Regional Australia is full of exciting opportunities. Anyone looking for jobs, a business and affordable home-ownership should take a serious look.
Under the Turnbull Government, we have seen 17 consecutive months of jobs growth - the longest run of jobs growth ever recorded. And any day now, we’re on track to reach the historic milestone of creating one million jobs since we’ve been in government.
The good news is that many of these jobs are outside our big cities. In the year to February, a record 125,000 jobs were created in regional Australia. In Queensland alone, 64,000 new jobs were created in regional areas.
The figures are impressive and highlight the inspirational story playing out in regional Australia.
The Coalition Government is also playing its part, rolling out billions of dollars of investment across regional Australia with big infrastructure projects like the Inland Rail and the delivery of high speed telecommunications through the NBN.
Alongside these major nation-building projects, the Coalition Government is delivering on jobs and investment through key regional programs. Just last week we completed the roll-out of the Turnbull Government’s $220 million Regional Jobs and Investment Packages.
Under this highly successful scheme we have partnered with businesses, councils and community organisations across 10 pilot sites from Far North Queensland to Tasmania, to leverage $687 million in investment.
This translates to 232 specific job creating projects spanning tourism, agriculture, sport, manufacturing, health and emerging technologies.
For example, the government has partnered with Tropical Pines near Yeppoon to help fund a new purpose built fruit processing facility, which will help improve the shelf life of processed fruits and create new opportunities for local fruit producers. This single project is expected to create 46 construction jobs and 26 permanent jobs in the community. In South Australia’s Spencer Gulf region Max Cranes will now move ahead with plans to purchase a state-of-the-art telescopic mobile crane (the largest in Australia) to expand operations into the renewable energy sector; and in Victoria our investment will help fund the construction of a 12 hectare glasshouse for the growing of hydroponic strawberry varieties. It will be the first facility in the world to grow strawberries hydroponically 365 days a year and it will create 80 construction jobs and 138 ongoing jobs.
Combined, the 232 projects are expected to deliver more than 11,000 jobs, which include just over 4000 in construction and more than 7000 ongoing jobs.
These jobs will make a real difference. A solid wage can help support an entire family, and help keep them in the local community, supporting local schools and businesses.
As one who has proudly raised my own family in a regional community, I understand that employment statistics are not just numbers, but real jobs for real people, delivering real outcomes. Fortunately, there are more opportunities to come.
We all know costs can be prohibitive in the nation’s capital cities. It is increasingly clear that regional communities could be part of the solution. I encourage everyone to take a look at being part of the exciting future that exists in regional Australia.
Dr John McVeigh is the Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government.
