Bussleton features on top sea change towns list

Busselton has been named as one of Australia’s premiere locations for a sea change, ranking eighth in the top 10 Best Australian Seachange Towns for 2016.

Busselton was named as the only WA location on the list, which was created by Melbourne-based national online newspaper, The New Daily.

The list was created by a town planner and urban geographer, who considered large regional hubs or hidden coastal gems close to a capital city and narrowed down the list to 10 towns, looking at beach quality, housing prices, infrastructure, climate, job prospects and the main street.

City of Busselton Mayor Grant Henley said he was not surprised that Busselton was on the list.

“It’s no surprise that Busselton has ranked within the top 10 sea change towns in Australia — it’s a great place to visit and a great place to live,” he said.

“The location provides a healthy lifestyle, house prices are affordable and the Forrest highway offers good transport links to Perth.”

Cr Henley said one of the council’s main priorities over the past seven years had been to increase visitation and prepare for significant resident population growth.

“The refurbishment of the Busselton Jetty and investment in the CBD and foreshore upgrades have been undertaken to ensure the City remains a top tourist destination and a sustainable place to live,” he said.

Busselton was ranked behind popular beach locations such as Noosa Heads and Byron Bay on the list.

Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association chief executive Pip Close said Busselton was an attractive place for a sea change due to its unique lifestyle.

“We believe the major drawcard for people making the sea change to Busselton and also the wider Margaret River Region is quite simply the unbeatable lifestyle,” she said.

“There truly is an endless number of outdoor activities, and in particular family-friendly ones, such as enjoying the wonderful sheltered beaches along Cape Naturaliste, visiting the iconic Busselton Jetty, whale watching in Geographe Bay and the incredible programme of events developed by the City of Busselton that grows every year.”