Regional alliance to lift key services, migration, housing in bush

A dearth of childcare services in many districts, doctor shortages, rental accommodation shortages and poorer education results have prompted a national campaign to emerge to rebuild regional communities so they can comfortably accommodate an 11m population by 2032.

More than 30 chief executives from some of the nation's most influential peak industry and community bodies have launched the National Alliance for Regionalisation and a plan to bolster the livability and productivity of regional communities.

The National Alliance for Regionalisation is targeting a fairer, younger, more balanced and prosperous regional Australia capable of delivering a $13.8 billion boost to the economy within 10 years.

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The alliance is the first of its kind in Australia, spanning business, health, education, infrastructure and environment, with member bodies as diverse as the Business Council of Australia, Australian Medical Association, National Farmers Federation, National Catholic Education Commission and the Master Builders Association.

It wants Australia's already busy, but strained, regional economies to be capable of reaching their full potential.

"It's no secret regional kids are still behind their metro-counterparts at school," said Regional Australia Institute CEO, Liz Ritche.

"Employers are struggling to get staff - yet migration levels are significantly lower in regions."

She said rural towns cried out for doctors and other professionals, but despite the career opportunities, country children were still less likely to finish high school or attend university so they could fill those much needed positions.

The alliance intended to set targets and advocate for the policy priorities needed to "get the engine room firing on all cylinders".

Its formation in Canberra this week was triggered by the Regional Australia Institute releasing a 10-year Regionalisation Ambition document last year which provided a "framework to rebalance the nation".

"This powerful cohort of leading peak bodies and for-purpose organisations will work to help bring the RAI's Regionalisation Ambition 2032 to life," Ms Ritchie said.

"It will provide knowledge sharing and national leadership to ensure the 20 targets and aspirations set out in `the Ambition' remain relevant and central to decision-making for regional Australia."

Targets in the Regionalisation Ambition 2032 include cutting recruitment difficulty rates below 40 per cent; halving the population classified as living in a "regional childcare desert" to below 2m; ensuring building approvals kept pace with population; and, boosting the percentage of regional students achieving or bettering the minimum standard NAPLAN result, equalling metropolitan results.

The proportion of migrants settling in regional areas would also double to almost 40pc and medical practitioner positions would rise from 320 for every 100,000 people as par, to almost 430 in 10 years as part of the goal.

"After more than 11 years of research, we know you can't solve the jobs crisis without addressing housing, and the skills deficit without improving education standards," Ms Ritchie said.

"Healthcare in regions can't be improved without focusing on digital connectivity.

"All these issues are interlinked, complex and equally important."

Regional Aviation Association of Australia CEO, Steven Campbell, noted it was no use hoping people would just move to the regions even though congestion in the cities was getting worse and house prices were soaring.

"We need initiatives like this one from the RAI to focus governments on making decisions today to alleviate the strain on our cities tomorrow - including better housing, education, healthcare options, and of course, air services for vital connectivity," he said.

He noted the effects of pilot shortages for regional air services in the US had seen 324 airports lose, on average, a third of their air services.

The smallest airports fared the worst, with some losing all air services.

A critical shortage in aircraft maintenance engineers in regional Australia made the risk look even more ominous here.

Ms Ritche said a more balanced nation was better for productivity and liveability, not just for 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," she said.

The National Alliance for Regionalisation will be chaired by former Secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts, and Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Mike Mrdack, who also chairs NSW's Regional Growth Corporation.

Each member organisation had individual policy priorities, but would work collectively to progress common issues such as regional housing, worker shortages, regional education and migration.

Founding members of the National Alliance for Regionalisation include:

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