It took a pandemic for some city-dwellers to discover the joy of the regions - but are locals happy about it?
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Not so much, research from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
The institute claims COVID-19 migration exacerbated concerns about housing affordability and access to services for people living in regional Australia.
"Regional residents were also concerned about growth diminishing the 'village feel' and 'small town' appeal of their cities," lead researcher Dr Laura Crommelin of UNSW Sydney said.
Stanwell Tops resident Warwick Erwin reckons they've hit the nail on the head.
He's lived in the 2508 postcode for more than 40 years, and said while the atmosphere of small communities appeals to Sydneysiders, they often struggle to contribute.
"If you bump into them in the street and say 'hello' they'll keep a straight face and walk past you or look away," he said.
"We're losing the village feel, and that atmosphere is what lets the local community stand up and fight for things.
"We're seeing more people who are just worried about themselves.
"Your neighbours are your community, they more you interact with them the more you'll get out of living in that place."
Undertaken by researchers from UNSW Sydney, RMIT University, University of Sydney and University of South Australia, the research also found that affordable, spacious housing is a drawcard for regional city living, but many feel affordability and availability of regional housing is declining.
Vice president of Thirroul Village Committee Ray Smith said while he accepted change was inevitable, denser housing meant decreased accessibility and a change in atmosphere.
"People from the city come down, buy up some property and knock it down to build multiple dwellings on it," he said.
"You do have to allow for change, but it's a narrow parcel of land between the escarpment and the ocean, with only one major road.
"More people means more congestion, and we want to be able to continue to enjoy the things we love about the village."
Dr Crommelin said policies that focussed on supporting the regions, rather than easing pressures in the city, could address the concerns.
"This sense of disquiet indicates that regional growth policies need to show how population growth will benefit regional communities, rather than be something that just happens to them," Dr Crommelin said.
"Our findings reinforce the importance of policy making being approached from a regional perspective, with the goal of making regional Australia an attractive place to live and work, rather than simply a solution to metropolitan population pressures."
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