City dwellers discover life is better in NSW regional towns

While empty rental properties gather dust in Sydney, homes for rent in the bush are being snapped up in the country as families head bush for a better life.

While some sea-change to the coast, Sydneysiders are also increasingly moving to the bush to escape pandemic panic, cash in on a flood of new jobs and snap up more affordable homes.

According to the latest figures, there are far fewer empty homes and significantly more job opportunities west of the Great Dividing Range than there were a year ago.

The Edwards family from North Narrabeen will be among the latest to join the mass westward migration when they pack up their house on the northern beaches this week and move to Mudgee in the state’s northwest.

The Edwards family will move from North Narrabeen to Mudgee this week. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Parents Sam and Les Edwards and their five children Henry, 12, Jack, 10, Benji, 6, and twins Grace and Mable, both 1, will upsize into a five-bedroom house on acreage with a pool and separate cottage, which they could never afford in Sydney.

Eldest son Henry already has his RM Williams belt and Akubra hat laid out.

The median house price in Mudgee is close to $450,000, compared to $1,150,000 in Sydney.

The family gave life in Mudgee a trial-run at the end of last year and were motivated to move by the lifestyle, lower cost of living and job opportunities.

“There’s less hustle and bustle, far more of a community feel, and the kids absolutely love it,” Ms Edwards said.

Parents Sam and Les Edwards say life is better in the bush for their kids, especially during the pandemic. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“Country kids are more welcoming and life is more happy-go-lucky.

“This year won’t be any better than last year, and in Mudgee people aren’t as worried about COVID-19 and it doesn’t occupy every conversation.

“My husband is a landscaper and will keep his landscaping business in Sydney, but he’s already got ten weeks of work in Mudgee, which proves to us Sydney isn’t the be all and end all.”

Their real estate agent in Mudgee, Andrew Palmer from The Property Shop, said Sydneysiders moving west were attracted by the affordability of a home office to work from home during the pandemic.

House prices in rural and regional cities are rising in response to the increased demand from tree changers but remain far cheaper than the city.

Edwards kids Grace and Mable, both 1, Benji, 6, Jack, 10, and Henry 12 are excited to move to the country. Picture: Supplied

In the past year the cost of the average house in Orange rose by 14.9 per cent to an average cost of $449,606, increased 12 per cent in Dubbo to an average cost of $328,784, and lifted 6.5 per cent in Bathurst for an average of $434,693.

The demand for workers out west skyrocketed in the 12 months to September 2020, with the most new job ads in Dubbo and western NSW up 73 per cent, Southern Highlands Snowy region increasing 44 per cent, Tamworth and northwest NSW rising by 34.6 per cent and Riverina and Murray region up by 31.4 per cent.

While empty rental properties gather dust in Sydney, homes for rent in the bush are being snapped up in the country.

In the past year the surplus of vacant rental properties in Sydney remained unchanged at 3.6 per cent, whereas the proportion of rental properties that sat empty in the bush plummeted.

In Orange the number of vacant rentals dropped 2.1 per cent to 0.4 per cent, rental vacancies in Tamworth dropped by 1.7 per cent to 1.4 per cent, and rental vacancies dropped by 0.9 per cent in Wagga to 0.9 per cent.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro said government investment in country NSW made the transition from the city more seamless.

“We have known for a long time that regional NSW is the place to be and we know that people are leaving the city for a better quality of life in our state’s country towns,” Mr Barilaro said.

“My motto has always been ‘if we build it, they will come.

“Well, we have, and they are.

“The NSW Government is investing record funding into schools, roads and hospitals in regional NSW, ensuring regional communities have access to the same level of services as those in the city.”