3240.0 - Residential and Workplace Mobility, and Implications for Travel: NSW and Vic., October 2008 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 19/05/2009  First Issue
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MEDIA RELEASE

May 19, 2009
Embargoed 11.30 am (AEST)
28/2009

2.7 million people moved their usual residence in NSW and Victoria: ABS

Over the last three years, around 2.7 million people in New South Wales and Victoria moved usual residence according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

In NSW, 1.6 million people moved usual residence, while in Victoria 1.1 million people moved during the three years to October 2008.

People between 18 and 34 were the most mobile, accounting for just over half of all people who moved usual residence.

Of the 118,000 people that moved to Sydney from interstate and overseas, over three quarters (77%) were from overseas. In Melbourne just under two thirds (63%) moved from overseas, of the 118,900 new residents from interstate and overseas.

In NSW, common reasons for moving were living near family and/or friends (24%), better access or prospect of work (22%) and lifestyle reasons (19%).

In Victoria, common reasons for moving were living near family and/or friends (23%), better access or prospect of work (20%), and an attractive neighbourhood (19%).

Getting to work

For employed people who had recently moved to or within Sydney, over half (57%) chose to drive, while 19% travelled by train and 16% travelled by bus for at least part of their trip to work.

Melbourne's employed movers also made more use of the car, with 68% driving, 17% travelling by train and 11% by tram for at least part of their journey to work.

Changes in job locations

In the three years to October 2008, 805,300 employed people in NSW and 626,700 employed people in Victoria changed their suburb of usual employment.

Over 85% of these people indicated job related reasons for their move. Job related reasons include the availability of work, the type of work available and being transferred by their employer.

Further details are available in Residential and Workplace Mobility, and Implications for Travel, NSW and Vic., October 2008 (cat. no. 3240.0).