REVIEW OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUSTRALIA COMMITTEE 2010-11 REGIONAL PLANS


Introduction
Population
Further information


INTRODUCTION

Staff from the ABS have been working on a research paper, ‘A Review of Regional Development Australia Committee 2010-2011 Regional Plans: Issues Identified by Regions’. The paper summarises selected aspects of regional plans in 2010 and 2011 from all 55 Regional Development Australia (RDA) committees. These plans aim to set out the economic, environmental and social vision of the region. They also identify the drivers of change and identify the regions strengths, weaknesses and opportunities.

The population issues contained in the paper have been reproduced here as a sample of the full report.


POPULATION

Population Growth

The most commonly raised population issue – reported by 45 regions – was a current or predicted rapid growth in population. Forty-one RDA committees reported concern about the strain a rapidly increasing population would place on infrastructure and service provision, including housing, transport, health, education and water. The potential impact of urban expansion on the natural environment, amenity and the availability of agricultural land was also frequently raised.

Uneven distribution of population growth, both geographically and seasonally, was an issue raised by thirteen RDA committees. Some committees reported that expected growth in regional centres coupled with decline in smaller communities would lead to a withdrawal of services and further disadvantage in those small towns. Some committees also reported that seasonal variations in population, mainly due to fly-in, fly-out workers and a high number of tourists in summer, put further pressure on local facilities and services.

Population Ageing


Forty-four RDA committees reported that their population was ageing. Various economic and welfare challenges were associated with an ageing population. The potential impacts included an increased demand for aged care services, health care, smaller housing types, transport and community infrastructure, as well as a shrinking labour force which may exacerbate labour shortages.Youth Retention


The retention of young people was an issue in many regions. Thirty-seven RDA committees reported experiencing an out-migration of youth aged 15 to 30 years who leave the region to pursue education, training and employment opportunities and because of a lack of recreational facilities.

Population Decline


The issue of population decline and sustainability in rural and remote areas was raised by nineteen RDA committees. These committees reported that better strategies were needed to attract and retain residents to prevent the withdrawal of services and to ensure that these areas remained viable and economically productive.

Other issues that the paper discusses are:

• Economic issues including the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), high Australian dollar, carbon tax and environmental legislation.
• Environmental issues including climate change, water supply, conservation and other issues or concern.
• Social issues including education, health, employment, housing, youth support, regional governance and socio-economic disadvantage.
• Infrastructure issues including transport infrastructure, funding and logistical issues, communications infrastructure, community infrastructure, energy infrastructure, water infrastructure and waste infrastructure.
• Data issues focus on gaps that may have been identified throughout the research project.

FURTHER INFORMATION

To read the full paper, please refer to Research Paper: A Review of Regional Development Australia Committee Regional Plans, 2013.