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Melbourne’s affordability pressures opens the door to regional development

Melbourne is Australia’s fastest growing city with 5 million residents. From 2006 – 2016 nearly 1 million people were added to Melbourne’s population. Last year alone Melbourne grew by 129,400 people.

That’s almost like adding another Darwin (134,800) to the city. Melbourne is set to overtake Sydney as Australia’s largest city by 2026 and be the first to reach 8 million people in 2037.

“As the pressures of a growing city increase it’s important to understand what the community is feeling and what they are requiring to ensure their lifestyles improve in line with this growth” – Nick Cleary, CEO CLARA

A new CLARA Melbourne Market Study conducted by McCrindle surveyed 1,009 people living within the boundaries of Melbourne and explores their attitudes and sentiment towards the city’s growth.

Make it more attractive to live outside of Melbourne

The CLARA study shows that Melbournians are already open to moving but what are the qualities that would most attract Melbournians to a new location?

Once again affordability topped the list.

The ‘must have’ qualities of a new location (extremely/very important):

  • Affordability (80%)
  • Provision of services (72%)
  • Social amenities (65%)
  • Walkable community (49%)

Melbournians also want to spend less time travelling to work by car and given the choice, less than half would drive themselves to work (48%) and one in ten would travel as a passenger (10%). Currently, three quarters (74%) of the population take a car to work.

Train travel is the most desirable form of public transport according to a third of workers (33%). Three in five (58%) would like to use public transport at least a few times a week. One in five (18%) would like to walk to work, more than double those that currently do (7%).

Develop and connect regional areas to assure Melbourne’s continued livability

Public support for regional activation through scaled development is positive.

A viable solution to managing Melbourne’s population growth is by providing faster connections to a quarter of Victoria’s population who live outside its capital. This is why highspeed rail projects are being actively explored in Victoria.

Because most of these regional areas are too close to fly to, it is less likely that high-speed rail will compete with aviation. Rather, it will compete with cars and encourage more people to take public transport. Particularly if it’s faster and cheaper.

With congestion and affordability at an all-time high, to ensure the city’s liveability has not peaked the perspectives of Melbournians need to be addressed.

Related:

Melbournians willing to trade in their latte lifestyle

About this study:

The Melbourne Market Analysis study is a collation of quantitative and qualitative data collected through an online survey of people living within the boundaries of Melbourne (GCCSA) in two phases. The survey was in field from 23 October to 2 November 2018. The survey was completed by 1,009 people who live in Melbourne (representative by gender, age and location).

About CLARA:

Consolidated Land & Rail Australia (CLARA) is an Australian private group formed to deliver a program to change Australia. CLARA seeks to undertake a re-balancing of Australia’s population and deliver new ways of imagining, planning and building cities, transport and infrastructure.

For media commentary contact us on 02 8824 3422 or at [email protected]

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