At its recent National Summit held in Canberra, at which Committee for Ballarat was well represented, the Regional Australia Institute launched its Regionalisation Ambition 2032: A Framework to Rebalance the Nation
The headline population target is for a total of 11 million people living prosperously in the regions by 2032, an additional 500,000 to the current prediction. The framework focuses on regional housing, education, health, jobs and skills, digital inclusion, transport, childcare, community participation, migration, climate, innovation and the resilience of regional communities.
The data tracking regional migration (the shift in population from metropolitan cities to regional areas) shows that, for the first time in two years, the number of people moving from capital cities fell in the June 2022 quarter. Despite this fall, net migration to the regions is 30.2% higher than pre-pandemic levels. View the latest Regional Movers Index
An unprecedented 86,900 job vacancies were recorded in regional areas in July, representing a rise of 4.2 percent since June. These numbers are drawn only from formal job ads, so we know the actual number will be much higher.
The key data metrics of population and jobs point to the need for a focus on building stronger regions. Federal Member for Ballarat and Minister for Regional Development, the Hon Catherine King, said at the launch of the RAI Framework, “Empowering the regions to have their voices heard and their solutions tailored for local needs is critical.”
Committee for Ballarat will work with this framework to ensure we align our priorities both in the short term, with a view to the 2022 state election, and the long term beyond any single election cycle. It’s time to #rebalancethenation