EVOCITIES including Tamworth will benefit from a $300,000 state government grant to help encourage residents of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to relocate.
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The money will be used for a marketing campaign that aims to break the stereotypes of the member cities, regional mayor Col Murray said.
He said some of the “poorly understood attributes of regional cities” included short commutes, lower house prices, job opportunities and an increasingly cosmopolitan lifestyle.
The grant is from the government’s Regional Growth – Marketing and Promotion Fund.
Evocities was one of 20 groups to receive money, and secured almost a third of the $1 million available.
STORY SO FAR
An Evocities spokesperson said about 3100 families had moved since the program started in 2010, bringing an average of $95,000 per year into their new city.
Cr Murray said this made it “a very strong success, I think, for all the regional cities”.
However, the numbers for Tamworth alone were not available: “We don’t separate cities because it’s a collaboration,” the spokesperson said.
Cr Murray said the member councils’ contributions were still locked in for three years, but the grant would give the Evocities campaign “a massive boost”.
We’re not going to be swamped by people, but this is a very important part of our ongoing marketing program.
- Tamworth regional mayor Col Murray
“We’re not going to be swamped by people, but this is a very important part of our ongoing marketing program,” he said.
“We’ve had a constant stream of city dwellers looking for better living opportunities for their families and this will certainly give the program a massive boost …
“We’ve been getting our strong share of the 3000 [families] that have moved out of the cities to regional cities, and we would certainly seek to have all our members get a strong result from this $300,000 of funding.”
MONEY AND INFLUENCE
Along with economic benefits, new residents also brought influence, Cr Murray said.
“If we look at our own city right here in Tamworth, we see the cosmopolitan type lifestyle we’re all able to enjoy now: the coffee shops in the street, the outdoor dining, the nighttime economy.
“I think a lot of that’s been generated by these city dwellers who are used to a slightly different style of life than we traditionally embrace in the country, [so] this brings a whole new opportunity for us, too.”
‘FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES’
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said the grants would be used to promote regional NSW as the best place in the state to break in to the property market, build a career and raise a family.
“Regional NSW is full of opportunities, whether it is getting a foot in the door to buy your first house or if you are a skilled worker looking for a better quality of life,” Mr Barilaro said.
“With a record investment in regional roads, schools, hospitals and telecommunications, there has never been a better time to work and live in regional NSW.
“I can’t wait to see the natural beauty of regional NSW showcased online, in print and on TV across the state.”
Mr Barilaro said regional economies were showing the strongest jobs growth in the country.
“Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the number of jobs in regional NSW jumped by 64,700 in the 21 months to January 2017,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Regional NSW accounted for more than 38 per cent of all new jobs across the state.”