Some of the most influential corporate organisations in the country have joined forces to promote regional Australia as a great place to live and help facilitate a much needed population shift away from the cities.
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Regional Australia has today been given a new voice to help shape its future, with the official launch of the Regional Australia Council 2031 (RAC2031).
Established by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), CEO Liz Ritchie said the new initiative is the first of its kind and aims to use the collective knowledge and influence of the Council to help transform the regions.
"Today's launch marks a significant event for regional Australia and the 9 million people who call it their home," Ms Ritchie said.
"The current health crisis has highlighted the advantages of regional Australia as a great place to live, work and invest, and the Council will help facilitate the population shift we have been calling for.
"This Council will be poised to address the opportunities for regional Australia and the role each organisation can play. It won't function as a lobby group, but rather a solutions-based model to support the work of the RAI and, in turn, regional Australia."
The founding members of RAC2031 include: Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA), Aurizon, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Commonwealth Bank, Expedia Group, KPMG, NBN Co, Prime Super, Telstra and TransGrid.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development The Hon Michael McCormack will officially launch the new Council via a Zoom meeting on Monday morning.
"Regional Australia is a fantastic place to live, work and raise a family, and I'd love to see more people moving out of the busy capital cities and explore what our regional centres have to offer," Mr McCormack said.
"The Regional Australia Institute is doing a power of work in creating a stronger, brighter and more dynamic future for our regions.
"Our regions are a story of positivity. Whether it's the drought, that prolonged dry spell; the bushfires which we endured during what was a terrible summer; and now the coronavirus, we will come through the other side because we are purposeful, we are tough," Mr McCormack said.
"Whether we're discussing the future of work, liveability, connectivity or indeed affordability, regional Australia may be the alternative our metropolitan counterparts are looking for," Ms Ritchie said
The RAC2031 will be guided by RAI's evidence-based research relating to four key pillars: jobs, population, liveability and leadership.
"Our first meeting will ask the founding members to identify employment opportunities and challenges associated with encouraging further regional employment," Ms Ritchie said.
"RAC2031 is asking corporate leaders to make regional Australia a priority," Ms Ritchie said.
The Council members will receive a first look at the RAI's latest body of research, Population Mobility in Australia. This research analyses movement trends of both regional and metropolitan residents over the last census period.
"This work debunks the myth that people are leaving regional Australia in droves. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Between 2011 and 2016, over 65,000 more people moved out of a city to a regional place than moved from a regional place into a city," Ms Ritchie said.
RAC2031 will meet four times a year, with the next meeting set down for July. Relevant political and government leaders will be invited to participate in Council discussions.
"We thank the founding members of RAC2031 for their commitment to regional Australia and know that their insights and contribution will drive the overall direction of the Council," Ms Ritchie said.
"Over coming months, additional corporate leaders will join us at the table to help transform regional Australia," Liz Ritchie said.
