Incentives are worth looking at

SENATOR Ian Macdonald’s call for a review of regional tax incentives warrants investigation.

Given the tax rebates, which were first put in place more than 70 years ago, have not been adjusted for CPI, it’s logical that the cost of living has changed and as such these amount should be reconsidered too.

The Queensland LNP senator said if these incentives had been adjusted, North Queenslanders would receive between $ 50,000 and $ 25,000 instead of the pittance they currently receive.

The money would go part way towards helping those who had to travel far to access essential services, especially North Queensland residents living out west.

When you consider the exorbitant cost of air travel alone, which is currently the subject of a Senate inquiry, should residents need to travel for health care or education or for other essential services, it hits their hip- pockets, hard.

Of course, the debate is likely to fall flat with city dwellers, who may have little sympathy for those of us living regionally.

However, our regions need to remain strong to prevent overcrowding in our capital cities, which are already bursting at the seams.

It’s not the easiest of messages to sell to southerners but it’s important all the same.

The regions provide the food our country eats and the energy to power it.

The Australian economy is largely driven by the regions.

So it’s in the country’s best interests to keep a geographical spread and it’s sage to consider how we may incentivise people to move to areas such as North Queensland, and to make it sustainable for them to stay.

Of course, infrastructure plays a key role and government money needs to continue to be invested in making regional areas liveable, but when experts are tipping Townsville is on the cusp of a skills shortage, further measures to get workers and their families to consider a change of scene are certainly worthy of discussion.