The Regional Australia Institute has released a new report, entitled “Rethinking the Future of Northern Australia – More than Mines, Dams and Development Dreams”.
Rethinking Northern Australia
In a well reasoned and considered report, The RAI suggests that
the vast potential of northern Australia is being held back by serious bottlenecks in infrastructure and human capital, but strategies for sustainable economic and population growth need to shift beyond the simple solutions and polarised debate of the past 50 years.
For those living and working in rural areas, the importance of providing genuine pathways to skilled employment for local populations, particularly young-people, is paramount. We understand in great detail, the challenges of ageing rural populations and structural adjustments. This is more than just a “microcosm” of the challenges facing our national economy.
Working in the field of skills development, labour markets and rural and regional planning, the nature of this model of collaboration and its result, has genuinely raised my interest and admiration.
I have had the honour of attending the dual official opening[s] of the $AUD 11.3 Million dollar, Central Ranges Trade Training Centre, a uniquecollaboration of nine Government and Catholic secondary schools spanning a potential student population of some 3,500 across the shires of Mitchell and Murrindindi and the City of Whittlesea.
Southern Hub – Whittlesea
I say “unique”with genuine intent. It is rare [at least in my 30 years of experience] to see a level of collaboration, governance and coordination, that sees a number of individual schools, TAFE Colleges [Goulburn Ovens and Kangan Batman], Industry partners and a community-based planning network [Central Ranges LLEN] agree to fore-go individual funding, to maximise and pool available funds to establish a distributed network of infrastructure and human resources to supply a quality and depth of training opportunity that is clearly greater than the some of its parts.
Today in Seymour, the “Northern Hub” was officially opened by the Federal Minister for Skills and Training, The Honourable Brendan O’Connor and the Member for McEwen, Mr. Rob Mitchell. This completed the “bookend” of the opening of the Southern Hub, at Whittlesea Secondary College, just over a week ago. This complements the two other minor hubs, established and on-stream in 2012 at Alexandra Secondary College and Assumption College Kilmore.
Central Ranges TTC – Northern Hub – Seymour
In this expanded regional network, there are schools from the Government and Catholic sectors, their key leaders, school Principals, have chosen to take on a level of planning complexity and responsibility that is not easily reconciled with their “day-to-day” core-business, yet is clearly in the best interests of young people and employers throughout the region to gain access to training facilities and high-level qualifications in key areas of long-term skill-shortage.
Engineering Students – Seymour
Northern Hub – CRTTC
Broadford Secondary College, as lead school in the consortium, coordinated and managed the five year project, yet received no capital investment. Seymour College and Whittlesea Secondary College, provided technical, programmatic and planning expertise and shared this with all schools and partners. This is what genuine leadership is, at the community level, these leaders have taken responsibility to build something for a region and the young people within it, well-beyond their individual school gates…
The other partners, specialists, governments and individuals have all contributed, having recognised the depth of collaboration and commitment of this consortium. To also complete such a complex task on budget and ahead-of-time, certainly challenges the stereotypical view of the public sector.
A genuine model of cluster-collaboration with concrete, long-term success. Congratulations to all involved.
Links
The Central Ranges Trade Training Centre Consortium
A new report, released in September of this year, conducted jointly by Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC), Arthur D. Little and Chalmers University of Technology in 33 OECD countries, quantifies the isolated impact of broadband speed, showing that doubling the broadband speed for an economy increases GDP by 0.3%.
A 0.3 percent GDP growth in the OECD region is equivalent to USD 126 billion. This corresponds to more than one seventh of the average annual OECD growth rate in the last decade.
At a local level we know that such infrastructure and access is critical to the long-term well being of regions.
In work completed by Peter Brain and National Economics over many years, including the “State of the Regions” report [SOR] we have known of the relationship [for example] between ADSL speeds and per-capita income or ADSL speeds and the NIEIR unemployment rate. This is [perhaps] obvious [now] but still poorly understood and demonstrated when it comes to discussions about “national skills” or the “urban/regional divide” debates in modern policy positions.
Average ADSL Speed vs Per Capita Income & NIEIR Unemployment Rate
National Economics modelling showed that lagging regions have poor access to quality telecommunications infrastructure, preventing efficient internet usage and, therefore, reducing the possibilities for exporting and attracting high technology firm start-ups. Low productivity/economic regions have relatively high local government tax rates because the cost of delivering basic services to the community is relatively high.
The OECD research further confirms these relationships. The National Broadband Network and those working to improve the links for regional Australia in to a modern skills base, including regional and local councils, will do well to stay focussed on such research.
Scotland’s rural schools can be fundamental to safeguarding small, fragile local economies and the Scottish Government is committed to protecting their often unique place in the community.
All members of the LLEN should note the work of the Victorian Rural and Regional Services Development Committee and the Outer Suburban/Interface Services and Development Committee of the Parliament of Victoria. Over the past year the Central Ranges LLEN has given sworn evidence, made submissions to or assisted other groups to contribute to these three inquiries.
On January 19th, 2006, the Rural and Regional Services and Development Committee received terms of reference for an Inquiry into Retaining Young People in Rural Towns and Communities. The Committee is required to report to the Parliament by June 15th, 2006.
The terms of reference require the Committee to identify and examine the factors that influence young people to remain in rural communities, or to leave them; and to recommend strategies that might lead to more young people remaining in or returning to rural communities.
The full Terms of Reference can be found by following the link on this page.
The Committee welcomes contributions to the Inquiry. Follow the link to the “How to Make a Submission” page for more information about how to contribute your views.
The deadline for submission is 28th April 2006.
Regional Telecommunications
On 3 June 2003, the Rural and Regional Services and Development Committee of the Parliament of Victoria received terms of reference to inquire into regional telecommunications infrastructure for business.
The reference requires the all-party Committee to inquire into the potential benefits to Victorian regional businesses from improved access to telecommunications infrastructure and services, in particular broadband infrastructure and services, and highlight any impediments that may stop businesses realising this potential.
The Central Ranges LLEN has provided sworn statements to the Regional Telecommunications review. This can be found here.
