Jennie George (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Back in March 2008, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Mr Albanese, announced the creation of Regional Development Australia, consistent with the Rudd government’s pre-election commitments. In order to create a new regional development network, it was proposed to build on and replace existing area consultative committees by aligning them with state and territory regional planning bodies. The consolidation, I believe, provides the government with a unique opportunity to implement a more strategic and responsive approach to regional development. And in no way will the role of the federal government be diminished in this process—unlike the suggestions made by the previous speaker. In fact, the new RDAs will assist both levels of government, state and federal, by taking on a broad role to provide advice about regional issues, to provide strategic input into national and state programs, to provide information to regional communities and local government on national and state government initiatives, and to help coordinate regional planning and regional development initiatives.

We hope the new organisations will be based on cooperative arrangements that will see genuine engagement with regional communities with a brief that goes beyond the function of purely a body recommending grants. The changes as I see them build on the valuable work undertaken by ACCs across the country. I cannot comment on what is happening in Victoria and the West but I can tell you a little about what is happening in New South Wales. It is proposed that 14 RDAs will be established in New South Wales, bringing together the functions of both the former ACCs and our regional development boards. Interim chairs and deputy chairs have been appointed and are managing the transition for the new organisations to commence work on 1 July 2009. Consequent to the appointment of the chairs and the deputy chairs, there has been an open nomination process and I am sure that many of the former members of the ACCs who nominated in this process may well end up being on these new boards.

I accept that transitions are never easy but from what I can see assistance is being provided in New South Wales in relation to staffing matters and to issues to do with transfer of assets, contractual responsibilities and cancellation of previous incorporations. In that regard I too want to say to the staff of the Illawarra ACC and the members of the board that they have done a great job in the past but we believe it is time to move on. It is my understanding also that existing funding for the current boards—Commonwealth and New South Wales—will transfer to the new RDAs with combined funding expected to be around $450,000 a year from both levels of government for each of the committees in New South Wales. So when fully operational this new network will be the mechanism for delivering the Rudd government’s agenda for regional development across Australia. In no way is the government’s decision to create this new network a downgrading of the importance of regional development nor is there any suggestion of a downgrading of finance or resources that will be allocated.

The member for Pearce’s motion, while welcomed in that it provides the opportunity to have a debate about these issues, seems to miss some of the historical facts and rationale for these changes, which in my view would in fact value-add to the very important work done previously by a range of ACCs. It is really all about improving engagement at the three levels of government and working in partnership with the private sector, the community sector and the not-for-profits to benefit regional communities. Very importantly, the new RDA network will have the critical task of driving business investment and job growth in regions like mine. I cite one example of a very positive outcome recently conducted under the auspices of the ACC: when in a forum of all major stakeholders, we were able to develop a regional response for significant infrastructure investment that went to Infrastructure Australia. We should expect more of these proactive and strategic projects once the RDAs become fully operational.

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