Regional Commuting Research

Darling Dance Studios
13 Glass Street Kew 3102, 31 Tyne Street Box Hill North

Research into the impact of people who live in regional areas and work in major cities on the econom

This research project is about how the increasing numbers of regional-urban commuters are effecting employment in regional areas. Regional-urban commuters are likely to be more highly paid than people who work in regional areas, leading to an expectation that there will be a relationship between growth in regional-urban commuters and employment in retail trade and in population service industries.

If the change in employment is confined to these sectors, then it may be argued that regional-urban commuters are facilitating the suburbanisation of regional areas. However, if regional-urban commuters have a propensity to change their place of work to regional areas, then they could be considered as providing more substantial changes to regional employment over time, strengthening and diversifying regional economies. The increasing number of regional-urban commuters, their employment in different industry sectors and occupations, and their higher average incomes provide the basis for the assumption that they are changing employment in regional areas. It is of note that the 2011 census found that 1/3 of the residents of Greater Geelong who earned more than $2,000 per week worked in metropolitan Melbourne. The research is significant as it provides insights into the implications of planning policies that call for growth in cities and towns surrounding capital cities, such as Plan Melbourne calling to “Rebalance Victoria’s population growth from Melbourne to rural and regional Victoria” and nominating towns suitable for population. There is also continuing investment and proposals for improvements to road and rail links, which can be expected to increase the number of commuters between regional cities and Melbourne. However, how increases in regional-urban commuting impacts on regional areas is not clearly understood, particularly in Australia. This study uses a statistical model of regional retail trade and regression analysis to test whether the increase in regional-urban commuters in a Local Government Area is positively related to growth in employment in retail trade and population services, based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data from the 2006 and 2011 censuses. The focus on regional-urban commuters and their links to regional prosperity may also provide lead to conclusions that metropolitan commutersheds are a border between regional affluence and vulnerability. A survey and interviews with regional-urban commuters will be also be undertaken, to provide insights into their medium to long-term employment intentions. Whether regional-urban commuters indicate an interest in starting new businesses in regional locations is particularly important in considerations of whether regional settlements within Melbourne’s communtershed are undergoing processes of suburbanization or are developing as alternate centers of economic activity. In summary, this project investigates the nature of commuters impact on the spatial distribution of employment and the implications for planning and economic development. The research will contribute to the understanding of whether commuters are positively facilitating the development of polycentric regions or negatively, contributing to the growth of metropolitan commutersheds and the suburbanisation of rural communities. This project extends the existing research into commuters and employment, the spatial distribution of industry and mega-city regions, resulting in a project that provides new insights into how regional-urban commuting translates into the establishment and development of industry sectors in regional areas.

28/10/2021

A colleague from Melbourne University is running a survey on regional migration - for people who have moved to regional Victoria in the past 5 years. it would be good to have a better understanding what has happened during COVID, so please fill it out if you fit the criteria or share with those who do.

https://futureofwork.unimelb.edu.au/regional-migration-survey/

15/07/2019

https://theconversation.com/regional-cities-beware-fast-rail-might-lead-to-disadvantaged-dormitories-not-booming-economies-119090?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20July%2016%202019%20-%201360412770&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20July%2016%202019%20-%201360412770+CID_c7c5c2577d17f7868d2820a342ff65a6&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=Regional%20cities%20beware%20%20fast%20rail%20might%20lead%20to%20disadvantaged%20dormitories%20not%20booming%20economies

Regional cities beware – fast rail might lead to disadvantaged dormitories, not booming economies While governments focus on how to ease congestion and make affordable housing more accessible for workers in our biggest cities, fast rail could be a mixed blessing for regional cities.

31/07/2018

The link is to a conference paper from the commuting research, which can be downloaded. It looks at commuting data from the 2016 census and what it may mean for regional communities

Metro-bound commuting and regional development: evidence from Victoria | APO Metro-bound commuters are people who live in regional areas and travel to major cities for work, connecting regional cities and towns with the major cities and their prospering economies. As governments invest in regional transport infrastructure, as well as become concerned about spatial inequity,....

Full steam ahead: How politicians' rail promises impact real estate

30/07/2018

This article is about increasing house prices as a result of train line improvements to Mernda, on the northern fringe of Melbourne. The recent rise in prices in commutable towns like Kyneton indicate that this is something to take into account when advocating improved regional services.

Full steam ahead: How politicians' rail promises impact real estate Promises for new rail lines could have huge effects on Melbourne property prices, with land prices in Mernda surging as the tracks are laid.

Rail access improves liveability, but all regional centres are not equal - Centre for Urban Research

13/06/2018

A different perspective on the need for regional rail:

Rail access improves liveability, but all regional centres are not equal - Centre for Urban Research Originally published on The Conversation – 13 June Authors: Melanie Davern, Carl Higgs, Claire Boulange, Jonathan Arundel, Lucy Gunn & Rebecca Roberts Previous research has established that we need better models of early transport delivery in growth areas of Melbourne. Public transport, in particu...

Talking Transport: Regional Fast Rail: Prospects, implications and challenges for regional communities

16/05/2018

For those of you out of town, this discussion will be live streamed on the RMIT Centre for Urban Research page

Talking Transport: Regional Fast Rail: Prospects, implications and challenges for regional communities With Victorian political parties using rail proposals as a way to attract regional voters, it is timely to consider what these ambitious visions for inter-city passenger rail may mean for regional communities, including: What are the prospects for population growth, employment opportunities and regi...

02/05/2018

The Andrews Government has announced regional transport funding in the election year budget:

* $50 million for Geelong-Melbourne fast train planning
* Upgrades on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines at a cost of $572 million
* Regional rail services to receive $704 million boost
* $313 million upgrade and new VLocity trains on Shepparton line

Meanwhile, the Victorian Liberals are also promoting regional development through rail, "“The Liberal Nationals have a strategy to decentralise Victoria’s population to ease the squeeze on Melbourne’s growth ... A modern regional rail service is a central part of our plan.”

Nationals Leader Peter Walsh said:
“We will turbo charge the development of country Victoria, starting with brand new trains”

Does this suggest that the major parties have learnt the lessons of Kennett's defeat in 1999?

11/03/2018

Faster Rail on the horizon for key commuter corridors Three business cases for faster rail will be developed under the Turnbull Government's $20 million Faster Rail Prospectus.

08/02/2018

Commuter growth as more country Victorians travel for work Todd Denham from RMIT's Centre for Urban Research has been studying what the growth in work travel means for regional communities.

07/02/2018

2016 census data indicates a 46% increase in people commuting to Melbourne over the past decade. Growth has occurred in most areas surrounding Melbourne, and particularly Geelong.

07/02/2018

Regional Commuting Research Research into the impact of people who live in regional areas and work in major cities on the econom

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Location

Melbourne

Website

http://tinyurl.com/RegCommSurvey

Address

RMIT University
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Regional Commuting Research

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