NEWLY released ABS data has shown Melburnians have abandoned the city in droves numbers with metro population falling by 60,500 in the 12 months. Brisbane grew the most with an additional 21,900 people moving to the sunny state.
While a large portion of city leavers have moved interstate or overseas, the tree change trend has continued.
“Five consecutive quarters of population loss in Melbourne is a worrying pattern for the city but shows how incredibly attracted people are to the regional lifestyle,” said Deputy Leader of the Nationals and Member for Euroa Steph Ryan.
“Seeing these migration trends is promising for the future of regional Victoria,” Ms Ryan said.
While this continued trend is great for regional cities, Ms Ryan stresses how infrastructure needs to be put in place to support this movement.
“As we watch people flee Melbourne it is crucial money is poured into regional infrastructure like transport, health and education. Most importantly we need to see red tape cut and housing supply increased to ensure people can come to regional areas and enjoy secure housing.”
