Communiqué - 5 August 2009
6th MEETING REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
Ministers responsible for regional development and the Australian Local Government Association met today in Bendigo for the sixth meeting of the Regional Development Council (RDC).
The Council welcomed New Zealand to the membership and looks forward to the new opportunities for shared learning from each countrys regional development issues.
A key theme of the meeting was the forging of new, and reinforcing of existing relationships across all three tiers of government and with our neighbours across the Tasman. This meeting, in a key regional centre in Victoria, evidenced a commitment to the principles of alignment and integration which were agreed at the fifth meeting of the Council.
The Council was pleased with the progress made on establishing Regional Development Australia (RDA), its alignment with state regional development bodies and representation by local government. The Council welcomed the opportunities RDA will provide for closer alignment and integration of regional development activities which will focus and strengthen the effectiveness of regional development bodies across all spheres of government. This approach will achieve real and lasting growth in regional communities.
Recognising the diversity of regions, Council agreed to build on the opportunities provided by cooperation at the three levels of government by supporting RDA to:
- provide strategic advice to government about issues affecting regional development;
- build relationships and strategic linkages between governments and local communities, including facilitating consultation processes;
- support strategic regional planning and identifying opportunities to facilitate delivery of regional objectives;
- promote government programs and services that support regional development; and
- provide support to build community resilience and capacity.
Priorities will be targeted to local regional needs while at the same time supporting whole of government responses to big issues such as the impact of the global recession on regions.
Council agreed to support key tools required to underpin the RDA including:
- the Information On Regional Australia (IORA) project: a web-based product supported by a comprehensive database and access tools which will be a single point of entry for information about Australias regions, and
- the expansion of the Regional Industry Link Program into regional Victoria through the Industry Capability Network and the RDA Network, reflecting local circumstances. This pilot will enable business and industry to use local industry capability for development, with a specific focus on infrastructure. This program matches the capability of regional industries with prospective buyers and assists regional industries to grow and diversify.
The integration of the three tiers of government local, state and federal - with the RDA will have significant benefits for regional Australia. Council also discussed the essential links between RDA and other regional initiatives such as the National Broadband Network initiative, the Office of Northern Australia, and the Jobs Fund.
In a presentation to the Council, Ms Christine Nixon, Chair of the Victorian Bushfire and Recovery Authority, outlined the key lessons learnt to date from the recovery and rebuilding operation in Victoria following the devastating bushfires that occurred in February 2009. Key among these was the importance of the three levels of government working together with local communities, a model that is also being utilised in the RDA network.
Council noted the challenges and impacts of the global economic recession on regional development and discussed possible further responses.
Members noted the significant positive impact that the Australian Governments Economic Stimulus Package and states stimulus initiatives were having across Australias regions, particularly through the housing, community infrastructure and education measures.
The Council also looks forward to the outcomes of the House of Representatives Inquiry into the Global Financial Crisis and its recommendation for regional Australia.
Members further agreed that the global recession and domestic economic downturn highlights the need for integrated, nationally coordinated responses to reinforce the practical solutions already put in place by all governments to cushion regions from the full impact of the global recession.
The RDC considered a paper that developed principles for regional communities dealing with significant changes and adjustment, as a result of external factors, and will continue to work across government on meeting these regional challenges.
Next Meeting
The Council agreed to meet in Port Lincoln in South Australia in 2010.