Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

  (a) 8 million Australians live outside our capital cities; and

     (b) while some regions like the Sunshine Coast are experiencing strong economic growth, others are not enjoying the same levels of economic activity;

(2) further notes that:

(a) many regions, including the Sunshine Coast, can supply substantially lower office accommodation costs and lower operating costs;

(b) regions such as the Sunshine Coast can offer a highly educated workforce, high quality business facilities, first class health and transport infrastructure, as well as innovative start-up communities;

(c) regions, including the Sunshine Coast, can offer lifestyle benefits like lower cost housing, short commute times and a family-friendly environment; and

(d) research suggests that highly skilled people are taking increasing account of lifestyle factors when choosing their employer;

(3) welcomes the Government's pursuit of a policy of decentralisation of public sector agencies, and the recent relocation of some parts of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to Wodonga; and

(4) encourages the Government to continue to explore further options for the relocation of Commonwealth agencies to the regions.

One-third of Australians live in regional, rural and remote areas and, as this House knows well, they often face challenges in accessing the services and the opportunities which our city cousins take for granted. This government has shown considerable commitment to redressing the balance and delivering for regional Australia. We've seen record investment in regional infrastructure, including the $1.6 billion for the Bruce Highway upgrades to the Sunshine Coast. In my own electorate, we are seeing mobile phone blackspot towers soon to go up at Glass House Mountains, at Beerwah and near Peachester. We are seeing the NBN rolling out with high-speed, fixed wireless technology in many regional areas and we've seen hundreds of projects like $3 million upgrades to the Events Centre at Caloundra under the Building Better Regions Fund. Australia is already receiving some of the dividends of this unswerving commitment in the more than 100,000 new regional jobs created just last year.

We often speak about the government's decentralisation agenda in the same terms. However, I don't see it like that. For me, the relocation of government departments is not about what Canberra can do for us but about what our regions can do for the Commonwealth government. It is not about benevolence but about efficiency and a commitment to improving the lives of our public servants.

Cost-effective delivery demands low-cost, high-quality facilities. Office accommodation costs on the Sunshine Coast are 41 per cent lower than in the Brisbane CBD, while operating costs are lower than state averages in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Queensland has the lowest basic flat payroll tax of all the states and territories in Australia. Yet, with that, we have high-speed internet in many parts of the coast, and the NBN rollout is due to be completed this year.

Cost-effective delivery in the 21st century demands access to an innovative culture and a highly educated workforce. We have the University of the Sunshine Coast Innovation Centre, which has become the heart of a fast-growing innovation ecosystem. The Sunshine Coast has been awarded Google eTown status and has been named a smart 21st century community in three of the past four years. The Thompson Institute in Birtinya is conducting cutting-edge medical research, while companies like HeliMods, Praesidium Global, Eniquest and APAC Infrastructure are creating new high-tech solutions in defence, aviation and telecommunications. In terms of education, 57.4 per cent of the local workforce hold a tertiary qualification—well above the state average. The University of the Sunshine Coast is dynamic and growing, offering new courses like medical science, and new campuses in Gympie and on the Fraser coast.

Cost-effective delivery requires good transport links. The Sunshine Coast is already part of the national freight corridor through the Bruce Highway, and I'd like to congratulate my good friend to my right, who has been instrumental in developing Sunshine Coast infrastructure, particularly on the Bruce Highway. We also boast Australia's fastest growing airport, which, by 2020, will service flights from throughout the Asia-Pacific region. As I've already mentioned, the Bruce Highway is currently being upgraded, with a $1.6 billion investment from the federal government. The member for Fairfax and I are also working hard to secure much more funding to upgrade the North Coast rail line. These projects might sound expensive, and, of course, they are, but money invested in the regions is money that truly delivers.

Finally, cost-effective delivery today requires that we recruit the most skilled and motivated people for the Public Service. As I've said before, skilled and motivated people in 2018 expect the best business facilities, but they demand the best lifestyle for both them and their families. A Commonwealth agency on the Sunshine Coast would deliver efficiency, cost-effectiveness and high productivity for all Australian people, and I commend that to the House.

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