Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia

Australia has a highly urbanized population and it is often seen as city centric in its decision making. Regional Australia is often relegated to nostalgia and our sense of a bush heritage. It is sobering to note that in 2007 the ABS identified only 18 no capital cities in Australia with populations exceeding 70 000 people; this number reaches 36 if cities over 30 000 are included. The last few years however has seen the bush thrown into a new spotlight. In ocnsidering a big Australia and more recently a sustainable Australia, stronger relationships are now being drawn between resource growth and development and the impacts for regional communities; pouplation growth and regionalism; northern Australia and global shopping; food security and land use.

SEGRA has been at the forefront of these issues for well over a decade.  Pioneering the links between policy, research, and practice SEGRA offers a unique opportunity to consider these critical issues at macro and micro levels.  In plenary sessions, speakers of national standing will be contributing their ideas and expertise around a range of cutting edge national issues:  growth management, limits to growth, population dispersal, maritime policy and remote Australia   In the concurrent sessions delegates will be able to choose from over 40 practitioners’ presentations demonstrating locality based responses and to the range of challenges regions confront. 

This year many regions will be presenting on their wide strategic planning for sustainable economic development – attracting investment, securing  infrastructure, achieving  regional and inter-regional cooperation at government , community and business levels.  Other papers will provide insights into developing community capacity, community well being and services. Speakers will present innovative responses to energy provision, network business development.  There will also be some cutting edge case studies on community engagement, regional arts programs and green industry development.  All delegates will have the opportunity to hear first hand new ideas what worked, what didn’t, what next. And as always to discuss their own issues and concerns and share their own successes.

I commend the program to you and look forward to meeting you at the conference.

Kate Charters
SEGRA Convenor