Sustainable development for our regions
The Government is committed to a sustainable population and a sustainable Australia which delivers better services and a better quality of life.
These measures build on the $100 million already committed to the Building Better Regional Cities Program to support housing affordability in regional areas.
Sustainability is about our quality of life including population density, the state of our infrastructure and the quality of our services. We can take pressure off urban communities by making sure that the regions are attractive places to live, work and raise a family and promoting balanced growth across our major cities and regions.
Australia's regions face a range of different sustainability opportunities and challenges.
The Government is committed to harnessing these opportunities and managing these challenges.
Liveable regional communities
In addition to our $4.3 billion investment in regional hospitals, healthcare, universities and roads, this Budget provides funding to help regions become more productive, sustainable and liveable, including:
- $29.2 million over four years to improve strategic planning for regional and coastal high growth centres, reducing red tape for business and fast‑tracking investment
- $11.5 million over four years to support regional cities to promote the benefits and opportunities of living away from the capital cities
- $10.1 million to develop a set of sustainability indicators to develop a stronger understanding and enable closer monitoring of sustainability issues.
Australian population distribution, 1901-2006
ABS Australian Historical Population Statistics, 2008