Parliament seeks urban views on life in the regions

A NEW online survey is seeking metropolitan views on Australia’s regions as part of a Federal Parliamentary inquiry into regional Australia.

The House of Representatives Select Committee on Regional Australia Chair, Tony Pasin, said understanding how Australians living in metropolitan areas perceive the regions is important to regional migration, business and growth.

"Earlier this year we got a huge amount of feedback from a survey for people out in the regions, and now it’s time for city-dwellers to have their say," Mr Pasin said.

"We’re particularly interested in hearing from the large number of people living in our big cities who are considering a tree or a sea-change."

The impact of COVID-19 has affected all areas of Australian life, and the Committee is interested in learning how the pandemic might have affected Australians’ views on living in larger cities.

"As a result of COVID-19, many people are realising the benefits found in Australia’s regions," Mr Pasin said.

"We want to investigate this changing mood and see how the regions can be enjoyed by more Australians.

"We already knew that Australia’s regions are diverse and complex, but as through this inquiry we’re learning they’re also consistently competitive when it comes to housing and liveability.

"I encourage anyone who lives in Australia’s major cities to participate in the online survey."

The survey is open until October 16, 2020 and takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

The Committee is continuing to accept new and updated submissions, which can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To learn more about the inquiry or read submissions received so far, visit aph.gov.au/regionalaustralia.

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