Geraldton tops list of fastest growth in regional migration across Australia

Geraldton has recorded a 395 per cent increase in internal migration, positioning itself at the top of the list of local governments welcoming new residents, according to the Regional Australia Institute. The data from RAI showed Greater Geraldton as the fastest growing regional city nationally in the last 12 months, followed by mid-western regional NSW, Waroona in WA, Townsville in Queensland and York in WA. The City of Greater Geraldton recorded a five-fold annual increase in internal migration, largely on the back of strong inflows from other regional areas. The RAI data further indicated one in five city residents were contemplating moving regionally. It found 85 per cent of residents moving to Geraldton were coming from other regional areas, and it was the only city from the top-five list to record an increase in growth of 5.1 per cent in the June quarter. City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said: “These migration numbers show that our growth potential is being taken seriously by people looking for opportunity.” Mr Van Styn puts the growth down to Geraldton being a well-connected city, with great weather and a comparatively affordable lifestyle, reflected in population growth to 42,000 people over the past two years. Member for Geraldton Lara Dalton said actions were already underway to increase housing affordability and accessibility, using a range of incentives led by the State Government. “Of course, we want to grow our city and our region, and it’s through projects like the Port Maximisation plan, Geraldton Hospital redevelopment, and improvement to transport networks that we are preparing for ongoing growth,” she said. The news comes after Geraldton placed third in the “most affordable lifestyle locations” list from the Property Tribune.