Why Aussie tradies are fleeing the city in droves
Though 90 per cent of us live in the city, tradies want out. Electrician Josh McCrone explains why.
Australia is one of the most urbanised societies in the world, with an estimated 90 per cent of our 25 million-strong population living in a major city. But for NSW tradie Josh McCrone, there's no place like the bush.
Mr McCrone, 36, has both lived and worked in packed, bustling cities around the world. Among them, Manchester — which boasts the largest metropolitan area in the north of England — and Canberra, Australia's capital, home to almost 400,000 people.
The Temora-based dad-of-three, who has a fourth on the way, is among a rapidly growing number of Australian tradespeople who either have already, or are contemplating moving rurally, to escape the stress, hefty cost and space confinements attached to city life.
Reasons to move to the country
For Mr McCrone, a former NRL rugby league player, there's a raft of reasons behind his decision to relocate his family from the chaotic British city to tiny Temora, but above all, it comes down to the "freedom". Mr McCrone, an electrician, says he made the move from the UK back to Australia during the height of the pandemic, and, after living through lockdown after lockdown, he'd had enough.
"We were looking to move to a rural community where there's bigger blocks and more freedom," Mr McCrone told Yahoo News Australia.
"It was all about the lifestyle change. There's go-karts here, motorbikes, lots of space, we weren't pent up in a house. It's just such a relaxed vibe, definitely, commuting's not a drama, it's a two-minute drive to work, five minutes to the supermarket."
The dad said he's lucky enough to have been born in Temora, and after spending years in major cities, he now knows that the town — which had fewer than 7000 residents according to the latest Census — is where he'll grow old.
Aussie tradies chasing a more relaxed lifestyle
His decision to move regionally, ditching the hustle and bustle of city life, comes as a recent study revealed a whopping 88 per cent of Aussie tradies said they were on the hunt for a more relaxed lifestyle and better work-life balance. A total of 92 per cent of respondents in the study also admitted they "could be persuaded" to make the move themselves.
The data, conducted by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), in partnership with industry bodies, business and the government, suggests that 23 per cent of people surveyed "would definitely" make the move to the regions, citing cost of living pressures in urban areas as a major factor, shorter commute times, a stronger sense of community and the opportunity to own their own business.
With an estimated 15,000 jobs available in the building and construction sectors alone, according to RAI, Mr McCrone implored other tradies to make a similar move.
Dad sees big improvement in mental health
In particular, the electrician said, his mental health had vastly improved since relocating, a major factor driving tradies to consider the move themselves. Worryingly, almost half of respondents — 44 per cent — report struggles with their mental health. A third cited job insecurity, with the view the "pipeline of work is drying up".
"I think the fact that you've just got more time in your day, you're not worried about commuting, getting from one job to another, it just gives you more time to spend with your family and gives you more time to do the things you enjoy," Mr McCrone said.
"The relaxed country lifestyle is a big drawcard and the facilities out here are fantastic too — in Temora, we're 50 minutes to Wagga, and you've everything you need there...shopping, there's good pubs."
Asked what's in store for the future, Mr McCrone said he's looking forward to welcoming his fourth child in November and building his very own home — on an acreage no less.
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