The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) has welcomed the 2021 Australia Infrastructure Plan for putting people and places at the centre of future development thinking.
RAI CEO Liz Ritchie today congratulated Infrastructure Australia (IA) on presenting a bold and timely plan, based on more than six-thousand consultations.
“We were delighted to be part of this process and we believe the new IA plan sets a great foundation for prioritizing the pipeline of soft and hard infrastructure that our regional communities need to maintain their high levels of liveability,” Liz Ritchie said.
“The plan recognises the importance of tailoring infrastructure according to each community’s needs, with place-based outcomes being the number one recommendation,” Ms Ritchie says.
“This supports RAI’s view that for a productive and sustainable future, Australia needs to plan for a more balanced population settlement. People are voting with their feet and this will continue but we need a targeted and comprehensive approach to growth which ensures that citizens who live in regional, rural or remote communities have access to the facilities and services they need.”
“Our Move to More campaign launched in March this year is currently educating and raising awareness amongst city dwellers about the many and varied opportunities that exist to live, work and invest in regional Australia,” Ms Ritchie said.
The RAI also welcomed the recommendations surrounding social infrastructure which focus on enhancing quality of life and building communities.
“Social infrastructure is social capital which is the key to economic growth and it is great to see the report acknowledge the importance of investment in this area,” Liz Ritchie said.
“Partnerships between government, industry and communities will be vital for ensuring that collaboration and trust is built and appropriate action is taken,” Ms Ritchie said.
“This infrastructure plan strongly supports RAI’s guiding principles on regionalisation, which put simply, is about ensuring our people and communities outside of our major cities can reach their full potential.”
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