On 8 May 2018, the Australian Government released the Regional Ministerial Budget Statement Regional Australia – A Stronger Economy Delivering Stronger Regions 2018-19.
This statement outlines more than 500 measures that benefit regional Australia across health, education, employment, infrastructure, telecommunications, agriculture and other portfolios.
With more people calling regional Australia home each year, the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon Michael McCormack MP, and the Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government, the Hon Dr John McVeigh MP, said that it is clear that the growth of our nation will not all happen in the capital cities, but in our towns and regional cities.
“Regional Australia has long been the engine room of the nation’s economy with around 30 per cent of annual GDP generated by the regions,” Minister McCormack and Dr McVeigh said in a joint foreword in the Budget Statement.
“Rural and regional Australia is home to the highest quality food, fibre and resources in the world and these make up 61 per cent of the goods Australia sells on the global market.
“We are continuing to grow our regional economies, creating new and better paying jobs and giving families the opportunity to keep living and working in our regional communities.”
Regional Australia – Driving Our Economy 2018-19 can be accessed through the following link: https://infrastructure.gov.au/department/statements/2018_2019/ministerial-statement/index.aspx