The biggest challenges facing Australia’s booming regions revealed

Pandemic migration has exposed the ‘gaps’ in regional community infrastructure right across Australia, from water security, telecommunications to affordable housing. See the biggest issues in your region.

The great pandemic migration has exposed the ‘gaps’ in regional community infrastructure right across Australia, from water security and telecommunications to education and affordable housing.

A landmark report by Infrastructure Australia reveals where those gaps and vulnerabilities are, and many are in locations that have benefited, or in some cases been overwhelmed, by the exodus to affordable lifestyle, a trend that was supercharged during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report identified 479 infrastructure gaps across 48 of Australia’s regions through vast consultation with government, community representatives and industry stakeholders.

Housing and telecommunications were the two biggest issues identified across around half of the regional locations.

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“It feels like we’re always playing catch-up,” a workshop participant in Queensland said.

“Instead of anticipating future needs and planning accordingly, we’re just fixing problems and getting by.

“We need to be more proactive and we need support from all levels of government to be able to do that.”

While the participants saw the pandemic population shift as having the potential to be a “real catalyst for change” in the regions, many reported problems with attracting skilled workers due to issues such as “housing supply and access to basic services like childcare and healthcare”.

Existing strengths across the regions included natural environments (45 of 48 regions), gateway ports (33), education and research institutions (32), natural resources (26), health (14, water (1) and community infrastructure (5).

Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has been a hotspot for people escaping to the regions, and prices have soared. Source: Greg Brave, photopathway.com

Gaps in availability, diversity and affordability of housing was the biggest issue facing 26 of the 48 regions, followed by broadband and mobile connectivity (23), water security (22), access to further education and skills training (19) and public transport (15).

Road (12) and freight (9) infrastructure, energy (7), health and aged care access (3) and recreation infrastructure (3) were also issues facing growing regional communities, according to the national report.

Traffic jam for kilometres as the flood damaged Bruce Highway causes massive delays between Maryborough and Gympie in Queensland. Picture Lachie Millard

“Local stakeholders across Regional Australia highlighted a lack of appropriate housing as being a major constraint in attracting and retaining skilled workers to the regions, many of

which are already experiencing skills shortages,” the report said.

“In this sense, poor housing availability, diversity and affordability in the regions is inhibiting

capacity for population and economic growth.”

The Regional Strengths and Infrastructure Gaps report provides government, industry, businesses and the community with a guide to support record migration and further growth, off the back of the 200 per cent increase in growth in Australia’s regional areas in 2019/2020. This regionalisation trend has continued with the first quarter of 2021 being the largest internal migration on record, according to the report.

Newcastle and Lake Macquarie regions have experienced over 33% price growth for houses over the two years to Feb 2022. Pictured is Newcastle

Australian home values rose 25 per cent, a record high, between March 2002 and February 2022, according to CoreLogic.

Vacancy rates across many regions have also plummeted to record lows, with the lack of available housing leading to skills shortages in many areas.

Infrastructure Australia CEO Romilly Madew said the significant upswing in regionalisation, which was further accelerated by the pandemic, had compounded pressure on already stretched regional infrastructure assets and networks.

“By drawing out commonalities where they exist, we are aiming to improve information sharing and enable a coordinated, forward-looking view of the challenges and opportunities in Regional Australia,” she said.

Romilly Madew, CEO, Infrastructure Australia Picture: Simon Bullard

THE GAPS

QUEENSLAND

Central and Western Qld: Water security; Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure; Broadband and mobile connectivity

Darling Downs and South West: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Water security

Gold Coast: Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Capacity, connectivity and quality of road infrastructure; Broadband and mobile connectivity

The Gold Coast has been a magnet for interstate migrators during the pandemic, with property prices and rents skyrocketing. Picture: iStock

Ipswich and West Moreton: Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Access to further education and skills training; Water security

Logan and Redlands: Access to further education and skills training; Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Provision, quality and protection of green, blue and recreation infrastructure

Moreton Bay: Capacity, connectivity and quality of road infrastructure; Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Industry-enabling infrastructure to support growth and innovation

Greater Whitsundays: Distribution, transmission and generation of energy; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Industry-enabling infrastructure to support growth and innovation

Sunshine Coast: Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Access to further education and skills training; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing

Townsville and North West: Distribution, transmission and generation of energy; Access to further education and skills training; Water security

Aerial shot of Townsville

Tropical North: Water security; Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure; Distribution, transmission and generation of energy

Wide Bay Burnett: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Water security; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing

NEW SOUTH WALES

Central Coast: Access to further education and skills training; Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Availability, affordability and diversity of housing

Central West: Connectivity, capacity and quality of freight infrastructure; Water security; Access to further education and skills training

Far South Coast: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Availability, affordability and diversity of housing; Capacity, connectivity and quality of road infrastructure

Far West: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Access to further education and skills training; Water security

Hunter: Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Access to further education and skills training; Availability, affordability and diversity of housing

Byron Bay in the Northern Rivers is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis with many essential workers priced out. Supplied.

Illawarra: Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Availability, affordability and diversity of housing; Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure

Mid North Coast: Access to further education and skills training; Broadband and mobile connectivity; Capacity, connectivity and quality of road infrastructure

Murray: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Access to further education and skills training; Availability, affordability and diversity of housing

Northern Inland: Water security; Access to further education and skills training; Broadband and mobile connectivity

Northern Rivers: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Water security; Industry-enabling infrastructure to support growth and Industry-enabling infrastructure to support growth and innovation

Orana: Access to further education and skills training; Provision, quality and protection of green, blue and recreation; infrastructure; Water security

Riverina: Access to further education and skills training; Availability, affordability and diversity of housing; Water security

Southern Inland: Availability, affordability and diversity of housing; Waste management and resource recovery; Water security

VICTORIA

Barwon South West: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Industry-enabling infrastructure to support growth and innovation

Gippsland: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure; Natural disaster resilience

The crowd at an auction in Geelong. Picture: Mark Wilson

Grampians: Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Distribution, transmission and generation of energy

Hume: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport

Loddon Mallee: Access to further education and skills training; Broadband and mobile connectivity; Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure; Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island: Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure

Adelaide Metropolitan: Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Capacity, connectivity and quality of road infrastructure; Water security

The number of properties in Adelaide going to auction has soared. Picture Simon Cross

Barossa Gawler Light Adelaide Plains: Water security; Access to and capacity of health and aged care infrastructure; Broadband and mobile connectivity

Far North: Water security; Broadband and mobile connectivity; Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure

Limestone Coast: Access to further education and skills training; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Broadband and mobile connectivity; Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure

Murraylands and Riverland: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure

Eyre Peninsula: Water security; Access to and capacity of health and aged care infrastructure; Distribution, transmission and generation of energy

Yorke and Mid North: Water security; Broadband and mobile connectivity; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Goldfields-Esperance: Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Access to further education and skills training; Capacity, connectivity and quality of road infrastructure

Great Southern: Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure; Water security; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing

Kimberley: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Capacity, connectivity and quality of road infrastructure

Mid West Gascoyne: Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Capacity, connectivity and quality of road infrastructure; Broadband and mobile connectivity

Peel: Water security; Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Access to further education and skills training; Capacity, connectivity and quality of freight infrastructure

Pilbara: Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Access to further education and skills training; Distribution, transmission and generation of energy

Aerial picture of the Port of Pilbara. Source: Robert Garvey

South West: Access to further education and skills training; Water security; Industry enabling infrastructure to support growth and innovation

Wheatbelt: Broadband and digital connectivity; Water security; Distribution, transmission and generation of energy

TASMANIA

Tasmania: Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Access to and capacity of health and aged care infrastructure; Capacity, quality and accessibility of early, primary and; secondary education

Hobart (pictured) and Tasmania in general saw a huge increase in the number of interstate buyers purchasing property during the Victorian and NSW lockdowns. Supplied.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Northern Territory: Broadband and mobile connectivity; Capacity, connectivity and quality of road infrastructure; Availability, affordability and diversity of housing

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

ACT: Capacity, connectivity and quality of public transport; Availability, diversity and affordability of housing; Provision, quality and protection of green, blue and recreation infrastructure