The state that's still the pick of the bunch for local migration

Queensland is attracting more interstate migration than any other state, as residents flee NSW, data released by the ABS has shown.

The COVID-induced domestic exodus to the Sunshine State has continued with statistics showing a net migration north of 31,070. By contrast, NSW has experienced a net loss of -30,213 residents, the largest population decline of any state in Australia.

The ABS noted that the 12-month review to March 2023 reflected the residual effects of COVID, which saw tens of thousands of Australians moving north permanently when state border restrictions lifted in early 2022.

This growth in population was followed by Western Australia, which also recorded a net migration of 11,121. South Australia recorded a much more modest net increase of 157 new residents. All the other states recorded net drops in population.

Head of research at Hello Haus property advisory, Sam Powell, said the data presented investors with an opportunity to capitalise on possible yields in growth suburbs in both WA and Queensland.

“The big shift both north and west is unsurprising,” he said. “Queensland and WA have relatively affordable real estate, and both offer exceptional lifestyle appeal, plus comprehensive facilities and infrastructure.

“Their prospects look great economically as well. The 2032 Olympics will put Queensland on the world stage, and a resurgence in commodity prices as global economies recover bodes well for WA in the long term too.”

Mr Powell identified three suburbs of Brisbane — Oxley, Boondall and Fitzgibbon — as areas with strong potential for growth. The Greater Perth suburbs of Gosnells and Girrawheen and the Perth locales of Mirrabooka, Caversham and Ballajura, were also likely to be strong performers, he said, based on relatively low median house prices and strong yields.

Sydney’s nightlife has long flirted with reinvention, but its latest arrival suggests something more deliberate is taking shape beneath the surface.

Razz Room, the new underground bar and disco from Odd Culture Group, has opened in the CBD, marking the group’s first step into the city centre.

Tucked below street level on York Street, the venue blends cocktail culture with a shifting, late-night rhythm that moves from after-work drinks to full dancefloor immersion.

The space itself is designed to evolve over the course of an evening. An upper bar offers a more intimate setting, suited to early drinks and conversation, while a sunken dancefloor anchors the venue’s later hours, with a rotating program of DJs and live performances.

“Razz Room will really change shape throughout a single evening,” says Odd Culture Group CEO Rebecca Lines.

“Earlier, it’s geared towards post-work drinks with a happy hour, substantial food offering, and music at a level where you can still talk.”

As the night progresses, that tone shifts.

“As the evening progresses at Razz Room, you can expect the music to get a little louder and the focus will shift to live performance with recurring residencies and DJs that flow from disco to house, funk, and jazz,” Rebecca says.

The concept draws heavily on New York’s underground club scene before disco became mainstream, referencing venues such as The Mudd Club and Paradise Garage. But the intention is not nostalgia.

“The space told us what it wanted to be,” Lines explains. “Disco started as a counter culture… Razz Room is no nostalgia project, it’s a reimagining of the next era of the discotheque.”

Design, too, plays its part in shaping the experience. The upper level is warm and textural, with timber finishes and burnt-orange tones, while the sunken floor shifts into a more theatrical mood, combining Art Deco references with a raw, industrial edge.

The state that’s still the pick of the bunch for local migration

ABS data reveals where everyone is moving to — and the states losing out

Odd Culture Group brings a new kind of after-dark energy to the CBD, where daiquiris, disco and design collide beneath the city streets.