Australian dream is still alive

LIFESTYLE options are drawing more buyers to Sydney's outer suburbs.

LIFESTYLE options are drawing more buyers to Sydney's outer suburbs.

As Sydney's population continues to skyrocket, so does the amount of high-density development in the inner and middle rings of the city.

But despite an apartment boom, demand for the Great Australian Dream is still high.

Suburbanites say the idea behind location, location, location is not just about being on a train line or next to a beach, but is about affordability, big blocks and a safe lifestyle.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' figures, suburban Sydney regions such as Baulkham Hills and the Hawkesbury saw a jump of 2517 people between 2011 and 2012 calendar years, and in the Blacktown area 5101 individuals moved in over the same 12-month period.

Mark McCrindle of McCrindle Research said suburban regions on the outer ring of metropolitan areas carve out specific lifestyle traits, which can then translate to must-haves for house hunters.

"Nowadays residents of outer-ring suburbs expect amenities close by because they're not travelling to the city all the time,'' he said, adding that many outer suburban areas have developed their own employment hubs such as Norwest Business Park, home to 20,000 workers.

"For a long time the big gripe in areas like the Hills Shire was always that there wasn't a train line, but what's interesting is that because of a lack of transport options, the area has become self-sufficient,'' Mr McCrindle said.

He said a successful, and therefore desirable, suburban area has three main elements.

"They are family-friendly across generations, they have workplace opportunities and there are a variety of retail options,'' Mr McCrindle said.

"In the year to February 2013, RP Data recorded a flurry of activity in the Hills Shire district. Suburbs in the highly sought after patch of northwest Sydney saw the most sales action, with Castle Hill recording 468 sales, Baulkham Hills recording 392 sales and in Kellyville there were 373 properties exchanged.''

Michael Doran, co-partner at Starr Partners Kellyville, said what househunters are looking for in suburbia is value.

"A lot of Australian families are looking for affordable homes, but value is top of the list for many people. They know they can come to an area like Kellyville and they will get multiple living areas, they want a downstairs bedroom with a bathroom nearby for possible multi-generational living and they're after about 600sq m or more,'' he said.

Median house prices in the Hills Shire, where 62 per cent of homes have four or more bedrooms, currently sit between $700,000 and $800,000. RP Data figures show there are now 116 suburbs in Sydney where the median house price is more than $1 million.

Another driving force for buyers in the northwest is the low density living compared with the rest of the city. ABS figures show that while greater Sydney averages 377 people per square kilometre, the Baulkham Hills and Hawksbury area has just 68 residents for every square kilometre.

But as urban sprawl continues on the edges of the city, local councils have to find the equilibrium between making the most of a boom while maintaining the quiet lifestyle residents want.

Hills Shire Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne announced last month that balanced urban growth is one of the council's top priorities.

"We want our residents, and potential residents, to have plenty of housing options within our shire,'' she said.

"The current metropolitan strategy for Sydney gives us a target of accommodating 100,000 new residents by 2036. Not all of those new residents will want houses on 700sq m blocks, but a large portion of them do.''

"We want to retain the shire's character. By increasing the density in our town centres, we are able to maintain what we currently have throughout our suburbs, rather than spreading medium density out further.''