The regions get the royal flush - again

Posted Sep 19, 2008 10:15am

The local economies of Western Australia's wealth creation regions of the Pilbara were the focus of an article in today's Australian newspaper as the mining boom areas struggle to keep their communities alive.

As has become excepted practice for many of our national wealth creation regions, the Pilbara is yet another example of government inaction and ignorance.

The article discusses the effect of fly-in fly-out mine workers in regional W.A. and the significant pressure this places on local property markets, jobs and service delivery.

As has been reported previously, the circumstances outlined in the Australian's report are not isolated to W.A.

Central Queensland for example is currently battling the same fight.

Unfortunately for regional Australians, and our nation as a whole in the long term, governments and city-dwellers seem to have no foresight or vision when it comes to the creation of a sustainable Australia.

It's all well and good to extract resources and commodities from these regions to contribute large amounts to our GDP, but to then not support these very same areas with basic infrastructure and services is a farce.

As the Australian piece highlighted, property and labour markets have become huge headaches for these small communities, but that's not all they need to battle.

This also creates insurmountable gaps in the provision of services (public and private) and massive downturns in social capital with locals either taking up mining positions or shooting off to metro centres for a better lifestyle.

Desert Knowledge Australia is also mentioned in the piece due to an excellent report they released earlier in the week entitled remoteFOCUS: Revitalising Remote Australia. The report, prepared by a range of respected and eminent individuals, sheds light on the very issues illustrated by the Australian's report. Expect to hear much more from me on this great initiative.

Some one, some where, needs to provide some leadership and vision that will close the gap in living standards for regional Australians, especially when it is there hard work that fluffs the nests of city-dwellers and politicians who subsequently claim to have run a strong economy.

Related Links

• Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
• Desert Knowledge Australia
• The Australian
• PDF: remoteFOCUS: Revitalising Remote Australia