Jobs for the Future in Regional Areas: Submission to the Senate Select Committee into Jobs for the Future in Regional Areas

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Australian Chamber) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Senate Select Committee’s Inquiry into Jobs for the Future in Regional Areas. This submission does not set out to provide detailed commentary on all of the terms of reference, but will cover issues most relevant to the Australian Chamber membership. The submission highlights the trends in regional jobs, industry opportunities such as those in tourism and agritourism, education; and key policies such as skills, infrastructure including digital communications and airport infrastructure, and migration to boost job creation in the regions in the future.

Capital city economies have grown faster than regional economies over the last decade, with Australians and migrants moving to take up attractive opportunities in the capital cities and in cities of the mining states of WA and Queensland. Over 60 percent of Australia’s population now resides in the capital cities. With concentrated population, cities have become the jobs and innovation hub of Australia delivering productivity and growing our economy. Large population centres also support increased building activity and attract infrastructure and services funding which in turn creates more jobs.

Population moves to where the jobs are and jobs are created where there is population growth and economic opportunity. Jobs can be created in the regions to attract Australians, with positive policies that support this growth. Importantly, this can and should be achieved without policies that actively disadvantage population and jobs growth in the cities. This not a zero sum game.