Leaders of more than 30 of the country’s most influential peak bodies have formed the National Alliance for Regionalisation to better position regional areas to achieve their potential.
Established by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), the new Alliance is the first of its kind in Australia spanning business, health, education, infrastructure, and environment.
CEO Liz Ritchie says this new Alliance is the first of its kind in the country.
“It’s no secret regional kids are still behind their metro-counterparts at school. Employers are struggling to get staff – yet migration levels are significantly lower in regions. Towns are crying out for doctors, but kids in the country are less likely to finish high school,” Ritchie said.
Regional Capitals Australia (RCA) councillor Kylie King Chair said: “Today is an important day, we know regional Australia is the economic engine room of this country, but to make the most of this competitive advantage we have real challenges we need to address so our communities thrive.”
The National Alliance for Regionalisation will have the task of advancing targets set out in the RAI’s 10-year framework, Regionalisation Ambition 2032.
Ritchie said the framework aimed to “rebalance the nation”.
“The Alliance will advance the targets within the ambition and advocate for the policy priorities needed to create a fairer, more prosperous, more balanced regional Australia.
“Today’s launch marks a significant milestone for the nine million people living in our regions. This powerful cohort of leading peak bodies and for-purpose organisation will work to help bring the RAI’s Regionalisation Ambition 2032 to life,” Ritchie said.
The 20 targets in Regionalisation Ambition 2032 include:
- Increasing regional Australia’s contribution to national output, boosting Australia’s GDP by an additional $13.8 billion by 2032;
- reducing the recruitment difficulty rate in regional Australia to below 40 per cent;
- halving the population classified as living in a regional childcare desert (to below 2 million);
- increasing rental vacancy rates in regional areas to above 3 per cent; and ensure building approvals keep pace with population growth; and
- increasing the percentage of students in regional Australia who achieve at or above the minimum standard NAPLAN testing, equal to metropolitan students, across each year level.
Ritchie said the alliance would provide knowledge sharing and leadership to ensure the targets remain relevant a central to decision-making for regional Australia over the next 10 years.
“It will adopt a system-thinking approach in viewing regional development within this country, working together to see more than 11 million people living prosperously in regional Australia by 2032.
“While each organisation has its individual policy priorities, it will work collectively to progress issues of commonality – such as regional housing, worker shortages, regional education, and migration.
“After more than 11 years of research, we know you can’t solve the jobs crisis without addressing housing; the skills deficit without improving education standards; and regional without focussing on digital connectivity. All these issues are interlinked, complex and equally important,” Ritchie said.
The RCA pledged to seal one of the 2032 ambitions, supporting members to plan for accommodating more of Australia’s population. It also pledged to advocated for a national population plan that would incorporate:
- An accelerated immigration policy with distinct regional streams of visas;
- investment in education infrastructure and programs that build the skills and contributions of our communities; and
- connectivity and liveability infrastructure that allows our member cities to be nationally and internationally competitive as the best places to live and work.
The RCA represents Australia’s 51 regional capital cities and the nine million people who live in them.
“I’m optimistic that through the power of collective action we can deliver critical change to address key areas such as population growth, regional housing, community infrastructure and workforce skills,” King said.
Ritchie said planning for a stronger Australia meant planning for a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient regional Australia.
“Australia is one of the most urbanised nations in the world, yet we know that urbanisation and mega-cities are not the right trajectory for our nation – our modelling tells us that a more balanced nation is better for the productivity and liveability of not just regional communities, but the nation as a whole.
“Not only is regionalisation a sound strategy for strengthening Australia’s economy, it’s a broader strategy for shaping a stronger future for our country’s wellbeing and living standards, our resilience to economic shocks and natural disasters, and our capacity to manage a changing demographic.
“We have set our ambition to Rebalance the Nation, and to accomplish this requires all of Australia – government, industry, and community – to work collaboratively. Today, we have taken a significant step forward in achieving that,” Ritchie said.
“Planning for a stronger Australia means planning for a prosperous, inclusive and resilient regional Australia and I wish to thank all organisations involved today for taking a seat at this historic table,” Liz Ritchie concluded.
Mike Mrdack Chair of the National Alliance for Regionalisation. He was formerly secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts, and prior to that, secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
In 2016, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his distinguished service to public administration in transport, logistics and infrastructure investment.
Ritchie said Mrdack’s experience in regional development was “second to none”.
The founding members of the National Alliance for Regionalisation include:
- Australian Communications
- Consumer Action Network
- Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute
- Australian Industry Group
- Australian Local Government Association
- Australian Medical Association
- Australian Regional Tourism
- Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth
- Australian Rural Leadership Foundation
- Business Council of Australia
- Council of Small Business Organisations Australia
- Country Education Partnership
- Engineers Australia
- Insurance Council of Australia
- Master Builders Australia
- Migration Institute of Australia
- Minerals Council of Australia
- National Catholic Education Commission
- National Farmers' Federation
- National Rural Health Alliance
- National Rural Women's Coalition
- Planning Institute of Australia
- Real Estate Institute of Australia
- Regional Arts Australia
- Regional Australia Institute
- Regional Aviation Association of Australia
- Regional Capitals Australia
- Regional Universites Network
- Royal Far West
- Royal Flying Doctor Service
- Rural Councils Victoria
- Rural Doctors Association of Australia
- Welcoming Australia
For more information about the alliance click here.
See our story on regional food and beverage manufacturing here.
