ALGA calls on regional development ministers to get joint meeting back on track
12 March 2004
Australian Local Government Association President, Councillor Mike Montgomery, has expressed deep disappointment that today's planned meeting of the Regional Development Council (RDC) had been cancelled and urged regional development ministers to get the meeting back on track.
The RDC brings together federal, state and territory regional development ministers and ALGA to progress issues of common concern.
"Regional development is not a political football," Cr Montgomery said. "We need a positive, consensus approach to the work of the RDC which produces real and tangible results for Australia's regional communities."
"There was a very positive and constructive approach taken at the inaugural meeting of the RDC in July last year, which covered issues as diverse and important as regional business development, infrastructure, water reform, cooperation among regional development agencies, zonal taxation and regional universities.
"Today's meeting was to have pursued a range of issues including skilled migration and the impact on Australian regions of demographic change and our ageing population.
"ALGA was to have led discussion on demographic change. ALGA/National Economics research (State of the Regions Report 2003-04) shows that:
- The outlook for ageing, migration flows and population growth across Australian regions suggests that the current inequalities between regions could be exacerbated by demographic change. Migration patterns associated with ageing can accentuate local economic decline.
- For many Australian regions, positive population growth with a broad based age composition will be vital to maintain economic viability.
- For every one percentage point of net internal migration of over 55 year olds to a region, an almost one percentage point higher unemployment rate can be expected. This is a very severe result and highlights the enormous structural problems created particularly on our lifestyle coastlines.
- If a region's population growth is concentrated in the 55 and over age range, regional productivity will decline. A one per cent rise in the population 55 and over will lead to a 0.4 per cent reduction in regional productivity.
"These and other changes will have major impacts on regional communites and local government. Strategies to manage these issues will need to be developed and implemented across all three spheres of government," Cr Montgomery said.
"I call on the ministers to work together to get the RDC and its emerging agenda back on track as soon as humanly possible."
Cr Montgomery said he was pleased that a number of ALGA regional development priorities had already been addressed by the Australian Government, including the renewal of the critically important Roads to Recovery program that will provide a further $1.2 billion to local government to help improve the condition of local roads. This will be of enormous benefit to regional communities.
"ALGA is pressing for further work on a range of issues that directly impact on the ability of regions to grow and prosper, including:
- A fair share of national taxation revenue for local government
- Better engaging local government in regional governance arrangements
- Investing in regional infrastructure
- Supporting regional aviation/airports
- Expanding the use of community-focussed structural adjustment funding
- Encouraging learning communities
- Boosting business development (eg addressing enterprise zones/zonal tax issues)
- Improving access to financial services
- Driving regional IT development
- Improving access to health care
"While much has already been achieved, more could be done, particularly when the three spheres of government work together in genuine partnership.
"We need to get the RDC back on track at the earliest possible opportunity. Regional Australia deserves nothing less," Cr Montgomery said.
- Contacts
- Cr Mike Montgomery, ALGA President: 0427 542 051
- Rohan Greenland, Director Public Affairs: 02 6122 9434 or 0412 85 9434
