NEW figures show people are increasingly leaving cities in the rear view mirror for taste of Lake Macquarie's laid back lifestyle.
The popular coastal destination emerged as one of the top five hot spots for movers, securing an almost five per cent share of net internal migration over the past year, according to the Regional Movers Index June 2024 quarterly report.
It comes as no surprise to those who have made the choice to move, like Ryan and Brodie Jones who left Melbourne behind in 2020 for a fresh start in Dudley with their daughters Elliot, 8, and Ivy, 5.
"We were looking at what we wanted our future to look like, particularly around our family and our kids and it was sort of a no-brainer," Mr Jones said.
"We wanted to raise our girls in an environment surrounded by the Awabakal, close to the beach where there's not as many people, where there's community and families and it's safe but still close to everything.
"We've just met so many people and like-minded families that we share so many similarities with."
Mr Jones said the local school offerings played a significant role in their decision to move, along with all the outdoor opportunities that living in Lake Macquarie provides.
Lake Macquarie recorded the highest annual and quarterly growth rates of the top five, at 60.7 and 47.5 per cent respectively.
Across Australia, Sydney-siders and to a lesser extent Melburnians led the exodus out into the regions, accounting for 67 and 35 per cent of all capital city outflows respectively.
Regional Australia Institute chief executive Liz Ritchie said the data shows that during the 2024 quarter, 27 per cent more people moved from cities to regions than in the opposite direction.
"This analysis is clearly showing the population movement we're seeing is a sustained new trend that is higher than pre-COVID migration patterns," she said.
"The emergence of this new era signifies how important the regions are to the future of our nation."
Caroline Minords and her family made the big move from London to Sydney in 2007.
After a holiday to Raffertys Resort at Lake Macquarie, she and her husband started to think seriously about moving before they took the plunge in 2016.
Now living in Floraville, Ms Minords said it was a "bold move" but at a time where childcare was costing upwards of $120 a day in Sydney they felt there had to be "something better".
"There feels like more of a sense of community here than Sydney," she said.
"I just found it more of a welcoming area with friendlier people, it suited our lifestyle better."
The couple moved their business to Lake Macquarie, before starting a new business more than a year ago.
Ms Minords said the support and loyalty the community has shown has been incredible.
"I would have no hesitation in recommending starting a business here," she said.
Life in Lake Macquarie has become something of an adventure for the Minords family, who spend their weekends exploring new areas and enjoying the outdoors.
"There's so much to see and do," Ms Minords said.
"We feel that there's so much more of an outdoorsy lifestyle living around the lake."
About three quarters of city dwellers who made the move to regional areas in the past three months have settled in either regional NSW or Victoria.
Dantia is Lake Macquarie council's economic development company, and chief executive Tim Browne said he's not surprised by the data at all.
"We're on the coast, we have the Watagan Mountains on our doorstep, we're only 90 minutes from Sydney and we have the lake as our centrepiece," he said.
"At the same time we have a thriving economy with an output of $30 billion annually and a range of industries including construction, manufacturing, health services, hospitality and tourism providing opportunities for work."
Over the past two years, Lake Macquarie council has rolled out targeted campaigns in places like western Sydney to encourage capital city millennials to relocate and build a business in the area.
One of Dantia's key roles is attracting investment to the city, whether that is from businesses already in the area or those that may want to invest.
Mr Brown said Dantia's focus is on jobs and employment.
"We know people are moving here for all the reasons we have outlined, but they need somewhere to work," he said.
"Ideally, we want people who live in Lake Macquarie to work in Lake Macquarie.
"We can provide assistance to businesses wanting to expand or who may want to relocate."
Lake Macquarie is the third largest regional city in the state by population, home to more than 217,000 people across 95 communities.
