Congested roads and schools are only going to be two of the many problems facing future city dwellers. Everything is going to be more crowded –  from your favourite local spot for a tipple to the train or bus commute into the city. You won’t want to go near central Melbourne on the big sale days, like this week’s Black Friday. Rush hour traffic log-jams could be of epic proportions, taking hours to travel kilometres.

So, the solution is going to be more people moving into country areas like Bendigo, Kyneton, Castlemaine, right? Not according to the ABS. Migration - be in from overseas or within Australia - is going to head towards the capital cities, sucking the growth from regional areas.

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You can see why Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government is looking at measures to make new immigrants to Australia move into rural areas. Looks like they aren’t going to go there under their on volition. But to get them – and others – to move or stay there needs to be jobs, facilities, schools, culture and sports equal to metro areas. 

We can see some shift towards rural living. The growth in the Bendigo-Melbourne corridor is a direct benefit from the pressure on Melbourne. Those who can are getting out join those who have lived for a lifetime in these country hubs – complete with their commutes of less than 30 minutes, clean air, friendly neighbours.

For all country towns to thrive there needs to be multi-generational inflow so the numbers don’t dwindle to the point where towns are no longer viable. In short, people need to be coaxed out of the mega-cities.

The ABS statistics should give town planners and politicians food for thought. They have 50 years or so to turn around the trend. It’s time to take a hard look at where – and how – we want to live. Congested city living may turn out to me less appealing if you know how bad it’s going to get. Jump ship. Join us here in the country.

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