Property Point

There are many reasons to move to Mackay … but one particular factor has emerged that says something quite disturbing about other parts of regional Queensland and highlights how favourably we compare.
Some people move to Mackay because of the great weather. You will never convince me to celebrate the humidity of December to March but outside of those months I absolutely love it and it seems everyone else does as well.
They also come here for the beaches, boating, fishing and all that wonderful, great outdoors stuff that we have in abundance at our doorstep.
Plenty of people move here initially for work and the ability to make good money and a  lot of them stay because of the lifestyle that I am talking about.
Some move here because they can sell a house down south for a good amount of money, buy something a lot cheaper here and put the balance into their super, setting themselves up for a decent retirement.
A key factor for those people is also that we have good community and health services. There is no doubt we don’t cater for every health need here but we have a modern hospital and a growing range of allied health services.
But there is another reason for why a growing number of people are moving to Mackay and, unfortunately for the other regional cities they are either fleeing or avoiding, it is to do with crime. Specifically, Mackay’s lack of crime compared to other parts of Queensland.
I recently sold a property to a middle-aged couple who had sold up in Cairns and moved to Mackay.
I didn’t meet them until they had their pre-settlement inspection and  started moving some belongings in.
I asked why they had moved to Mackay.
“Because of the crime in Cairns,” the husband said.
They spoke about the break-ins, the stolen cars, the youth crime that they feel is rampant and on-going.
The couple had had enough. They didn’t want to live with the constant threat of crime, the fear of break-ins and youth violence that was being served up in Cairns.
They had done research and were able to quote the stats showing how much less crime there is in Mackay compared to Cairns. They felt Mackay offered a safe sanctuary, a place they could relax and peacefully enjoy their retirement.
Of course, they know crime is everywhere and there is no guarantee of avoiding it in any city but they feel the odds are a lot better in Mackay.
I have regular conversations with buyers, both owner-occupiers moving up here and southern investors, who ask about crime in Mackay … usually seeking confirmation that the stories they have heard about Mackay’s lack of crime are true.
I always say that anything can happen in a big city but I feel safe in Mackay and I know we don’t have the same level of youth crime experienced in Townsville and Cairns.
Plenty of investors are choosing to buy here because of that and there is a growing migration of buyers who are choosing Mackay ahead of Townsville and Cairns because of the perception that it is safe.
There are many factors to consider when relocating, or deciding to remain in a particular city/region. And all the lifestyle, economic, climatic, and environmental factors I have mentioned are a big part of that.
But crime, and the lack of it here, is becoming a big consideration. Of course, the thing we need to remind local, state and federal representatives is that we expect it to stay that way.
Because, in a crazy world, we like living in our safe harbour.

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