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The Regional Solutions Programme is an innovative Federal Government initiative helping regional, rural and remote communities find local solutions to local challenges. The Government will allocate $25 million to the programme in 2001-02.
Regional Solutions is based on flexibility and the belief that the `one size fits all' approach is not the answer for community capacity building in regional Australia. The programme provides grants to communities to plan and put into action development projects that will lead to stronger local economies and improved access to services.
Projects funded under the Regional Solutions Programme are run by the community for the community. The Programme works with rural and regional communities that want to undertake projects to respond to economic challenges in their local community or region, or to build on their underlying strengths.
The Regional Solutions Programme is a direct result of the Regional Australia Summit and builds on the successful Rural Communities Programme and the Rural Plan initiative.
The Government has committed $5 million for a new structural adjustment package to support long-term employment generation in the South West Forests Region of Western Australia, which has been directly affected by changes to the timber industry. The aim is to diversify the economic base of the region and build on its competitive advantage by supplementing private and other investment in employment-generating projects.
The Government is providing $151.7 million over two years for flood assistance, with amounts of $116.2 million and $6 million provided in 2000-01 through the Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia, and Transport and Regional Services respectively.
The Flood Assistance Package is aimed at agricultural enterprises in central and northern New South Wales and southern Queensland which have suffered hardship as a result of the November 2000 floods, as well as a series of crop losses in the previous two harvesting seasons. The package provides income support, replanting assistance, an interest rate subsidy and grants of up to $10,000 to small and medium-sized businesses for reimbursement of the costs of clean-up and repair.
Eligibility for the Business Grant component of the package was extended to communities on the New South Wales north coast that were flooded in the period January to March 2001.
The Government is also providing grants of up to $15,000 to dairy farmers to reimburse them for the costs of replacing lost fodder or damaged improved pastures as a result of the floods (see page 57).
This assistance is in addition to the existing Commonwealth - State Natural Disaster Relief Arrangements for activities such as repairing roads and public facilities, and ensuring people's emergency household needs are met.
In November 2000, the Federal Government announced a $10 million Flood Recovery Fund to provide extra support to the rural and regional communities in the severely flood affected areas of central and northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. This Fund is separate from the Commonwealth Flood Assistance Package and additional to Federal assistance under the Natural Disaster Relief Arrangements.
Local Government Authorities, Aboriginal communities, incorporated, not-for-profit, community service organisations, community groups and clubs were eligible to apply for grants to clean up public and community facilities, to provide community services to meet the demand created by the floods and for community facilities reinstatement and reconstruction.
Access to the Fund was extended to the communities on the New South Wales north coast that were severely flooded in January to March 2001.
The Federal Government will implement a new Federal Flood Mitigation Programme, providing $40 million over four years to assist State and Territory Governments and local agencies to reduce the risk and damage caused by floods in regional, rural and outer metropolitan areas of Australia. This will have significant benefits for the safety, economic prosperity and employment of those parts of Australia most prone to flood events and cyclone-related flooding.
By extending the former Regional Flood Mitigation Programme to outer metropolitan areas, increasing the quantum of funds available for mitigation, and committing funds over four years, the three spheres of government will be working together to more effectively reduce the vulnerability of communities at risk.
As with the former Regional Flood Mitigation Programme, the new programme will be a partnership with the States and Territories, financially assisting flood-prone local governments to install protective works. In the first year of the Programme, (2001-02), $10 million will be available to commence new and continuing priority projects.
The Federal Government will fund one third of the cost of approved priority projects. The remaining two thirds of the project cost is to be funded by the State/Territory and local government, with the State/Territory at least matching the Federal Government's contribution. This funding is in addition to existing State and local government programmes.
A highlight of the Northern Australia Forum was that it marked the beginning of the `Collaboration across the North' project, where the Federal Government and Western Australian, Northern Territory and Queensland Governments, northern Australian local governments, and the Northern Australian Area Consultative Committee networks agreed to work together by contributing funds and resources to a joint venture to benefit northern Australia. This venture includes activities such as:
The Federal Government recognises the important role local government plays in regional Australia. In 2001-02, local government is expected to be paid approximately $1.4 billion in financial assistance grants from the Federal Government, an increase of almost 5 per cent, or around $61 million, over the amount paid in 2000-01. About one third of these funds is notionally allocated to councils for spending on local roads. All of these funds are untied and councils can spend them according to the needs and priorities of their local community. Around $900 million of the funds will go to the more than 580 councils in rural and regional Australia.
The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme places skilled migrants into regional or low population-growth areas of Australia where, traditionally, the skilled intake has been low. It allows employers in rural and regional Australia and some capital cities to nominate people from overseas for permanent entry to Australia when they have not been able to recruit suitably skilled people through the local labour market. The Scheme covers all of Australia except Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Perth.
The State/Territory Nominated Independent Scheme enables States and Territories to sponsor Skilled-Independent category and Skill Matching Visa applicants, who are willing to settle in States and Territories where their skills are in demand. State and Territory Governments which choose to take part in the scheme carry out an audit to establish which skills are in short supply and where.