Federal Budget: a regional view

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers presented his Budget to the nation on Tuesday night.

The budget is a complex body of work that elicits mixed reaction depending on so many variables.

From a broad-based regional perspective, we offer a response from Regional Australia Institute (RAI) CEO Liz Ritchie:

(This year’s) Federal Budget clearly demonstrated the Government’s commitment to decarbonising Australia.

Funding for increasing the country’s housing stock, developing the skilled workforce of the future, and supporting the Early Childhood Education and Care sector is welcomed and speaks to recent research the RAI has undertaken.

Whilst it’s clear the Government is acknowledging regional Australia, more needs and must be done if we are to have a Future Made in Australia – rather, a future made in regional Australia.

The Government has repeatedly said regional Australia will drive the nation’s transition to net zero.

Regional Australians now make up nearly 40% of the nation’s population. We need funding and infrastructure, commensurate with that. We need quarantined tranches of fiscal support for our growing regional communities, that will pay a pivotal role in our nation’s future.

Dedicated separate funding for regional housing, regional skill development, and regional industries will allow that to happen.

I fear, until we see regional specific detail in our Budget papers, the momentum and ability to deliver on our carbon emission targets will be in vain.

This Budget delivers lots, but it could also deliver more – especially for #RegionalAustralia.

No doubt there’s more evidence based advocacy required from regions, industry, business and think tanks like RAI to progress our interests.

Regional specific detail in budgets is the ongoing target whether it be around decarbonisation or other relevant matters.