11 April 2012
Great ‘lifestyle divide’ forces more Sydney people to consider a better life elsewhere new research shows
- 64 per cent of Sydneysiders have considered leaving the city
- Lifestyle, cheap housing, low living costs and less traffic driving considerations
- Research shows Australian dream lives on in regional NSW
A majority of Sydneysiders have considered leaving the ‘rat race’ for a more affordable and less stressful life, with 64 per cent of residents casting their eyes further afield, new research has found.
According to the research, Sydney residents want to find a better lifestyle, cheaper housing, lower living costs and less traffic. One in three would consider relocating to a regional city in NSW in pursuit of these and other benefits.
The research of 1,000 Sydney people, and 500 Evocities regional dwellers, also found that people in regional NSW cities are much more likely to already be living the Australian dream.
They have larger properties, bigger yards (which can cater for a game or cricket, a hills hoist and a shed), and their kids are more likely to be seen playing outdoors (71 per cent in the Evocities compared to 53 per cent in Sydney).
Undertaken by Evocities* - an alliance of seven thriving regional NSW cities - the research sought to identify some of the key lifestyle differences between Sydney and regional NSW cities.
It showed that in an Evocity, more people live in a free-standing house (71 per cent compared to 59 per cent in Sydney), are more likely to have at least three-bedrooms (85 per cent compared to 68 per cent in Sydney) and are significantly less likely to live in an apartment (5 per cent in a regional city compared to 21 per cent in Sydney).
And when it comes to property, size matters, with 77 per cent of Evocities residents saying they have a yard big enough to play a game of cricket in compared to only 55 per cent in Sydney! Evocity backyards were also considerably more likely than their Sydney counterparts to have a BBQ (76 per cent compared to 62 per cent in Sydney), a Hills Hoist clothes line (93 per cent compared to 75 per cent) or shed (74 per cent compared to 50 per cent).
According to the research, Sydneysiders are more likely to be feeling the squeeze with 65 per cent of people saying their house was either ‘packed to the rafters’ or getting close, compared to half in NSW’s regional cities.
Evocities spokesperson, James Treloar, said there was a ‘great lifestyle divide’ between Sydney living and regional city living.
“Looking at some of the main lifestyle challenges identified by Sydney residents, such as traffic congestion, high prices and poor quality of life, it’s no wonder that nearly two in three people have considered leaving,” he said.
“And for those who do make the move, there are a multitude of lifestyle benefits on offer, including the opportunity to live in a bigger, better and cheaper home than they could get in Sydney, with a backyard to entertain, relax and bring up a family. For Sydneysiders struggling to get a foot on the property ladder, this is a real incentive to consider a move to what an Evocity has to offer.” While it’s no surprise the housing prices vary from Sydney to a regional city, what is surprising is the sheer gap in the numbers of people paying what is the norm in Sydney. Less than 4 per cent of people in a regional city paid over $550,000 for their property, while in Sydney 33 per cent paid more than that amount.
Other marked differences between Sydney and regional city living included:
- Traffic congestion was cited by 38 per cent of Sydney people as an issue compared to 18 per cent in the regions
- Noise pollution was a problem for 23 per cent of Sydney residents compared to 9 per cent of Evocity residents
- Lack of community was an issue for 21 per cent of Sydney people compared to 8 per cent in a regional city
Mr Treloar said the research shows that a regional NSW city has something special to offer - a genuine city change without the big city drawbacks.
“We want Sydney people to know that regional NSW cities are working collaboratively to make the transition an easy one,” he said.
26 October 2011
Evocities continues its award winning ways with PRIA Golden Target Award
- Evocities awarded best government sponsored public relations campaign in Australia
- Third award for successful regional relocation programPRIA award recognises excellence and best practice in public relations
The Evocities campaign has been recognised as the best government sponsored campaign in Australiaby the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) at the annual Golden Target Awards in Sydney.
The Golden Target is the third major award won by Evocities following the IABC Gold Quill award for bestmedia relations campaign in the world and the PRIA State Award for Excellence for the best governmentrelations campaign in Australia.
The Golden Target Award was picked up by Susan Redden Makatoa from specialist communicationsconsultancy SHJ, which has implemented the public relations part of the campaign. Susan is an Evocitynative herself, hailing originally from Wagga Wagga and, in a happy coincidence, was presented with theaward by a former school friend from Wagga, Peter Fraser, from social media monitoring agency andaward sponsors SR7.
Susan said: “We are delighted that Evocities has been recognised by PRIA for this prestigious award.These awards set the industry benchmark for excellent performance, so to be recognised from such awide and talented pool is a fantastic achievement for Evocities. There was some very tough competition so it was a thrill to win.
“We see awards like this and the others the campaign has received as a fantastic endorsement of thestrength of Evocities. We are very proud to be a part of Evocities and this acknowledgement is proof weare right to be.
“The Evocities concept was created by the seven councils involved nearly six years ago, so it has beengreat to be able to help them bring it to life so successfully and see the campaign bear fruit, with 275people already relocating to one of the seven cities.”
Stephen Sykes, Chair of the Evocities Steering Committee said, “This campaign has been a truecollaboration between the public and private sectors and SHJ. Like all good collaborations, it is foundedin fantastic communication based on goodwill, trust and commitment.”
The PRIA Golden Target Awards showcase expertise in the public relations and communicationindustry. There are 16 categories and three awards in each category - Winner, Highly Commendedand Commended. Evocities and SenateSHJ were awarded as the winner in the government sponsoredcampaigns category.
Evocities is funded by the Australian Government and the participating councils, with support fromthe state government and corporate sponsors including the Commonwealth Bank of Australia,Charles Sturt University, the University of New England, Country Energy, Rex Airlines, OrangeMental Health and GWS Personnel. The seven Evocities are Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo,Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga.ENDS
For more information please contact the Evocities media unit: evocities@shj.com.au / 0408 194 524
MEDIA RELEASE
21 September 2011
EVOCITIES CAMPAIGN CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OF SUCCESS
- Interest in the Evocities campaign from Sydney and beyond continues to grow
- Cities welcome 275 new residents in first year of the campaign, with 400 more planning a move
- More than 100,000 visits to the Evocities website in year one
Exactly one year after being launched by Regional Australia Minister, Simon Crean, to the public, theEvocities campaign has successfully attracted 275 new residents to the seven cities, and continuesto generate enormous interest amongst Sydneysiders who are looking for an alternative to capital cityliving.
Evocities launched on 22 September 2010 with the message that a move to an Evocity is a city changeto a quality life where a wide range of opportunities exist for personal and professional growth. Theseven Evocities are Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga.
Evocities spokesperson James Treloar said the while the initial focus of the first year of the campaignwas largely on building awareness, Evocities had also been successful in convincing Sydneysidersa “city change” is for them.
“We are delighted with the amazing response to the first year campaign and are excited that 12 monthson the interest in our cities continues to grow. Our first priority was to let people know what the sevencities have to offer, and we have certainly been successful on that front.
“Since the campaign kicked off there have been over 100,000 visits to the evocities.com.au websiteby people interested in the Evocities campaign. The fact that almost three-quarters of visitors to thewebsite are from Sydney is strong validation that we are hitting the mark in terms of reaching our target– Sydneysiders who are considering a new life in an Evocity regional city.
Mr Treloar said that the enormous interest in the campaign had already been converted into successfulrelocations across the seven Evocities.
Key statistics for year one of the Evocities key statistics
- 275 people have relocated to an Evocity
- A further 400 are planning to relocate in the next 12 months
- There have been 2,800 relocation enquiries received
- The Evocities websites has had 105,000 visits from potential relocators
- 72 per cent of all visits have been from Sydney
- 75 per cent of all traffic to the website is from first-time visitors
- More than 5,000 jobs have been listed on the EvoJobs employment website
- There have been almost 104,000 visits to EvoJobs• Just under 1,200 employers and employment agencies have registered onEvoJobs
“It is fantastic to see the cities already gaining new residents as a direct result of the Evocitiescampaign. We know that moving to a new city is a long-term decision that takes an average of around12 months, so to have attracted 275 new residents in the first year of the campaign shows the strengthof what the Evocities are offering to Sydneysiders.
“We have also received around 2,800 genuine enquiries from people interested in making the move. In
addition to those who have already relocated, a further 400 of these enquirers have indicated they planto move in the next year.
“Just as encouraging is the variety of career and job roles that have been taken up by the newEvocities residents. So far our cities have welcomed relocators in diverse careers such law, financialservices, franchising, health and office administration. In the first year of the campaign, more than5,000 jobs were featured on the EvoJobs website, which demonstrates the potential for Sydneysidersfrom a variety of fields to find a new home in an Evocity,” he said.
Mr Treloar said Evocity residents can help the campaign by spreading the word to people inSydney and beyond who might be ripe for a city change. Mr Treloar said locals should direct theirfamily and friends to www.evocities.com.au or to one of the Evocity Facebook pages that have beenset up for each of the seven cities.
For more information please contact the Evocities media unit:
- evocities@shj.com.au / 0408 194 524 or nathan@shj.com / 0415 189 865
- twitter: @evocities
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Evocities
