Perth has shed its title as the least liveable Australian city to become the most liveable, second only to Canberra.
An annual survey on liveability and community values by realestate.com.au and Ipsos found Perth, with a liveability index of 62 per cent, ranked second only to the country’s low-population capital. Adelaide was third, followed by Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney and Darwin. Perth was rated the least liveable city two years ago.
Residents ranked safety as the most important ingredient in determining a good place to live, followed by affordable, decent housing, high-quality health services and good job prospects.
The city’s housing affordability ranking rose from 4.7 out of 10 to 5.6 out of 10 in two years.
Real Estate Institute of WA president Damian Collins said the fall in property prices — while challenging for those trying to sell their homes — allowed many homebuyers the chance to obtain the Australian dream.“It’s the cheapest time to buy a property in five years. Our median price is around $500,000 and for that price you’re looking at properties within 10km of the city. There are houses in areas like St James for that price bracket with 400-500sqm. In Sydney you’re paying four times the amount if you want to buy something within 7-8km of the city.”
Committee for Perth chief executive Marion Fulker said one of Perth’s greatest attributes was that it was a great place to raise a family. But she said she wanted connectivity issues addressed to improve the quality of life for residents.“We still have people living in the suburbs who can’t get to work without their car as there isn’t easy, convenient public transport — and that’s people living relatively close to the city,” she said.
