State of the Regions

The State of the Regions (SOR) reports by National Economics (NIEIR) are published annually by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). The reports are launched at the Regional Cooperation and Development Forum, held in Canberra, in June of each year. The objectives of the SOR reports – of which this is the 22nd – are+

This year’s report examines local government’s role in tourism development. Local government helps to administer many tourist attractions and assists in the presentation of tourism-related events. It also provides much of the basic infrastructure which supports the industry, especially transport infrastructure. This year’s report seeks to better understand the importance and complexity of the visitor+

This year’s report examines the challenges facing Australia’s regions in strengthening their competitiveness in the global economy. Infrastructure investment remains one of the key drivers in economic growth and this year’s report continues to investigate the full range of infrastructure needs that are necessary in delivering  sustainable regional development across the country. The report discusses+

The 2013-14 State of the Regions Report presents further policy findings that builds on the work commenced by National Economics in last year’s 2012 -13 Rethinking Regional Development. This year’s Report provides further evidence on why a new national approach to regional development is required and what alternative policy approaches should be considered. The Report+

This year’s report is timely given that it examines the future of regional development in light of the ongoing impacts of the patchwork economy, ever tightening fiscal budgets at both the national and jurisdictional levels, the darkening economic clouds in the United States of America and Europe. Consequently, the Report raises several questions designed to+

The 2011-12 State of the Regions report critically examines the regional effects of the mining boom which took off in 2005. The report produces a balanced analysis of both the benefits and costs associated with the mining boom and the effect the mining boom is having on other industries, as well as the potential regional implications when+

The 2010-11 SOR analyses the issues surrounding housing supply and how these issues have impacted both on the SOR zones and the 65 SOR regions themselves. Supply issues lead to pricing pressures and these impacts are described in their zone and regional context. Construction activity across the zone types and regions is presented. The 2010-11+

The 2008-09 State of the Regions report continues to focus on the challenges of climate change, especially given the financial economic crisis engulfing the globe. The Report adds to the accumulated knowledge of previous reports on climate change, including discussion of the impact of emissions trading on regional households. Several case studies are presented to+

This report represents a supplement to the 2008-09 Report issued in December 2009. The supplement complements the original report by noting developments in the issues surrounding climate change and updates the regional income and labour market indicators to 2008-09.  There is also an update on the impacts of the GFC.

The 2007-08 State of the Regions report focuses on climate change and its implications and impact on Australia’s diverse regions. The Report provides a useful overview of international, Commonwealth, state and territory greenhouse policies, as well as critically discussing some of the regional impacts of potential abatement measures and carbon taxes. The Victoria shire of+

According to most publicised indicators, Australia’s economic performance over the past decade has been exemplary. Incomes have increased, unemployment has decreased, and the inflation rate has remained low. In addition, nearly all home-owners have received gratifying capital gains. For many, this additional wealth has provided psychological compensation for increased working hours and reduced employment security.+

The 2005-06 State of the Regions report theme is at the very core of the issues that may well shape the economic development opportunities and competitiveness of Australia’s regions. The Report explores the case for the use of telecommunications infrastructure, to assist regions improve their performance.

The objectives of the 2004-05 State of the Regions report (SOR) are to explore the case for the use of infrastructure development to assist regions to improve their performance and to update and extend the SOR regional performance indicators.

The focus of the 2003-04 State of the Regions report is on how ageing, migration and population growth impact on the economic potential of regions and the revenue raising capacity of local government. The fundamental message from this year’s report is that for many regions strong positive population growth with a broad based age composition+

The theme of the 2002-03 State of the Regions report is regional economic governance and along with the traditional update of the regional performance indicators. The Report focuses on governance and the linked issue of growing inequality between regions. This growing inequality is the result of the process commonly referred to as ‘globalisation’, but in+

The theme of the 2001-02 State of the Regions report is jobs and learning regions. The prime concern is how well Australian regions are positioned to capture the economic development and employment benefits from the emergence of the knowledge-based or learning economy.

The approach taken in State of the Regions (SOR) reports is to adopt an inclusive approach to Australia’s regions. All Australia is broken into geographical units. The advantage of this approach is that we are able to examine what is happening in all parts of Australia and compare the performance of different types of region

This is the second State of the Regions report. The report is prepared by National Economics for the Australian Local Government Association. The report is part of an ongoing partnership between the two organisations to collaborate on projects designed to improve our understanding about local economies and their performance and prospects.

This is the first edition of the State of the Regions report. The report is the outcome of a partnership between the Australian Local Government Association and National Economics (NIEIR). The preliminary report was prepared for delegates at the Regional Cooperation and Development Forum – Sustaining Futures for Our Regions, held in Canberra on 8+