Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—On behalf of the Select Committee on Regional Australia, I present the committee's report, incorporating a dissenting report, entitled Pride of place: inquiry into the future of regional Australia,together with minutes of proceedings.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—On behalf of the Select Committee on Regional Australia, it gives me great pleasure to present the committee's report on its inquiry into regional Australia. Regional Australia is more than just where our food, fibre and minerals come from; it's the lifeline of the modern Australian economy. It's home to millions of hardworking Australians who make a significant contribution to our national identity, our culture and our way of life. It is therefore vital that we continuously seek to improve the lives of regional Australians by affording them the same opportunities, facilities and services that are available to their counterparts in the cities. We need to focus on making regional Australia an attractive place for more Australians to live, work and raise a family. This includes investing in better infrastructure, stronger connectivity, additional services et cetera.

As part of this inquiry the committee had planned to travel to every state and territory. Rather than sitting in Canberra taking evidence digitally, we were determined to travel into these regional communities to listen firsthand to regional Australians talk about their personal experiences of living and working in regional communities around Australia. Unfortunately, the pandemic has significantly frustrated the committee's ability to travel and meet with these communities during this difficult time. While we're able to travel to regional Tasmania, New South Wales and Western Australia, the combined effects of COVID-19, public health restrictions, major life-changing events such as the bushfires and floods, and other limitations prevented the committee from visiting a great many of the intended communities. The need to visit and hear from these communities is enduring, and the parliament needs to have a permanent and ongoing commitment to hearing directly from regional Australians. Our regions are too important to leave to piecemeal planning.

This is why the committee's very first recommendation was the establishment of the Standing Committee on Regional Australia. The committee would continue its operations into the next parliament and long after that. It would continue to do its business 12 months of the year, every year, representing the needs of all Australians. The committee also recommends establishing a dedicated Commonwealth authority which would coordinate a nationally consistent plan for the future of regional Australia. These two bodies would provide a direct connection between regional Australians and the policies that serve them.

Australia's regional communities need support, but so do the businesses that keep them going. Regional businesses are not only the heart of regional communities; they are the backbone of Australia's economy. The committee therefore recommends several growth mechanisms to encourage private-public partnerships to fund regional infrastructure and encourage innovation in smaller regional businesses.

There are many benefits and challenges of working and living in regional Australia. We must do everything we can to support people and families living in these areas as well as continuing to make it an attractive place to move and settle. It is important that we therefore improve access to basic services like education, health and housing. This is why the committee has made several recommendations to encourage place based policies which will sustain regional communities into the future. These focus particularly on ensuring the growth of regional universities, providing access to regional healthcare services and increasing the availability of affordable housing and rental properties.

On behalf of the committee, I extend my sincere thanks to those who participated in the inquiry by completing the survey, preparing submissions and appearing at public hearings and those who graciously gave their time to share their experiences with the committee. I also thank all my colleagues who served on the committee and, of course, the staff of the secretariat. I commend this report to the House, and I move:

That the House take note of the report.

Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

The debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting.