Maybe I’m both too old and too young to ‘get’ Queensland. But even the stats show Melbourne is the place to be

May 1, 2026 — 11:45am

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After months of complaining that crime in Melbourne is so bad that he’s going to move to Queensland, veteran entertainment reporter Peter Ford this week packed his royal family scrapbooks and fled to the Gold Coast.

Shattered. I missed the ceremonial glitter cannon that was surely fired at Tulla as Pete left – but there’s still time, I hope, to reason with the man.

Peter. Darl. You’ve made your name being someone up with the latest in your decades on radio and TV. So it’s madly not on brand to make an unfashionable move.

Yep. You’ve gone north just when it’s off the boil.

There’s been rumours for years everyone in Melbourne is moving to Queensland because Victoria’s so shit. But new ABS population data shows south-east Queensland’s interstate migration has dropped by more than 40 per cent from 2021 to 2025.

Greater Melbourne’s net migration went up by 112 per cent in those four years. 8500 people left Melbourne in 2024-25. 81,000 arrived.

Pete, we won’t get bogged down with........

© Brisbane Times