Sydney a victim of its own success

PHOTO: Jeremy Carr said living in Hong Kong made his family realise how special the northern beaches are. Source: News Corp Australia

Sydney has been rated near the bottom of a ranking of Aussie cities with the best lifestyle, but experts said the issues residents are grappling with were created by the city’s enduring appeal.

It’s Australia’s most stable jobs market and its beaches and harbour sights draw in people around the world — but Sydney may have become a victim of its own success.

A new study has revealed residents consider the city less liveable than every other capital outside of Darwin, with some of their chief complaints being traffic and access to affordable housing.

Canberra was rated by local residents as the city with the best lifestyle, with Perth coming in second, according to the Ipsos poll commissioned by realestate.com.au.

Melbourne was just above Sydney in the rankings, with Brisbane in the middle.