A new study will focus on how commuting to work in Melbourne could be changing regional Victorian towns.
Todd Denham, of RMIT University’s Centre for Urban Research, is undertaking his doctorate on the increasing numbers of people traveling from regional Victoria to Melbourne for work.
Mr Denham, who lived in Castlemaine for a number of years, said he began to question why some regional towns were developing more rapidly than others.
“Places like Melton, Ballan, Gisborne, Woodend, parts of Werribee and Whittlesea, have changed dramatically over the past few years,” he said.
“A key aspect of my study looks at people who are commuting to Melbourne to earn more money in the city, and then bringing that money back home to spend in their regional town, and the growth that results from that.
“But there is another, more important factor to consider. Do commuters tire of the two to three-hour travel into Melbourne and look to start working closer to home?
“This becomes particularly important … if it leads to the formation of new businesses.”
Mr Denham has created an online survey to gather more data.
Details: www.facebook.com/RegionalCommutingResearch
