Where Australians are moving to — and why they’re not coming back
As job opportunities grow in regional areas, more Australians are leaving our cities behind in favour of lifestyle benefits
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Australians are leaving the city for the country, and they’re not coming back, new data reveals.
Once considered a COVID lockdown-induced exodus that would inevitably bounce back, research from the Regional Movers Index (RMI) showed 27 percent more people moved from Australian cities to the regions than in the other direction.
The RMI is a partnership between the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the Regional Australia Institute, an independent think tank founded in 2011 and focused on building strong regional economies.
Regional Australia Institute CEO, Liz Ritchie said the data showed the shift in domestic migration patterns to regional areas was not a passing fad.
“This analysis is clearly showing the population movement we’re seeing is a sustained new trend, that is higher than pre-Covid migration patterns,” Ms Ritchie said. “The regional Australia we have now, is quite different to the regional Australia of five years ago,” Ms Ritchie said.
She said regional areas have a key role to play as Australia seeks to move towards a more sustainable future.
“The emergence of this new era signifies how important the regions are to the future of our nation. The regions will be at the heart of Australia’s net zero transition, and it is vital the infrastructure and services our growing regions require are met to ensure long-term prosperity and sustainability of our country.”
Among migration hotspots, the NSW coast rated highly, with Lake Macquarie on the mid north coast attracting an almost 5 percent share of net internal migration. The NSW far south coast also saw a population boost, specifically the Local Government Areas of Bega Valley and Eurobodalla.
CBA’s Executive General Manager Regional and Agribusiness Paul Fowler said the migration reflected a greater focus on the lifestyle benefits of living outside the big cities.
“The coastal appeal of regional hubs like Lake Macquarie, Bega Valley and Eurobodalla offer an attractive lifestyle with convenient access to quality healthcare and education services, as well as employment opportunities, further bolstered by major industry investments like the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project in Southern NSW,” Mr Fowler said.
About 75 percent of those who had left the cities in the past three months moved to regional NSW and Victoria, indicating that Sydney and Melbourne were the capitals shedding the most residents.
Ms Ritchie said the onus was now on governments to provide the appropriate infrastructure to regional centres to ensure they were able to support the influx.
“With so many people settling in our southern states, it’s critical governments, industry, business and community work together on ensuring regional cities and towns are supported during this phase of expansion,” she said. “The regions provide so much: affordability, a sense of community, fulfilling career options and green space. Let’s ensure this new era of regionality is met with vision and leadership to drive a more decentralised Australia.”
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King Living has unveiled a modular version of its Aura Sofa, bringing greater flexibility to the sculptural design collection as demand grows for furniture that can adapt to changing lifestyles.
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Australian furniture brand King Living has expanded its Aura Collection with the launch of a new modular sofa designed to blend contemporary aesthetics with adaptable living.
The Aura Sofa builds on the success of the Aura Island range, first introduced in 2023, which included indoor and outdoor sofas as well as fixed and swivel occasional chairs.
The latest evolution introduces modular functionality to the collection, allowing homeowners to configure the sofa to suit a variety of spaces and uses.
As living spaces continue to evolve, particularly in urban environments where flexibility is increasingly valued, furniture designers are placing greater emphasis on products that can adapt over time.
King Living says the new Aura Sofa has been developed with this trend in mind, enabling customers to create corner, L-shaped or U-shaped layouts, while also allowing additional modules to be added as needs change.
King Living founder David King said the original Aura concept began as an exploration of sculptural design before being reimagined as a modular system.
“Aura began as an exploration of sculptural form. Now, we’ve brought modularity into that design language, giving the freedom to reimagine your space with a modular design made for flexibility,” he said.
The collection’s defining feature remains its soft, flowing silhouette, with curved forms replacing traditional angular sofa designs.
The company describes the sofa as a response to changing lifestyles, where living rooms increasingly serve multiple purposes, from entertaining guests and family gatherings to quiet reading corners and work-from-home spaces.
Its rounded profile and minimalist aesthetic are intended to enhance the flow of contemporary interiors while maximising available space. According to the company, the design is equally suited to compact apartments and larger open-plan homes.
“Today, living space is both a luxury and a constraint. Aura is our response, a purposeful design that proves when intention and fluidity converge, the result can feel both expansive and refined,” King said.
Beyond aesthetics, the new sofa incorporates several engineering features synonymous with the King Living brand.
These include the company’s Postureflex steel suspension system, extra-high pocket springs and its signature steel frame, which is backed by a 25-year warranty. The company says the design has been engineered to deliver long-term comfort and durability.
Sustainability has also been a focus of the design. Each module features a removable cover that can be professionally cleaned, repaired or replaced individually, reducing the need to replace an entire sofa and potentially extending the product’s lifespan.
The Aura Sofa is available made to order in a range of premium fabrics and European leathers, allowing customers to tailor the piece to different interior styles and colour palettes.
Designed, manufactured and sold exclusively by King Living, the Aura Sofa launched in showrooms and online early this month, marking the latest addition to the Australian company’s growing portfolio of modular furniture designs.
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