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A property forecaster has listed 12 regional ‘boom towns’ and is encouraging people to invest to beat the otherwise flat national property market.

Terry Ryder of www.hotspotting.com.au, interviewed in the Parkes Champion-Post, said these emerging boom towns “have the advantage of offering affordable houses because these are locations where prices have not yet exploded – but are likely to in the near future,” he said.

Boom Towns are the locations riding the wave of the resources boom or places impacted by major industrial developments.

Some are regional centres which have grown over decades on the back of local mining industries. Others are towns which have only recently surged thanks to new mining operations.

Some aren’t mining towns at all, but locations which indirectly benefit from the resources boom, like Sea Change towns which capture the wealth pouring out of mining areas.

The 12 towns are:

Parkes, NSW. Emerging transport hub, $135 million freight terminal, mining, proposed inland rail link (typical house price $200,000)

Broken Hill, NSW. Expansion of existing mines, new mining ventures including uranium mine and $2.5 billion wind farm project (typical house price $125,000).

Ceduna, SA. Mineral sands mining, other mining operations, marina residential project and port upgrade (typical house price $170,000).

Charters Towers, QLD. Revival of major gold mining operations, strong local tourism, rural and education industries (typical house price $190,000).

George Town, TAS. $2 billion pulp mill, $240 million power station and existing industrial facilities, including an aluminum smelter (typical house price $170,000).

Geraldton, WA. $2 billion development of new port and rail links, power station project and multiple mines (typical house price $330,000).

Mildura, VIC. World’s largest solar power station, $130 million riverfront development backed by diverse economy based on agriculture (typical house price $200,000).

Muswellbrook/Hunter Valley, NSW. Multiple mines and power stations, new Anvil Hill coal mine and expansion of BHP mine (typical house price $240,000).

North-West NSW (Moree, Narrabri, Gunnedah), NSW. Mining activity, strong agriculture sector, tourism industry, proposed inland rail link, coal seam gas (typical house price $175,000 to $225,000)

Sale/Traralgon, VIC. $5 billion synthetic diesel project, $750 million power station, new gas plant and transport infrastructure (typical house price $220,000 to $230,000)

Wandoan, QLD. $1 billion Xstrata open-cut coal mine and $1 billion ‘missing link’ rail line between Surat Basin and Gladstone (typical house price $160,000).

Wonthaggi, VIC. $3 billion desalination plant and possible power station backed by solid tourism and real estate market (typical house price $210,000).