NOTICE: Hard copies of the Australian New Crops Newsletter are available from the publisher, Dr Rob Fletcher. Details of availability are included in the
Advice on Publications Available.The page 4 headline in "The Australian" newspaper of Thursday July 18 1996 stated "Coalition Breaks Poll Promise in Scrapping Regional Development."
"Regional development programs will be scrapped and the entire 220-person regional development section of the Department of Transport abolished, the Federal Government announced yesterday."
"Explaining the decision last night, Minister for Regional Development, Mr Sharp, said "current arrangements for regional development and urban management overlap with State and local governments...there is no clear rationale or constitutional basis for Commonwealth involvement."
The National Commission of Audit reported to the Commonwealth Government in June 1996. The 409 page report made a wide range of recommendations, and regional development was one of the topics addressed.
Under the heading "Inefficiencies and Costs of Overlap and Duplication" the report stated:
"A number of Commonwealth-administered programs largely duplicate State programs. A good example is the regional councils and "strategic" regional infrastructure projects announced in the Commonwealth's Working Nation statement in 1993. States already had in place similar structures. There was no need for the Commonwealth to establish its own structure."
Under the heading "Regional Development, Urban Management and Local Government", the report found:
"Commonwealth programs are poorly targeted, and frequently overlap other Commonwealth programs and initiatives of other levels of government. Further, the lack of coordination and consistency in the creation of regions and program delivery mechanisms r esult in considerable inefficiency..."
"The Commission notes that the Government has made an election commitment to abolish the Better Cities Program and substantially reduce the Local Government Development Program."
"Recommendation 4.37: Abolish programs.The Regional Development program, Urban Flood Mitigation Program and residual Local Government Development Program elements should be abolished."
Senator Grant Tambling gave the Government's Budget response to regional development in a statement to the CARED newsletter:
"The commitments of this Government to the needs of regional Australia were clearly reaffirmed in the budget.
Minister Sharp and I will soon be putting in place a new Ministerial Working Group on Regional Affairs, made up of Ministers whose portfolios have greatest impact in regional Australia.
I am particularly excited by the commitment that Minister Sharp and I will be working more specifically to address impediments and bottlenecks identified by proponents of regions' projects that have national significance.
This will particularly include, brokering of improved links between regions and the investment and finance community and improve access by regions to data and information about regional economic performance held by the Commonwealth.
I also want to reiterate that the Government will honour all existing contractual commitments under the Regional Development Program when it was decided to phase the program out. This decision was taken in the light of the very strong concerns at the d uplication involved with the Program. While no funds will be provided for projects under this program, I will be working very closely with business, regional leaders, state and local government to ensure that the leadership structures that are currently i n place in regions evolve in a way which best supports the need of regional business and communities.
I have every confidence that this Government has put in place measures to support business in regional areas to grow and prosper, and for the children and families of regional areas to grow and mature in a safe and strong community".
Centre for Australian Regional and Enterprise Development
CARED was established in 1995 with a foundation grant of $450,000 ($150,000 per annum over three years with annual reviews) from the New South Wales Government Department of State and Regional Development to support CARED's activities, with an emph asis on three projects:
Since its foundation, CARED (as lead agency of a consortium of other delivery institutions) has been commissioned to deliver 82 modules, 49 training programs and five award courses linked to regional development throughout Australia through distance le arning. CARED has been commissioned to continue this project at least until 2000.
CARED can be contacted at:
Faculty of Business and ComputingAny claims made by authors in the Australian New Crops Newsletter are presented by the Editors in good faith. Readers would be wise to critically examine the circumstances associated with any claims to determine the applicability of such claims to their specific set of circumstances. This material can be reproduced, with the provision that the source and the author (or editors, if applicable) are acknowledged and the use is for information or educational purposes. Contact with the original author is probably wise since the material may require updating or amendment if used in other publications. Material sourced from the Australian New Crops Newsletter cannot be used out of context or for commercial purposes not related to its original purpose in the newsletter
Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email:
r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au[
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