Kim Macdonald: Regional WA is delightful and cheap, but the housing shortage is letting it down

With quaint shops and flowering peach trees dotted along the main street, Bridgetown in the South West is the sort of picturesque place where you could film a made-for-TV Christmas movie. You know the type I’m talking about — where the big city girl returns to the rolling hills of her childhood home town. After getting stranded by an inevitable transport issue, she falls for an old friend, and realises she wants to spend the rest of her days in the warm embrace of the local community. Toodyay, on the other hand, seems like the real life Whoville — the imaginary Dr Suess town obsessed with Christmas. Toodyay has its own seven-day-a-week Christmas decoration shop, where carols play all day, every day. Perhaps because of this or, as my partner believes, in spite of this, the locals have a laidback country charm that quietly lifts your mood. On a recent visit to the place, I noticed a local newspaper stand that seemed oblivious to the chaos and madness of the world, emblazoned instead with what could be the most delightful newspaper headline of all time: “2 weddings in 1 day in 2J.” Upstairs at the local bakery — reigning winner of the Best National Sausage Roll award — I listened to a group of local amateur musicians play Beatles song All you need is love. And I did fall a little bit in love with the town. It was a reminder that there is much more to WA’s countryside than the world famous the Margaret River region. York, Bridgetown, Northam, Merredin, Donnybrook (which has potentially the best public playground in WA) and Balingup are among the many beautiful inland towns worth a day trip or mini-break. I originally started writing this piece thinking it would be a useful reminder for those priced out of Perth to investigate these towns, which have median house prices of less than $500,000 to $600,000. But to do that you would have to find a listed home — and that is no easy task. Much like Perth, there is a housing shortage across inland WA, and it is inhibiting growth. Local agents usually sell within two weeks, and there’s a distinct lack of housing for downsizers and first home buyers. Part of the problem — ironic given the sprawling masses of vacant land in the regions — is the lack of lots. UDIA data shows only 25 lots of land were sold by its members in new estates in the South West in the June quarter this year, a massive 90 per cent drop from quarterly highs of 263 lots back in mid 2009. There were 35 lots sold by its members in the Wheatbelt in the June quarter — also a 90 per cent drop from quarterly highs of 357 in September 2007. The data show a clear reduction in lot sales over two decades — with government largely to blame for its tardy approvals process. One Merredin real estate agent said the wheels of change turn too slowly, with locals waiting on one particular subdivision for many years. She said while locals had no interest in becoming a big city, they were eager to grow their town not only for their expanding families but so they could welcome new ones. It is a sad state of affairs, because had all things been equal, this would have been regional WA’s time to shine. The financial barrier to a move to the regions has never been lower, with the growth in online sales and work-from-home rosters saving tree-changers from professional obscurity. Case in point at Bridgetown couple Kara Lauder and Nathan Haagensen, who run Kader boots. Lauder designs the shoes, which are handmade in Mexico and sold at the Bridgetown shop, and exported across Australia, New Zealand and America. Up the road in Balingup — population 565 — a beauty and lifestyle range called Tinderbox does an international trade through online sales, while the brand sells in pretty much every boho shop from Fremantle to Byron Bay. Business opportunities abound in the Wheatbelt town of Merredin, which seems to be undergoing a generational change, with a raft of local listings including the local cinema, the Commercial Hotel and the hardware store. These delightful towns have worked hard to create vibrant communities. The lack of housing stock is letting them down. Kim Macdonald is the property editor