Regional Services

REGIONAL SERVICES

Regional election commitments delivered

Australia’s regions continue to benefit from the funding commitments made by the Australian Government through the Regional Partnerships and Sustainable Regions Programmes.

The Budget includes funding to deliver commitments made during the 2004 election for projects identified and supported by local communities. Six significant regional icon projects will receive $27.8 million, 15 Tasmanian projects share $2.8 million and 14 other projects will benefit from $10.8 million in grants.

Sustainable Regions

The SRP assists selected regions undergoing major economic, social or technological change and supports community leadership in the development of local solutions. The programme, with funding of $48.3 million for 2005–06, assists the selected regions to plan for the future and build capacity for strategic and informed decision–making at the regional level. It contributes to the implementation of projects that will make a real difference to economic opportunity and quality of life. Priorities are determined by locally–based Advisory Committees comprising business, community and local government representatives, after consultation with communities. These locally–based committees examine projects against the region’s priorities and make recommendations to the Minister for funding. SRP nurtures partnerships which foster the development of self–reliant regions and aims to give maximum ownership and independence to each region. Applicants for grants are actively encouraged to seek partners to ensure that there is broad and integrated consideration of the issues within the regions.

The Australian Government committed, during the 2004 election, to extending the programme to two new regions. The Darling Matilda Way Sustainable Region encompasses western New South Wales and south‑west Queensland. The second new Region is the Northern Rivers and North Coast New South Wales Sustainable Region. The existing eight Regions under the programme are the Atherton Tablelands, Wide Bay Burnett, Far North–East New South Wales, Campbelltown–Camden, Gippsland, North–West and West Coast Tasmania, Playford–Salisbury and the Kimberley.

The SRP is well established in the existing eight regions with approved projects attracting $3 in partner contributions for each $1 awarded under the Sustainable Regions Programme. The Advisory Committees and other administrative arrangements are being put into place for the two new Regions, with the first project announcements expected during 2005-06.

Regional Partnerships

The Australian Government’s approach to regional development as set out in: Stronger Regions, A Stronger Australia is to work in partnership with communities, government and the private sector to foster the development of self–reliant communities and regions.

The Australian Government will spend a total of $360.9 million over the four years from 2005-06 on the Regional Partnerships Programme which supports this approach to regional development.

Partnerships focuses on projects which help communities:
Strengthen growth and opportunities.
Improve access to services.
Support planning.
Assist structural adjustment where required.

Projects are assessed against the following criteria:

Clear outcomes that demonstrate a benefit for the region.
Partnerships and support, including financial contributions and support from the regional community.
The viability of the project and the applicant.

Regional Partnerships is designed to make it much easier for regional communities to access assistance. Applicants are encouraged to seek advice from the Area Consultative Committee in their region.

Area Consultative Committees

Fifty–six Area Consultative Committees (ACCs) operate throughout Australia and are funded through Regional Partnerships. They are the primary point of local promotion, project and application development and key providers of independent advice on Regional Partnerships’ applications from their region. Under their Charter, ACCs also facilitate whole–of–government responses to opportunities in their communities, foster regional development, and are the link between Government, business and the community. ACCs can assist regional communities to manage change at the local level and lead their own development with the support of both the Government and the private sector.

Federal Assistance for Local Government

In 2005-06, local government is expected to receive $1.6 billion in Local Government Financial Assistance Grants. Of the total, $1.1 billion is for general purposes and the remaining $497 million is for local roads. This is an increase of $67.4 million over the 2004-05 allocation.

These grants are untied so councils can use them for local priorities. As councils are responsible for over 80 per cent of the nation’s roads, these grants contribute to maintaining these roads and providing other essential council services.

The grants are allocated between councils primarily on the basis of relative needs. As a result more than $1 billion will go to councils in rural and regional Australia.

In 2005-06, South Australian councils will receive $9 million in supplementary funding for local roads. It is part of the Australian Government’s $26.3 million package to address South Australia’s current disadvantage in the local roads funding formula.

Some areas of the Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria are so remote they are not covered by the local council system. ‘Unincorporated areas’ like these will receive $30 million over four years for local roads ($7.5 million in 2005-06) under the AusLink Strategic Regional programme.

Australian Government Regional Information Service

The Australian Government Regional Information Service brings together, under the one umbrella, a number of practical ways for regional, rural and remote Australians to obtain information about programmes and services delivered by the Australian Government.

The service provides clients with information on relevant services and programmes along with contact details for responsible agencies. The service aims to enable easy access to Australian Government information. The Australian Government has committed $1 million in 2005-06 for delivery of call centre services, a website and a directory to assist the information needs of regional Australians.

The Australian Government Regional Information Service comprises of:

A telephone information service — 1800 026 222 — available Australia wide Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm AEST.
A website (www.regionalaustralia.gov.au) — The Regional Entry Point, providing information on and links to Australian Government services and programmes.
A printed directory — the Australian Government Regional Information Directory (previously known as the Commonwealth Regional Information Directory and the Rural Book), a comprehensive guide to Australian Government Services and programmes with associated contact details.

Natural Disaster Mitigation

In 2005-06, the Australian Government will continue to support natural disaster mitigation at each level of government by providing funding through the Natural Disaster Mitigation Programme, the Regional Flood Mitigation Programme and the new Bushfire Mitigation Programme.

In 2005-06, $33.3 million will be made available to support natural diaster mitigation projects and activities such as the construction of flood levee banks, cyclone shelters and fire trails. This funding includes $9.6 million for the Regional Flood Mitigation Programme, $9 million for the Natural Disaster Mitigation Programme and $5 million for the Bushfire Mitigation Programme.

Together, these partnership programmes provide funding to states and territories for cost-effective mitigation activities that contribute to safer, sustainable communities better able to withstand the effects of natural disasters.

Bank@Post

Around 260 communities in Australia will soon have access to electronic banking services provided through a new Government initiative called Bank@Post. The new services will be provided to Licensed Post Offices resulting in better business and personal banking services for many rural and isolated communities. Licensed Post Offices that handle a minimum of 2500 eligible transactions each year were selected to receive on-line banking services through the Australia Post giroPost system. Bank@Post is allocated $10.8 million over five years from 2004-05, with $6.1 million identified in 2005-06. The rollout of the programme will occur in five phases and will be completed by the end of 2006. The first two phases of Licensed Post Offices will be providing services to their communities by Christmas 2005.