the nation. 
Let’s be clear. I don’t advocate investing in mining towns or mining regional centres. They are just too volatile and too high risk. 
A few short years ago the iconic coal-mining town of Moranbah in Queensland had a long-term capital growth average above 30% per year. Back then its median price was $750,000. Today it’s $250,000 and the capital growth average for the past 10 years is now minus 0.2%. 
In other words, all that capital growth since 2005 has been wiped out and values are now lower than they were 10 years ago.
Moranbah is the most extreme boom-bust story I have encountered in Australian real estate, but there are other mining-impacted locations which have soared and are now very busy plummeting.
Port Hedland once had a median house price above $1.2 million and a capital growth rate close to 30% per year. Today the median is around $800,000 and the capital growth rate has dropped to 11.6%. 
That’s still good enough to rank No.10 in Australia and it means that if you bought there 10 years ago you’re still well in front. But if you bought there three years ago, you’re feeling a tad sick.
Despite the sharp decline in their markets in recent years, mining towns and resources regional centres still have the highest long-term capital growth rates in Australia – other than Humpty Doo. By comparison, the best of the capital city suburbs fade into insignificance.
<a href="/images/2015/07/09/ryder_chart.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/07/09/ryder_chart.jpg" alt="">
 
TERRY RYDER is the founder of <a href="https://www.hotspotting.com.au/" target="_blank">hotspotting.com.au</a>. You can <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email him</a> or follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter.</a> 
Terry was recently joined by Property Observer editor at large Jonathan Chancellor for a webinar on why research is the key to successful property investing in 2015. You can download slides and audio from the webinar here.
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Regional areas offering long-term capital growth: Terry Ryder

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Are regional cities like Toowoomba about to become hot property? <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828"> </a>
Australian governments have always wanted thriving regional cities, but policy innovations with this goal in mind have a <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-dangerous-fantasy-diverting-population-growth-to-the-regions-105052">bad history</a>. Planned well, regional cities have huge potential to generate <a href="https://theconversation.com/bust-the-regional-city-myths-and-look-beyond-the-big-5-for-a-378b-return-79760">national economic growth</a> while improving <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-average-regional-city-resident-lacks-good-access-to-two-thirds-of-community-services-and-liveability-suffers-131910">livability and sustainable development</a>.
Governments want strong economies, diverse job opportunities and growing populations in regional cities. The Commonwealth’s <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/cities/city-deals/index.aspx">City Deals</a> and <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/cities/smart-cities/plan/index.aspx">Smart Cities Plan</a> have recently renewed focus on these priorities.
 
The <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-dangerous-fantasy-diverting-population-growth-to-the-regions-105052">main policy problem</a> for regional cities has been creating enough employment opportunities to attract residents from capital cities. Unexpectedly, the COVID-driven trend towards <a href="https://www.remoteyear.com/blog/what-is-remote-work">remote working</a> may have delivered a solution.
Suddenly, the potential of digital technology for working remotely is being embraced. Many people could live in regional cities while working remotely for employers elsewhere. If this trend continues, regionalism could well become the newest phase of Australian urbanism.
An urban country dominated by capitals
An urban country emerged from <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/urban-history/article/abs/australian-urban-history-a-progress-report/3740C0E5729075AB694AA58F4B81C895">as early as the 19th century</a> as modern Australia took shape. Almost 90% of Australians now live in cities, making us one of the most urbanised countries in the world. <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0%7E2016%7EMain%20Features%7ESnapshot%20of%20Australia,%202016%7E2">More than two-thirds are in the capital cities</a>; relatively few live in regional cities.
The east coast capitals developed first. Other capitals followed, along with industrial cities like Newcastle and Geelong. Regional cities grew at different speeds; some have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballarat">longer histories</a> than <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Coast,_Queensland#History">others</a>.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370462/original/file-20201119-21-a8cxhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370462/original/file-20201119-21-a8cxhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Map showing distribution of population centres around Australia"></a>
 Most of Australia’s population is clustered around a few big urban centres. <a class="source" href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2071.0main+features1132016"> </a>
<hr>
The nationwide shift to suburbia started in the early 20th century and has accelerated since. The “Australian Dream” of owning a free-standing family home in the suburbs remains <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-16/housing-affordability-whats-happening-to-great-australian-dream/8694330?nw=0">dominant</a>. It drives the relentless expansion of outer suburbs, especially around the large capitals.
Decades of constant suburbanisation and expansion of capital cities fuelled the rise of <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-cities-and-their-metropolitan-plans-still-seem-to-be-parallel-universes-87603">metropolitan Australia</a>. Here, expanding outer suburbs extend into surrounding hinterlands before eventually connecting with neighbouring cities and towns. Metropolitan Melbourne, Greater Sydney and South-east Queensland are examples.
Urban consolidation, focused on increasing the density of urban cores and inner suburbs, is another recent phase of Australian urbanism. It is <a href="https://theconversation.com/vested-interests-behind-city-shapers-often-subvert-higher-density-policies-74244">promoted</a> as an efficient way to improve the availability and mix of urban housing, while slowing unsustainable sprawl. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/media-picture-of-urban-consolidation-focuses-more-on-a-good-scare-story-than-the-facts-58044">broad uptake</a> of urban consolidation across Australia is one of the main reasons inner-urban living became desirable in recent times.
A common thread through the phases of Australian urbanism is that the overwhelming concentration of people and jobs in capital cities has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-dangerous-fantasy-diverting-population-growth-to-the-regions-105052">difficult to reverse</a>. Until now, migrating to a regional city and bringing your job with you was a distant dream for most workers and policymakers.
Departures and arrivals
Things may be about to change for regional cities. A <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/exodus-from-australian-cities-as-coronavirus-pushes-people-to-the-regions/news-story/09ef690c2847484f7e9777fd1ca5ce43">new trend</a> of people relocating from capital cities to regional areas appears to be gaining momentum.
This new internal migration creates a unique opportunity for governments to grow regional cities and stimulate economies.
Regional cities will <a href="http://www.regionalaustralia.org.au/home/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Lighting-Up-our-Great-Small-Cities_Report.pdf">benefit from expanding populations</a>. More people will generate new cultural attractions, more social opportunities and greater vibrancy.
City revenues will rise as more taxes and rates start to flow through. Policymakers can then deliver much-needed <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-average-regional-city-resident-lacks-good-access-to-two-thirds-of-community-services-and-liveability-suffers-131910">liveability improvements</a>.
Policy innovations for regional cities should focus on quickly delivering quality housing and social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. Care must be taken to ensure rapidly rising rents and <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-the-buildings-high-density-neighbourhoods-make-life-worse-for-the-poor-82070">gentrification</a> don’t displace existing residents. Displacement of regional city residents was a big <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.5172/rsj.19.3.211">problem during the mining boom</a>.
Regionalism also presents opportunities and challenges for the capital cities. <a href="https://info.propertycouncil.com.au/property-australia-blog/office-vacancy-rates-reflect-strong-base-settings">Growing vacancy rates</a> for residential, commercial and retail space could become permanent. Falling populations and fewer workers will hurt some sectors. Sunk investment in infrastructure, including public transport, might be unrecoverable if projected user numbers don’t materialise.
Even if some residents leave capital cities, others will still arrive. There will probably be distinct demographic differences between the two groups. Most of those leaving will be established professionals with occupations they can continue remotely. Most arrivals will likely be interstate and overseas migrants, as well as graduates looking for entry-level professional roles.
For the next few years at least, the option to work regionally for a capital city employer is likely to be negotiated and earned, rather than automatic.
Regional future demands adaptable planning
The coming years will definitely not be business as usual for Australian cities. The rise in remote working will bring <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-has-changed-our-sense-of-place-so-together-we-must-re-imagine-our-cities-137789">transformative changes</a>.
It will not be enough to just plan for growth in regional cities. It is imperative to plan well, plan strategically and plan for the long term.
The move towards regionalism will have financial, social and environmental impacts. Established urban patterns may no longer hold. Policy responses will have to be innovative, flexible and dynamic.
Governments may need to activate special regulatory and legal arrangements to effectively manage trends towards regionalism. The innovative frameworks for regional development in recent <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/cities/city-deals/index.aspx">City Deals</a> are illustrative of new policy approaches to shaping regionalism.
We see a shift in the distribution of some planning and development powers between tiers of government to prioritise certain projects. Changes will have to be justified by economic, environmental or social objectives. Even if necessary, it might cause controversy, upheaval and legal challenges.
Governments will need to be strategic, diplomatic and brave to maximise future opportunities for regional and capital cities. Recognising that regionalism looks like the newest phase of Australian urbanism is a good start.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149170/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tony-matthews-234160">Tony Matthews</a>, Senior Lecturer in Urban and Environmental Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/regional-australias-time-has-come-planning-for-growth-is-now-vital-149170">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Regional Australia's boom time has come, planning is vital

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The federal government wants to boost the number of migrants moving to regional areas in Australia to fill job vacancies and reduce the pressure on our cities.
That’s why the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, David Coleman, this week asked the Joint Standing Committee on Migration to look into and report on <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/joint/migration" target="_blank">migration in regional Australia</a>.
He’s called on anyone to make a submission by September 20 and the Committee intends to hit the road for a series of public hearings.
The <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Migration/RegionalMigration/Media_Releases" target="_blank">government says</a> only about one in five people who came to Australia between 2006 and 2011 settled in regional areas. So what are the challenges to encourage more migrants to settle in regional Australia?
Bush vs city
Australia is one of the most urbanised nations in the world with <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/home/Interesting+Facts+about+Australia%E2%80%99s+population" target="_blank">67% of the population living in capital cities</a>, with <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1819/Quick_Guides/PopulationStatistics" target="_blank">migrants more urban than non-migrants</a>.
The two key issues for encouraging more migrants to regional areas are attraction and retention.
For skilled migrants this means <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/federal-budget/immigration-cuts-and-regional-visas-to-ease-strain-on-sydney-and-melbourne/news-story/da7de88690966d4c202ab0d372a5b253" target="_blank">new visa pathways to regional settlement</a>. Two were announced earlier this year, the <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/regional-migration/news/new-regional-visas" target="_blank">Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa</a>, both with a pathway to permanent residency at the end of three years. This is a big incentive, since permanent residency is the main goal of most temporary migrants.
Staying in the regions
The key factors that impact on retention of migrants who settle in regional and rural Australia are employment, children’s education, lifestyle, availability of services and the warmth of the welcome from locals.
<a href="https://web-tools.uts.edu.au/projects/detail.cfm?ProjectId=2006000310" target="_blank">Findings</a> from a national survey of 915 skilled migrants who settled in regional and rural Australia in 2008 found about two thirds liked their jobs.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288250/original/file-20190816-136186-1y815t6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288250/original/file-20190816-136186-1y815t6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288250/original/file-20190816-136186-1y815t6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Job satisfaction of migrants. New immigrants in regional and rural Australia: attraction and retention, by Jock Collins and Branka Krivokapic-skoko (2008)/Rural and Regional Industries Research Council, Author provided
About two in three said the community had made them feel very welcome. The reputation of the Australian bush being populated with red necks who don’t like migrant newcomers is myth rather than reality.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288251/original/file-20190816-136230-1f0vpij.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288251/original/file-20190816-136230-1f0vpij.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288251/original/file-20190816-136230-1f0vpij.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
How welcome migrants feel. New immigrants in regional and rural Australia: attraction and retention, by Jock Collins and Branka Krivokapic-skoko (2008)/Rural and Regional Industries Research Council., Author provided
Most skilled migrants were satisfied with medical services, schools and entertainment available in their regional and rural community. Telecommunication services were rated less highly while transport services were a source of great dissatisfaction.
Regional refugee success
For refugees, their primary settlement location is decided by the Australian government. Regional cities such as Toowoomba and Logan in Queensland, Wagga Wagga, Wollongong and Coffs Harbour in New South Wales and Shepperton in Victoria have settled many refugees.
What does the research tell us about refugee migration to regional Australia? The classic success story is that of the <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/economics/articles/economic-social-impact-karen-resettlement" target="_blank">Karen people from Myanmar who settled in Nhill</a> in western Victoria, many of whom find <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-24/study-reveals-refugees-boosting-nhill-economy/6417620" target="_blank">employment at the Luv a Duck factory</a>.
<a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/centre-business-and-social-innovation/research/projects-0" target="_blank">Research</a> was done in 2018 with 111 newly-arrived adult refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan who settled in Queensland regional cities of Toowoomba and Logan. It <a href="https://theconversation.com/refugees-are-integrating-just-fine-in-regional-australia-101188" target="_blank">found</a> most like living there, feel safe, feel the locals were very friendly towards them and that their children had a good future in Australia.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288252/original/file-20190816-136186-4jtvlu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip" target="_blank">Click here </a>to enlarge: 
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288252/original/file-20190816-136186-4jtvlu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288252/original/file-20190816-136186-4jtvlu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
The friendliness of locals according to migrants. <a class="source" href="https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/centre-business-and-social-innovation/research/projects-0" target="_blank">Jock Collins and colleagues</a>, Author provided
Most refugees who flee their homeland to begin the risky and dangerous journey to Australia do so in order to provide a safe place for them and their family. They hope to settle in a good place to bring up their children.
The <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/centre-business-and-social-innovation/research/projects-0" target="_blank">research found</a> the migrants feel their neighbourhoods in Brisbane, Toowoomba and Logan were good places to bring up children.
Nearly all adult refugees – and their children – feel very safe in regional and metropolitan Queensland. Incredibly all of those refugee adults living in Toowoomba feel it is a safe place to live.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288253/original/file-20190816-136213-1hyca37.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288253/original/file-20190816-136213-1hyca37.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288253/original/file-20190816-136213-1hyca37.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
How safe migrants felt their neighbourhood was. <a class="source" href="https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/centre-business-and-social-innovation/research/projects-0" target="_blank">Jock Collins and colleagues</a>, Author provided
Getting a job
Employment is the real challenge for any attempt to redirect more refugees and skilled migrants to regional Australia. The critical issue for keeping refugees in regional cities such as Toowoomba and Logan is getting a job.
At first glance the research doesn’t seem too positive in this regard.
Only 13.8% of refugees in Logan and 13.2% in Toowoomba had been able to find a job in 2018. But most of these refugees had settled in the previous 12 months so most were still learning English and had not yet began looking work.
But these refugee families were also surveyed in 2019 and the improved employment results seem encouraging for refugee retention.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288255/original/file-20190816-136190-fo4nzb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: 
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288255/original/file-20190816-136190-fo4nzb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288255/original/file-20190816-136190-fo4nzb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Job prospects of migrants in Queensland. Jock Collins, Author provided
Overall the research supports the push for increasing skilled and humanitarian migration to regional Australia, with the proviso that more needs to be done on the employment front to encourage retention.
One policy that should be explored in this regard relates to <a href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/private-and-community-sector-initiatives-refugee-employment-and-entrepreneurship" target="_blank">migrant and refugee entrepreneurship</a>. Many refugees have experience in <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-refugees-overcome-the-odds-to-become-entrepreneurs-85091" target="_blank">running their own business</a> prior to settling in Australia.
Supporting them to establish a business in regional Australia by introducing proven programs such as Settlement Services International’s <a href="http://www.ssi.org.au/services/ignite" target="_blank">Ignite Small Business Start-ups</a> refugee program would assist them to create their own jobs and employment for others as well as revitalising the economy of the regional cities.
The biggest threat to increasing temporary migration to regional Australia is wage-theft and exploitative employment experiences. A <a href="https://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/legal/wage-theft-regional-fwo/" target="_blank">recent intervention</a> by Fair Work Australia found that of 1,300 regional businesses visited by inspectors, one-in-five (22%) were found to be stealing wages from their workers.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121942/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Jock Collins, Professor of Social Economics, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-regions-can-take-more-migrants-and-refugees-with-a-little-help-121942" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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The regions can take more migrants and refugees, with a little help

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Governments are looking to fast rail services to regional cities to relieve population pressures in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The federal government is funding <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/rail/trains/faster_rail/index.aspx" target="_blank">nine business cases</a> for such schemes. But what economic effect might these fast links have on the regional cities?
The current fast rail schemes seem oriented at relieving population pressures in the major cities rather than a productive regional economic purpose. The minister for population, cities and urban infrastructure recently <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/tudge/media-release/better-managing-australias-future-population-growth" target="_blank">stated</a>:
"The National Faster Rail Agency begins operating from today [July 1]. The new Agency will oversee the government’s 20-year fast rail agenda, which will connect satellite regional cities to our big capitals. This will allow people to reside in regional centres with its [sic] cheaper housing and regional lifestyle but still access easily and daily the major employment centres."
The argument seems built on a pitch to city workers priced out of metropolitan housing markets. It treats regional towns as remote dormitories for metropolitan workers rather than as regional cities that serve as service hubs and employment centres. But will subsidising metropolitan workers to live in cheaper regional towns have a positive economic effect on those towns?
An unequal relationship
Concern is growing among international observers that <a href="https://www.51m.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ch51.pdf" target="_blank">fast rail connections between two cities benefit the larger of the pair</a>. Professor <a href="https://www.centreforcities.org/event/city-horizons-professor-michael-storper/" target="_blank">Michael Storper observed</a>: "One of the biggest mistakes we’ve made was being naïve about connectivity – give infrastructure and it spreads. Well, often it concentrates. The high-speed train network in France, guess what it did. It advantaged Paris."
While Paris is seen as benefiting the most from the national fast rail TGV service, the regional cities of <a href="http://www.greengauge21.net/wp-content/uploads/hsr-regneration-of-cities.pdf" target="_blank">Lyon and Lille have strengthened their economic positions</a>. The Lyon and Lille fast rail stations form the hub of their respective regional transport networks and have attracted new commercial activity. They also sit at intersections of major European fast rail networks.
It’s a pattern that cannot be easily achieved for Australia’s regional cities due to our widely dispersed settlements. So what does this mean for our regional cities?
Improving transport infrastructure doesn’t just improve regional business access to metropolitan markets. It decrease the costs of trade in both directions. And large cities are typically more productive economically. This is because they offer more specialised goods and services and can leverage the agglomeration effects of shared high-quality labour markets and infrastructure, plus a concentration of skills and knowledge.
Reduced travel times can mean regional businesses become less efficient than metropolitan competitors that can offer a wider range of specialist goods and services. This may lead to regional business closures, employment losses and wage decline. Unless a regional city is able to develop a specialised set of high-skill, high-wage industries that complement or outcompete the metropolis it risks being economically disadvantaged by faster rail.
New regional demand arising from commuter population growth might counter the loss of higher-order regional jobs due to improved transport links. But that will largely be in lower-value retail and personal service sectors. The result will still be a net economic gain for the metropolis.
An influx of commuters earning metropolitan wages might also <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/melbourne-vic/geelong-prices-soften-as-buyers-await-outcome-of-federal-election/news-story/ea4cc61d089f669d26cf5b10b7ceab80" target="_blank">inflate regional housing markets</a>. This would disadvantage lower-paid regional workers. The beneficiaries of this scenario are likely to be local rentiers, such as landholders and developers who can profit from land-price inflation.
This interest group will likely vocally promote regional fast rail. But sustainable economic prosperity for regional cities requires more than population-driven land speculation.
The example of Geelong
The most advanced of the current Australian proposals is the <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/tudge/media-release/geelong-melbourne-travel-cut-half-part-20-year-fast-rail-plan" target="_blank">Geelong-Melbourne route</a>. It has received federal and state <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-22/fast-rail-train-service-pledge-for-geelong/10927982" target="_blank">funding for planning</a> with an estimated total cost of <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/andrews-in-about-face-on-building-geelong-fast-rail-with-morrison-20190531-p51tbz" target="_blank">at least A$10 billion</a>. But planners need to ask how this spending will provide a net economic benefit, and how the benefits will be distributed.
Growth in commuter population and the services this attracts may be seem like a resolution to metropolitan population problems, but could further concentrate higher-paid jobs in Melbourne. Faster commutes mean Melbourne-based firms will have a greater pick of Geelong-based workers, thus consolidating metropolitan competitive advantage. Fast rail thus risks placing Geelong at a competitive disadvantage, with jobs and workers being exported to Melbourne.
Meanwhile the pressure of housing another <a href="https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/land-use-and-population-research/victoria-in-future" target="_blank">145,000 residents in the next 20 years</a> already falls on Geelong, a <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/203?opendocument" target="_blank">city of 280,000 people</a>. The strain on infrastructure and services is proportionately greater than would be the case in Melbourne, which has <a href="https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/2GMEL?opendocument" target="_blank">nearly 5 million</a> residents.
What can policymakers do about this?
To resolve this conundrum, thought must be given to what specialised high-value jobs will be attracted to regional cities to accompany fast rail investments, so these cities remain competitive and productive, regionally, nationally and internationally. This might include policies such as relocating public agencies, regional targeting of university-based research and development spending, boosting services such as schools and hospitals, and providing incentives for innovative private companies to relocate to regional towns.
Policymakers should also consider positioning regional cities as rail network hubs in their own right. An example would be connecting Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo by rail, along with better linkages to national and international airports.
We don’t yet know for sure what the effects of fast rail on regional cities will be. But the impact of this infrastructure needs to be assessed very carefully lest it turns Australia’s regional cities into dependent population dormitories rather than regional dynamos, at vast public expense.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119090/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Todd Denham, PhD Candidate, School of Global, Urban &amp; Social Studies, RMIT University
Jago Dodson, Professor of Urban Policy and Director, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/regional-cities-beware-fast-rail-might-lead-to-disadvantaged-dormitories-not-booming-economies-119090" target="_blank">original article</a>.
Main photo: <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY-NC</a>. 
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Regional cities beware – fast rail might lead to disadvantaged dormitories, not booming economies

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GUEST OBSERVER
Established migrant communities in regional and rural areas are often ignored in favour of policies focused on attracting new intakes of skilled migrants. A striking example is the <a href="http://www.devpolicy.org/pacific-farmworkers-in-australia-20180206/" target="_blank">substantial population of Pacific Islanders in horticultural areas in Australia</a>.
They are largely unacknowledged or even invisible to policymakers in Canberra. Their working-age children now struggle to move beyond the seasonal, precarious horticultural work their parents do. Appropriate supports could help them increase their skills and make a valuable contribution to the rural economy.
Since the mid-1990s, the Australian government has tried to tackle problems on two fronts – congestion in urban areas, and population decline and associated labour shortages in rural areas – through diverse migration schemes.
In March this year the Morrison government launched a <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/plan-australias-future-population" target="_blank">plan for Australia’s future population</a>. It emphasised skilled migration as a means of “ensuring regional communities are given a much-needed boost”. The plan includes new regional visas for skilled workers and scholarships for domestic and international students to study in regional tertiary institutions.
A neglected community
The rhetoric around settling people in regional areas tends to neglect the untapped potential of migrant populations that already live there. <a href="https://www.latrobe.edu.au/social-inquiry/research/current-research-projects/pacific-islanders-in-regional-victoria-visitors-migrants-and-overstayers" target="_blank">Our research in the Sunraysia region</a> shows Pacific people have been largely trapped in seasonal farm work since they began moving there in the 1980s.
The government’s lack of acknowledgement of these established communities was evident in its planning and introduction of the <a href="https://www.jobs.gov.au/seasonal-worker-programme" target="_blank">Seasonal Worker Program</a>. Their potential to provide pastoral care for temporary workers from the Pacific islands was neglected. In both the <a href="https://docs.jobs.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/pswps_-_final_evaluation_report.pdf" target="_blank">2011 final evaluation of the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme</a> and the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/%7E/media/02%20Parliamentary%20Business/24%20Committees/244%20Joint%20Committees/Migration/Seasonal%20Worker%20Program/Report/Full%20report.pdf?la=en" target="_blank">2016 report of the parliamentary inquiry into the Seasonal Worker Program</a> this is seen as the responsibility of approved employers.
However, such “official” pastoral care is insufficient. We have found settled communities are supporting workers in getting health care and often provide them with food and other supplies.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/276259/original/file-20190524-187179-1vjwm30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/276259/original/file-20190524-187179-1vjwm30.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Pacific people are active members of churches in regional Victoria and provide pastoral care to members of their community. Author provided
But the government has seen the settlers in negative terms, as potentially encouraging Pacific people employed through the Seasonal Worker Program to overstay their visas. This claim was made, for instance, in a 2016 call for expressions of interest in research for the <a href="https://www.cardno.com/projects/labour-mobility-assistance-program-lmap/" target="_blank">Labour Mobility Assistance Program</a>.
Rather than relying only on bringing in new waves of skilled migrants, <a href="https://theconversation.com/forcing-immigrants-to-work-in-regional-areas-will-not-boost-regional-economies-in-the-long-run-96852" target="_blank">most of whom stay for the required period then move to the cities</a>, why not focus on resolving structural problems and increasing the skills of those who already live there? This would mean tackling the barriers the local Pacific populations face, including their relative invisibility in regional communities.
In regional Australia, social services are directed mainly to new migrant and refugee arrivals, as well as Indigenous Australians. Some of our Pacific research participants said their communities’ needs remain largely unmet. A Tongan community leader we interviewed in Mildura raised two questions that prevent Pacific people from accessing support in Sunraysia: “Are you a refugee? Are you an Indigenous [person]?”
A high school principal echoed this point. She knew who to contact when she needed support for Koorie students or students from a “Muslim background”, but eligibility criteria often excluded Pacific youth from these services.
Many Pacific young people in Sunraysia express a strong desire to remain in their home towns, yet feel they face significant barriers to entering the workforce.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/276256/original/file-20190524-187189-nv8hmg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/276256/original/file-20190524-187189-nv8hmg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Pacific youth in Sunraysia who attended our workshop in 2017 brainstormed the advantages and disadvantages of living in regional and urban areas. Author provided
Their teachers confirm that Pacific youth are less likely to be considered for apprenticeships. They need targeted programs to ensure they get skills training that will broaden their employment opportunities.
Yet their <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-14/an-pacific-islanders-missing-out-on-tertiary-education2c-study/5453382" target="_blank">rates of participation in TAFE and university are low</a>. This is partly due to their lack of knowledge about their options.
In a workshop with teachers they also told us some Pacific students come to high school with insufficient literacy and numeracy skills. Early support could have overcome this problem.
The problems are structural
Much of the debate about employment relies on the idea of individual empowerment, which assumes academic achievement leads to skilled work. However, <a href="https://theconversation.com/youth-unemployment-local-communities-essential-for-helping-young-people-find-work-56673" target="_blank">David Farrugia argues</a> that youth unemployment rates will not decline without overcoming structural problems in regional Australia.
An example of these problems in Sunraysia is that some local industries that give workers stable hourly rates <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/02/pacific-workers-not-backpackers-should-do-australias-regional-work-world-bank" target="_blank">prefer to employ working holidaymakers or backpackers</a>. This leads migrants and second-generation youth to work in more precarious piece-rate farm jobs. The local advocacy body for employing settled workers told us the preference for working holidaymakers is linked to their connections with other industries such as accommodation providers that benefit from this transient population.
Despite being born and raised locally, and in many cases being Australian citizens, Pacific youth experience significant discrimination and marginalisation. Like their parents’ generation they are <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/radio-australia/programs/pacificbeat/pacific-islanders-in-rural-australia-struggling-to/8693102" target="_blank">stigmatised as “fruit pickers”</a>.
Many of them come to see farm work as the only option if they stay in the area. And even that is becoming increasingly precarious because they have to compete with temporary workers, such as those in the Seasonal Worker Program, working holidaymakers and irregular migrants.
Enabling the full participation of Pacific youth in more stable and skilled employment would contribute to the regional economy and improve social cohesion. But the policy focus is still on how to bring in new migrants. Population planning needs to have a long-term perspective and for regional areas a focus on the needs of the well-established migrant populations is crucial.
Dean Wickham, executive officer of <a href="http://www.smeccinc.org" target="_blank">Sunraysia Mallee Ethnic Communities Council</a>, contributed to our research project and writing this article.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116277/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/makiko-nishitani-435963" target="_blank">Makiko Nishitani</a>, Lecturer, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842" target="_blank">La Trobe University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-lee-730364" target="_blank">Helen Lee</a>, Professor of Anthropology, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842" target="_blank">La Trobe University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-people-in-australias-regional-settlement-policy-are-pacific-islander-residents-116277" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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The forgotten people in Australia’s regional settlement policy are Pacific Islander residents

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There were 2300 first home buyers (FHBs) in March across NSW.
The average NSW FHB spends about $465,000 on their purchase, based on the commonly expected 20% deposit and ABS data showing a typical $387,000 NSW mortgage.
There is a lower $359,000 average mortgage in Victoria and $300,000 in Queensland.
The typical Australian first home buyer $342,000 mortgage is around 25% lower than the $462,000 non-first time owner occupier buyer's mortgage.
The ABS data also highlights the price gap between capital cities and the regions.
Sydney established detached house prices sit at around a $900,000 median, with houses in the rest of the state coming in at $466,000.
It is $700,000 for Sydney attached dwellings (terraces, semi and units) with the rest of NSW having a $405,000 median attached dwelling purchase price.
The gap is narrow in Queensland with established detached houses costing $530,000 in Brisbane against $430,000 in the rest of Queensland.
In Victoria, established Melbourne homes cost $705,000 slightly more than double the $350,000 in the rest of the state.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison's proposed deposit guarantee scheme will seek to pioneer a differential recognition of prices across the nation in deciding what priced homes will qualify.
It will have an as yet to be determined different cap on home purchases eligible for the scheme which will underwrite the topping up of buyers with just a 5% deposit who find lenders prepared to lend to them.
The current grants fully fund purchases up to $650,000, petering out on an $800,000 purchase.
The new scheme is likely to attract buyers to think about hiding to the regions and also into apartments in the city.
Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson noted the average apartment in Sydney is likely going to be $400,000 cheaper than the average house.
"So many younger people, including families will see the benefits of a new type of living where they share large gardens, share swimming pools that they don’t have to maintain and often have child care centres next door.”
During March, first home buyers enjoyed the largest share in the Northern Territory, with 42% of owner occupier housing loans.
This was followed by Western Australia (36%), Victoria (30%) and Queensland (27%). 
FHB participation was lowest in Tasmania (20%), followed by South Australia (21%), the ACT (22%) and New South Wales (24%).
With more than 500 first home buyers over the past year, the 2170 Liverpool postcode retains its status as NSW's biggest beneficiary of government grants.
Over 11,000 Liverpool buyers have secured grants to get themselves onto the property ladder since the FHOG's commencement in 2000, introduced in the wake of the goods and services tax.
The outer ring south western buyers have secured $11.7 million in grants and concessions over the past year, and $213 million in the past 19 years.
The median Liverpool house price currently sits at $740,000, with its median unit price $440,000.
Westmead and Campbelltown follow as next busiest FHB hotspots.
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How will the price difference between capital cities and regions impact the new FHB policy?

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Regional bridesmaid cities are beginning to rival the real estate brides of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane with their impressive population growth, buzzing local economies, improved amenities and infrastructure, affordable housing and increasingly attractive lifestyle as our capital cities get busier and more expensive.
No longer sleepy, second tier towns overshadowed by the glamorous capitals, many of Australia’s regional cities have come of age and are now thriving economic centres with hundreds of thousands of residents.
Housing has always been cheaper but regional areas now offer so much more, with burgeoning café scenes, major shopping centres, good local transport and plentiful job opportunities without the traffic, pollution, noise and time poverty that comes with big city life.
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Lifestyle markets and satellite cities within two hours’ commute of primary metropolitan areas are the biggest winners of the metro- regional switch. While affordability remains a key reason to move, many say buyers are increasingly talking about escaping from city stress, traffic and cost of living.
Population growth is no doubt contributing to the greater hustle and bustle of city life. Australia’s population hit 25 million in August 2018, 33 years earlier than forecast by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) published in 1998.22 Given almost 80% of Australia’s residents live in the four East Coast capitals alone,23 it is not surprising that some of us are feeling a bit crammed in.
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With surprisingly comparable wages and a vast differential in house prices, the metro-regional trade-off is compelling.
Improved infrastructure has reduced the commute from many regional areas to capital cities, enabling switchers to enjoy a big city income with a relaxed small town lifestyle.
The NBN rollout has led to more city folk working remotely or establishing start-ups as part of their lifestyle change.
Jobs in the larger regional centres are increasingly plentiful, boosted by a deliberate strategy to decentralise government departments to regional locations. Bendigo is set to benefit from a new GovHub office that will bring 1,000 new and relocated public sector jobs to the CBD. Construction from 2019 will create 70 jobs, with completion due in late 2021. 
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Two other GovHubs are also being developed in Ballarat and Latrobe Valley.
Massive infrastructure investment across Australia is also boosting employment in regional centres.
After Geelong lost its Ford and Alcoa steel plants, the local jobs market rebounded following federal support for Geelong’s $100 million rail duplication project and a $100 million pledge for an Advanced Manufacturing Fund for Victoria and South Australia in 2017. 
In some cases, average wages in regional areas are higher than capital cities.
In Australia’s leading regional city for median house price growth,25Geelong in Victoria, individuals aged 15 and over received a median $616 weekly income in 2016, $84 more than their Melbourne peers despite higher living costs in the capital. 
ABS27 data also shows that middle aged blue collar workers, in particular, are more likely to be paid similarly or better in regional centres of New South Wales and Victoria.
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No longer sleepy, second tier towns overshadowed by the glamorous capitals, many of Australia’s regional cities have come of age and are now thriving economic centres with hundreds of thousands of residents.
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The Gold Coast seems to have magnetic appeal, as it was amongst the top 10 destinations chosen by city escapees in every single state and territory, attracting 19,400 people from the eight capitals.
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Large regional cities are currently some of the East Coast’s best performing property markets, largely due to the rippleeffect following Sydney and Melbourne’s peak.
Geelong, 70km south west of big sister Melbourne, recorded the largest increase in dwelling values across non-capital city Australia at 9.8% over the 12 months to April 2018,28 yet it remains more than $200,000 cheaper than Melbourne with a house price median of $505,000 compared to Melbourne’s $740,000.29
Shoalhaven/Southern Highlands was the strongest performing regional market in New South Wales with 9.2% growth,30 driven by demand from seachanging and treechanging downsizers and families.
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Fellow bridesmaid, Newcastle posted a 7.1% surge. Just 160km north of Sydney, Newcastle’s appeal to cash poor, asset rich Sydney residents is obvious. Australia’s largest coal port by volume and the economic hub of the Hunter Valley, it boasts a world class university, vibrant coastal lifestyle and strong employment with 37% of the population working in professional or managerial roles. 
Further north, Queensland’s top two regional performers were the Sunshine Coast (5.1%) and the Gold Coast (1.9%)33 due to rising demand from interstate home owners and investors. Increased tourism played its part, with 7.4 million interstate visitors holidaying there in 2017.34
It is now more expensive to buy a house on the Sunshine Coast, where the median is $589,000; and the Gold Coast with a median of $650,000 compared to Brisbane at $536,000.35
ABS data confirms big city home owners are seeing real value in regional real estate in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
Tens of thousands of big smoke property owners opted to cash in their assets or upgrade their homes more affordably with a lifestyle switch from metro to regional areas in FY17. 
The top two locations chosen by Sydney escapees were Newcastle/ Lake Macquarie in the north (5,500 arrivals from Sydney) and Illawarra in the south (5,300 arrivals). Melbourne switchers favoured Latrobe-Gippsland (7,300 arrivals from Melbourne) and Geelong (6,900 arrivals).
Up north, Brisbane is yet to boom so there is no ripple effect in play, however there was still a significant migration away from the capital to large seachange destinations in FY17.
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Seven of the top 10 regions to benefit from departing Brisbane residents were Queensland centres, with beach cities topping the list. The Gold Coast, 70km south, gained 8,800 former Brisbane residents and the Sunshine Coast 6,700.
The Gold Coast seems to have magnetic appeal, as it was amongst the top 10 destinations chosen by city escapees in every single state and territory, attracting 19,400 people from the eight capitals.
Commonwealth Games infrastructure has brought major new liveability, employment and investment to the city, the light rail has improved accessibility and there are plenty of new sporting facilities for families.
City slickers’ exodus to treechange and seachange localities is evident in CoreLogic’s latest property sales analysis, which shows that dwelling values fell by -3.7% across the capital cities but rose by 1.2% across the combined regional markets in the 12 months to September. 
JOHN MCGRATH is the founder of McGrath Estate Agents. The latest McGrath Report is available <a href="https://www.mcgrath.com.au/mcgrath-report" target="_blank">here</a>.
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jmcgrath-6XcGQCVx3d

Regional is the new black: John McGrath

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One of the emerging themes in real estate in the past couple of years is that when capital cities boom, regional towns just outside the metropolitan area often follow suit.
Sydney’s up-cycle has rippled out to locations in the Central Coast and in the Southern Highlands, and near-city Victorian towns have caught the wave from Melbourne’s strong market.
One of the standout performers has been Cardinia Shire, where strong population growth is driving property sales in the main towns. 
By 2036 the population of the shire, which sits just outside the Melbourne metropolitan area in the south-east, is expected to have almost doubled from 94,000 now to around 180,000. 
Cardinia Shire was named in the State Government’s growth strategy document as the potential site of Melbourne’s third airport. 
Cardinia has the advantage of being near the Port of Hastings and therefore has the potential to become a key player in a freight transport network. 
With a developer now proposing to build a $7 billion private airport, Cardinia’s prospects have lifted significantly, although this is a project with long-term horizons.
Offering a plentiful supply of houses priced under $450,000 and within commuting distance of major Melbourne employment nodes, Cardinia Shire is becoming increasingly worthy of consideration by property investors.
Cardinia Shire is becoming a popular lifestyle location as housing density in the inner- and middle-ring suburbs of Melbourne deepens. 
Several towns within the shire could be considered dormitory suburbs, as 54% of residents travel outside the municipality to work, according to Census data. 
The region is well serviced by transport. The Princes Highway cuts through the middle of the shire while the South Gippsland Highway runs along the southern edge, linking the area to the Melbourne CBD. 
There is the Pakenham line of the Melbourne metro train network which has stations at Beaconsfield, Officer, Cardinia Road and Pakenham, while V/Line trains also service a connection between Gippsland and Pakenham.
Being home to 47,000 in 2016, Pakenham is the most populous district within the Shire and up until 2014, it was the administrative centre of the Shire. Cardinia’s Council offices have now been relocated to Officer.
Pakenham remains the main retail centre for the shire, the most prominent shopping centre being Pakenham Central Marketplace.
Cardinia Shire has come to Hotspotting’s attention because of the rising sales activity in towns like Pakenham, Officer, Beaconsfield and Emerald.
Pakenham consistently sells over 250 homes per quarter, but two of the past three quarters have topped 300 sales. 
This strong sales activity has earned Pakenham a place in our National Top 50 suburbs nationwide for growth.
In the last 12 months, CoreLogic has recorded a 19% increase in Pakenham’s median house price which is now $470,000.
Population growth has been a driving force in Pakenham, prompting the development of several new residential estates. 
This is reflected in the increase of the number of building approvals from 1,241 in FY2014 to 1,938 in FY2017.
The Cardinia Road precinct in Officer is another site of projected population growth and extensive residential construction. 
The median house price in Officer is $485,000 based on 224 sales in the past 12 months, following a 34% increase (although the size of the rise could be misleading).
Towns which offer the best affordability, with median house prices between $380,000 and $450,000, include Bunyip, Lang Lang and Koo Wee Rup.
The Cardinia Shire can expect a substantial influx of new residents over the next 20 years. 
The biggest changes are predicted to occur in the Pakenham area, the Cardinia Road precinct and the Officer precinct.  
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au
<a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">ryder@hotspotting.com.au</a>
twitter.com/hotspotting
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Cardinia Shire's population growth driving property sales: Terry Ryder

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Geelong takes top spot with the highest weekly auction clearance rate in the nation's regional markets, according to CoreLogic’s latest weekly report.
Geelong had an auction clearance rate of 86% from the 22 auctions tracked by CoreLogic.
Meanwhile, the Sunshine Coast finished on the bottom of the chart with a 67.7% clearance rate from the 31 CoreLogic auction results. 
<a href="/images/2016/10/24/Regional%20sub%20regions.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/10/24/Regional%20sub%20regions.jpg" alt="">
This was followed by the Hunter with 80% and the Gold Coast with 70%.
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Sunshine Coast secures 67.7% auction clearance rate: CoreLogic

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The top three most expensive regional markets for median building lot prices in Australia during the March quarter are in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.
The highest median lot price is in the Richmond-Tweed area of NSW at $280,000, the Kimberley in WA next at $270,000 and QLD's Sunshine Coast with $254,000, according to the HIA-CoreLogic RP Data Residential Land Report.
CoreLogic RP Data research director Tim Lawless said a current trend towards fewer land sales has been evident since mid-2013 and is visible across each of the capital city vacant land markets. 
<a href="/images/2015/07/20/Screen%20Shot%202015-07-20%20at%201.57.46%20PM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/07/20/Screen%20Shot%202015-07-20%20at%201.57.46%20PM.png" alt="" width="907" height="526">
 
For the lowest March 2015 regional median lot prices, click <a href="/expert-insights/buying/southern-tasmanian-march-building-lot-median-at-82-500-hia">here</a>.
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