Business council lists regional focus
THE Business Council of Australia has released a “regional to do list” as part of its campaign for Australia’s next government to have a clear and comprehensive plan for the country’s future.
Chief executive Jennifer Westacott said there were huge opportunities for Geelong to keep growing.
“What’s interesting about Geelong is when things like the Ford closure happen, everyone says ‘That’s it’,” Ms Westacott said.
“They forget that people are imaginative, creative, resilient, and they’ll just get on and do great things.
“The challenge is to get things to happen fast enough to make sure that the community benefits are realised.
She said there was a huge opportunity to export from Geelong and also build on the knowledge and skills that are here to create new industries.
“Investing in infrastructure supports communities like Geelong to grow,” Ms Westacott said.
“The private sector is willing and capable, and has the capital to invest in major infrastructure projects. But it needs an end to ad hoc planning and uncertainty; the private sector needs confidence to invest in big projects without major risk.”
The Business Council of Australia’s regional to-do list includes: AUDIT ENSURE regional centres have good connection to telecommunications, including the NBN; and ENCOURAGE migrants to settle in regional growth areas by fast-tracking permanent residency. USE and more teeth, encouraging it to assess projects from a ground-up approach. It needs to make sure the right projects are being built in the right places at the right time; IMPLEMENT a single application and assessment approach for major projects to speed up approval processes so they are completed within 12 months; ASSESS carefully the cost and benefits of projects, including impacts on the environment and communities; ASSESSMENTS of benefits and costs of a project should consider population growth, long-term pressures on existing infrastructure, wider economic benefits, and the impact of possible technological changes; and TAKE the burden off taxpayers by encouraging the private sector to play a bigger role in financing infrastructure. MANAGE