Login
Print FriendlyRegional development has become the hot issue of the last year of the 20th Century. This is largely being driven by political necessity, rather than from any organised policy platform. Failure to address regional development issues has led to Coalition losses in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and, at a Federal level, a Government unable to hold power in both houses and lagging in the polls.
The regional vote is critical to any party. The Liberals are no exception. Traditionally conservative voters from regional Australia are leaving the Liberal and National Parties in droves to vote for One Nation, Independents and Labor in desperation rather than any real hope of salvation.
It is about time the Governing Liberal Party started to look at regional Australia in terms of policy development rather than welfare. Only sound far-reaching economic policies will give rise to improved and sustained regional development in the new millennium and bring voters back to the fold.
They face a key problem in doing this. Federation gave us three levels of Government. Three levels of decision makers who all want to make their mark on policy and stay in power. To start to put forward long-term strategies for regional development we must climb outside the box, stop thinking about politics and apply ourselves to policy development.
Issues
The issue is not about how we can keep people from leaving regional towns. It is about creating the economic forces that will keep people in towns. We need to start talking about public infrastructure to give economic viability to the regions. Where do we put ports? How do we hook major roads to ports? How do we get produce from the farm gate to the tables in Europe in 24-hours? How do we value add? How do we organize communications to give people more access in the 21st Century?
These issues are not being dealt with by Governments because they are seen traditionally private sector issues. In the new millennium they are not. If we go back to the start of last century when Federation was put together, there was a period when the public sector put together a lot of infrastructure which gave rise to highest per capita standard of living in the Western World.
Now that we are moving into a new century we have to stop thinking about who is going to pay for something (ie. how can we make it not our responsibility) and start working out what has to be done, then work out who is going to pay for it.
In the end it comes back to planning. We need an overall plan to deal with the business requirements to maintain and drive economic growth in the regions.
Let us take a look at the business structures in regional Australia. They are characterised by a high level of family ownership in agricultural and rural interests. How then do we address the problems associated with small holdings and low capitalisation. Do we say you have to leave the farm or do we look at it another way? In Europe the cooperative model is widely used.
Let us look for a national business structure in Australia that has a national scheme of laws, allowing people to pool their resources but maintain the identity of their enterprise.
Transport
We must be able to grow to get the economic benefits required in the new millennium. We could start by looking at transport. We have major roads and port facilities, but are they properly linked? Do we need interchanges? How do we make that work? For example - Newcastle is looking at developing new port facilities and it is cheaper to run freight from Dubbo to Newcastle than Dubbo to Port Botany. Port Botany is unable to grow, so it makes sense to make Newcastle our major port on the Eastern seaboard and set up transport infrastructure to freight goods in and out.
Communications
People in regional Australia can’t get access to the Internet. Two issues are holding them back - price and content. Three if you count the Government's Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill, which in protecting the existing TV networks until 2008 by giving them most of the spectrum, will stop new players from putting a black box on top of everyone's television and connecting them to the Internet within three years.
The issue is one of planning for public benefit, not planning for the next election. Governments have a clear role in maintaining public benefit from public utilities through public planning. The Howard Government needs to consider this when it looks at policy development in regional Australia.