More young people decide to stay in Ballarat

THE SHINING lights of the big smoke hold less appeal for Ballarat's young people, with more choosing to stay in Ballarat than move to Melbourne.The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently revealed that the migration flow of young people aged 15 to 34 years between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria has dramatically shifted.Census data from 1991 to 1996 revealed 41,900 people moved from regional Victoria to Melbourne.During this five-year period, 27,900 people left Melbourne to live in regional Victoria.The latest statistics from 2001 to 2006 revealed a significant drop in the number of people leaving regional Victoria for the big smoke, with just 31,800 young people making the move.There was also a drop in the number of people leaving Melbourne for the country life. It was the first time in 20 years that there has been a decrease in net movement of young people between regional Victoria and Melbourne.City of Ballarat youth services manager Cassie Lindsey said Ballarat was becoming a much more appealing place for young people to live.``They've now got the opportunity to go to good universities and there are a lot more opportunities in the information technology field with IBM and other major industries coming to the Ballarat area,'' Ms Lindsey said.``There are a lot more career opportunities compared to 20 years ago.''The City of Ballarat recently revealed that the region had a much higher proportion (21 per cent) of people aged 12 to 25 years, compared with Victoria (19 per cent) and metropolitan Melbourne (19 per cent).Ms Lindsey said the council had recognised the need to invest in young people and was working on a five-year youth strategy.``There are more people in their early 20s coming back after getting an education in Melbourne,'' she said.``They've realised that Ballarat has a lot to offer and that they can have the best of both worlds.''Faster public transport systems have helped link regional areas to Melbourne and bridge the gap between Victoria's larger areas, such as Ballarat and Geelong.``A lot of people are basing themselves in Ballarat and commuting.``It's so easy to get to Geelong or Melbourne, and with a lot more people under 30 thinking about buying a house, this is more achievable in Ballarat.''