A sea change

from w More and more city people from Melbourne want to move to the beach or rural towns. I think Geelong is a great place to live - numerous beaches, the hills and bush not far away, Melbourne only an hour's drive - and good for a day, plenty of facilities, though the city centre is hopeless for parking. Here's a piece from today's Geelong Advertiser about this. Regional appeal continuing to rise Shane Fowles | April 24th, 2012 A GROWING number of Melburnians are considering leaving the city to live in regional Victoria, with the tree change more than attractive than life by the sea.Areas with the most appeal are Ballarat (20 per cent), Greater Bendigo (16 per cent) and Greater Geelong (13 per cent), according to a new study. Up to two million city dwellers would consider a move to the state's regions, with almost a quarter of those weighing up relocating within the next three years. Released ahead of the first Regional Victoria Living Expo this week, the Government-commissioned study by ShopScience polled 2000 people. Regional and Rural Development Minister Peter Ryan said the results showed more Melburnians were considering alternatives to life in the capital. "Eleven per cent of respondents, which represents around 450,000 Melburnians, said they would consider relocating to a regional or rural area within the next three years," he said. "A further 39 per cent, or 1.6 million, said a move is something they would consider one day in the future.

Motivating factors are diverse ... but include things like a desire to raise their family in a less urban environment, having a greater sense of involvement in the community, housing affordability and business and employment opportunities." Of those planning to move in the immediate future, more than half were considering living in regional Victoria and commuting to work in Melbourne. Research suggested that 90 minutes was the maximum time that most people would spend on each leg of a commute, with time and expense key considerations. Almost half (49 per cent) of those surveyed said they were very unlikely to ever leave Melbourne. The least appealing aspects of life in the regions includes perceived issues with public transport and a lack of job prospects. The three-day expo, starting Friday, will bring the regions into central Melbourne to provide further information to people considering leaving the city. All of the state's 48 regional councils will be on hand to offer advice and answer questions. "The expo will include information on everything from careers and education, housing and businesses to sport and lifestyle opportunities and relocation services," Mr Ryan said. A previous study into people who had chosen to relocate to regional Victoria found that core advantages of the move included lifestyle, natural beauty and features, cost of living, safety and cost of housing. Geelong, Queenscliff and the Surf Coast have formed a regional presence for the event being featured as Geelong and Surrounds. Staff will answer questions about local education, housing, employment and lifestyle options, and extol the advantages of our area. shane.fowles@geelongadvertiser.com.au