Briefs

Between 19 per cent and 26 per cent of all high income metro jobs are located in the central city. This increases the demand among high-income households for housing that is close to the central city, which in turn pushes up the prices of that housing.

In Australia’s capital cities, the vast majority of jobs are located in the suburbs, not the central city area. However, the central city area does contain a greater proportion of high-income workers than either middle or low-income workers.

In Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, the number of people catching a train to work recorded the largest increase proportionally between 2006 and 2011. The very large increase in rail passengers in Perth can be attributed to the opening of the Mandurah railway line, which runs to the south of Perth, in late 2007.

The recent Senate report ‘Future role and contribution of regional capitals to Australia’ considered the role of regional cities in Australia’s future development, particularly as a way to reduce the congestion that is already a major impediment in the large state capitals.

The most recent ABS Survey of Income and Housing 2013–14 reveals that households buying their first home are older than they were over a decade ago. In 2000–01 over 60 per cent of first home buyers were aged between 25 and 34 years old, by 2013–14 that had dropped, with just under half (49.6%) of first home buyers being between 25 and 34 years old.