Address to the Regions Rising National Summit

Thank you Christian for your introduction and inviting me back to the Regions Rising Summit.

I joined many of you last year when we spoke of the need to build a more prosperous regional Australia, for the benefit of all Australians.

We discussed the need for a strategic, collaborative approach that capitalises on the diverse strengths of our regions.

And we saw the launch of the Institute’s Regionalisation Ambition 2032 Framework.

A year on, RAI’s 2023 progress report against its Ambition shows positive progress across a broad range of issues important to vibrant and productive regions - including access to services, digital inclusion and skilled jobs growth.

And reflects people’s desire to move and stay in the regions.

It also indicates areas where we can collectively focus efforts for better outcomes.

Before I speak to this, I want to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands we meet - the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples.

I pay respect to their Elders, customs and traditions and, indeed, those of all the traditional owners of the many lands across Australia.

I extend this respect to all First Nations people in attendance.  

This is a milestone year in our nation’s history – the upcoming referendum provides an opportunity to take the next step in righting a historic wrong and charting a better path forward for First Nations Australians.

I will be voting yes, and I encourage you all to lend your voice to the campaign as well.

Our regions, our future – a defining decade

From the West Coast of Tasmania to Arnhem Land, from Western Australia’s Wheatbelt to New England, New South Wales –  our regions are unique and they help to shape our national identity.

And today, regions are in a defining decade.

As Minister for Regional Development, I am engaging with regional cities, towns and communities who are working hard to be liveable, prosperous and sustainable.

I too am determined to deliver on the potential of our regions, because when our regions are strong, our country is strong.

 Events like this Summit remind me we need to ensure we move forward in a coordinated and collaborative way.

And we are.

Because doing things the same way will not shift the dial in our regions.

Its why we have a new comprehensive, cross-Government framework in place that puts regions, and the people who live in them, at the heart of decision making.

Introduced in the May Budget, the Government’s Regional Investment Framework prioritises four key areas: investment in people, places, services, and local economies and industries.

We are investing in people, including through fee-free TAFE places and University Study Hubs, as well as building the capacity of our RDAs and local governments.

We are investing in places, through infrastructure and housing.

To support National Cabinet’s recent agreement to build 1.2 million new well-located homes, my portfolio will deliver a Housing Support Program, providing $500 million in funding for local and state governments to kick-start housing supply through enabling infrastructure such as connecting essential services, amenities to support new housing development, or building planning capability – this will be available to both urban and regional areas.

We are investing in services, including health, telecommunications, childcare and aged care.

We are establishing the new Net Zero Authority to ensure that the workers, industries and communities that have powered Australia for generations can seize the opportunities of Australia’s net zero transformation.

And we are investing in local economies, including through the $1.9 billion Powering the Regions Fund to support new jobs and the transition to a low-carbon economy and the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund to help our manufacturers grasp the opportunities of a net zero economy.

The Framework in action

Like our regions, our Framework is not static.

We have embedded the Framework into Government decision-making through the renewed Regional Australia Impact Statement process to ensure new policy proposals consider impacts on people, communities and industries.

 This approach is shaping policy design and program implementation across Government: from health to housing, education to the environment.

The Framework enables a way of looking holistically at a region, at the range of investments across portfolios taking place, identifying the gaps and joining opportunities, to inform place-based strategies.

While it is early days since the Framework has been put in place, it’s been great to see it start to be put into action.

We are starting to see the Framework reflected in new Regional Development Australia business plans across Australia, and it will be helpful in informing the approach of the Net Zero Economy Agency in supporting those regions with positive transitions.

We are forging impactful partnerships for regional development and place-based policy, between federal, state and territory governments together with the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA).

Through these engagements, we are sharing expertise and best-practice approaches to deliver better outcomes for communities on the ground.

Local government

Since coming to office, we have been clear about bringing local government back into the national conversation.

And we have.

ALGA shared its priorities with National Cabinet earlier this year.

National Cabinet has since prioritised a more coordinated development approach for our suburbs, cities and regions.

ALGA’s participation in the inter-governmental Council on Federal Financial Relation is also highly valued.

In June, the Prime Minister hosted the first Australian Council of Local Government in more than a decade. 

Cabinet Ministers joined mayors in conversation on priority areas such as financial sustainability, skills, service delivery and the transition to net zero.

The National Local Government Awards, meanwhile, showcased local-government led innovation in their communities.

Initiatives such as accommodation for essential workers, an agri-food knowledge and enterprise hub, and a virtual work-experience program based on industry needs.

My colleague Kristy McBain, a former Mayor herself, and whom you’ll hear from tonight, has been dedicated to her role as Minister for Local Government and Territories from day one.

Local people creating local opportunities

We know there is no one-size-fits-all approach for our regions.

And we know that locals are best placed to understand the challenges and opportunities that affect their communities.

A key aspect of the Regional Investment Framework is to empower regions to have their voices heard and solutions tailored to local needs.

To this end, Regional Development Australia committees have an important role to play.

They offer broad perspectives from local government, business, community and not-for-profit stakeholders, who are working towards the same goal: improving their regions.

RDA committees are an important voice and a vital link with governments.

We have re-worked the RDA Charter to better align it with the Regional Investment Framework, and reinforce the network’s role in driving economic growth, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Data-enriched approach

This audience needs no convincing of the value of evidence-based policy. The Regional Australia Institute certainly makes a valuable contribution in this space.

The recently-launched Regional Data Hub is improving access to information and data for people, communities and decision-makers.

The Hub provides a wealth of data across population, health, education, housing, wellbeing, tourism, environment, digital infrastructure and more.

And it will evolve, with new content and features to come.

We are also committed to delivering State of the Regions report to paint a detailed picture of life in our regions.

These reports will become an additional tool to ground decision-making in the lived, real-world experiences of regional Australians and their communities.

Investing with purpose

Robust regional development is not an avalanche of announceables - it is about considered, coordinated and cohesive action.

Our Government is taking a sensible, balanced approach to deliver responsible, targeted support and strategic investments for our future prosperity.

Against a backdrop of global financial instability, our first two budgets included around 350 measures to strengthen regional communities and economies.

Importantly, we are making diverse investments across education and health, social services, digital connectivity, net-zero and First Nations outcomes.

We recognise the importance of targeted infrastructure investment.

Our $600 million Growing Regions program, for example, will deliver regional infrastructure and community projects.

This is not just a new name on an old approach; we are applying fresh and innovative ideas.

Rather than Governments determining priorities from the top down, applicants will demonstrate how their project meets local or regional priorities.

Our $400 million regional Precincts and Partnerships Program, meanwhile, is open for applications all year-round.

This program demonstrates our partnership approach in action – bringing together governments, stakeholders and communities to deliver regional precincts, tailored to local needs.

Grants are available for development or planning of precincts, and the delivery of construction-ready precinct infrastructure in regional, rural and remote areas.

Open to retail, services or industrial precinct concepts that are a genuine regional priority, the program puts key elements of our Framework into place: flexibility, place-based decision making, and responsiveness to the views and ambitions of local communities.

There is no doubt infrastructure investment and planning is an important factor for regional growth.

Federally-funded infrastructure must deliver lasting social and economic impacts, which is why we have undertaken a comprehensive, independent review of the multi-billion-dollar Infrastructure Investment Program.

We are committed to the ten-year $120 billion program, but we need to ensure nationally-significant projects are genuinely nation-building, economically sustainable and resilient to our changing climate.

The Infrastructure Investment Program review is backed by state and territory governments, with local governments consulted throughout.

I recently received the reviewers’ report – which is lengthy and complex – and I am considering it in detail.

I can tell you that this report highlights how badly the former Government managed the infrastructure pipeline. The reviewers found that there is $33 billion of known cost pressures across Infrastructure Investment Program projects – which is a 41% cost blow out – and a very high risk of more overruns in the future.

The reviewers found that many of the projects the Coalition committed to have no merit nor meet any strategic national investment priorities.

In other words, because of the former Government’s mishandling of the Infrastructure Investment Program, we cannot afford to meet existing cost overruns, nor fund any new projects in the next ten years without major changes.

I will have more to say on this in due course.

As I mentioned earlier, our approach is not limited to infrastructure, or my portfolio, it is something all Australian Government ministers are behind.

Our University Study Hubs are a good example. As Minister for Education, Jason Clare, says: ‘we want more young people from the regions and the outer suburbs to get a crack at going to university.’

This is why we are investing close to $67 million to establish up to 20 new Regional University Study Hubs and up to 14 new Suburban University Study Hubs.

This is in addition to the 34 hubs operating across regional Australia that are enabling students to study in their local communities.

Harnessing the opportunities of net zero

We are in a defining decade and nothing will be more so than a successful transition to a low-carbon economy on the path to net zero.

The regions will play a key role in driving this transformation.

Our focus is ensuring the workers, industries and communities that have powered Australia for generations can seize the opportunities this presents.

Alongside the Powering the Regions Fund, we are developing sectoral decarbonisation plans for agriculture and land, transport, electricity and energy, industry and resources.

These plans will provide industry with certainty, help attract clean investment and support secure, long-term job creation, particularly in the regions.

Our new Net Zero Economy Agency  –  a precursor to a legislated Net Zero Authority – has already begun its work to ensure Australia, its regions and workers realise and share the benefits of the net zero economy.

The agency will consult widely with local communities, regional bodies, industry, investors and First Nations groups along the way.

As I engage with regional communities around the country, I am optimistic for Australia’s regions and that they will rise to their potential, and meet their moment.

Regional development is a whole of government priority for this Government.

We are taking an approach that is targeted and coordinated, based on genuine partnerships with local communities and the evidence.

Our Government is supporting robust regional economies and a better quality of life for regional towns and cities.

This is not only because we think regional Australia deserves its fair share, but because we see this as a down payment on a better future for all Australians.

One of many things I appreciate about Regions Rising is you – the participants – who are the face of our diverse regions.

Thank you for your insights, knowledge, experiences. Thank you for your hard work and determination.

Working together we will ensure that our regions thrive through this defining decade and for decades to come.