Regional Australia - Policy | Sustainable Australia Party

In short:

Better support regional, including rural and remote, Australia

  • Increase funding for agricultural research and development
  • Implement fair trade policies that address unsustainable cheap imports that unfairly compete with local produce
  • Further develop land stewardship funds to support relevant farmers and regional landowners to help manage biodiversity values on their properties

Related policies

Policy Objective

Better support regional, including rural and remote, Australia with a fairer share of government resources and services.

Policy Actions (Federal & State)

To support this objective, Sustainable Australia Party will:

  • Increase funding for agricultural research and development, including through greater support for regional universities and TAFE
  • Achieve greater agricultural product commercialisation, regional processing and value-adding opportunities
  • Better promote the financial, health and environmental benefits of local primary products
  • Encourage the re-allocation of Australian investment capital, including superannuation funds, into agriculture and regional development including value-adding manufacturing (see Economy policy above)
  • Implement fair trade policies that address unsustainable cheap imports that unfairly compete with local produce (also see Trade policy)
  • Better manage our water security, including through lower wastage and fairer water rights and responsibilities in regional Australia (also see Water policy)
  • Where there is an abundance of water, jobs, housing, infrastructure and services, encourage population decentralisation (also see Population & Immigration (Australia) policy)

"In some areas these water problems are being compounded by population growth. Consider, for instance, the NSW townships surrounding Canberra. In January 2020 the town of Braidwood (about halfway between Canberra and Batemans Bay) had to start trucking in water when its own water source, the Shoalhaven river, stopped flowing. Yet nearby Bungedore (about 50 km away) is building a new high school due to population growth." The Mandarin

  • Further develop land stewardship funds to support relevant farmers and regional landowners to help manage biodiversity values on their properties, including areas that are either high conservation value and/or unsuitable or marginal for agricultural use (also see Job Guarantee policy)

"As a continuing commitment under the National Landcare Program, the Environmental Stewardship Program provides long-term support for private landholders to maintain and improve the condition of matters of national environmental significance under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999." National Landcare Program

  • Support agricultural systems that properly account for best practice environmental protection
  • Assist farmers and other land managers to transition to scientifically verified regenerative agriculture practices
  • Further develop community opportunities for employment and training in conservation land management in regional communities (also see Job Guarantee policy)
  • Further develop humane reduction and eradication programs for high-risk invasive species (also see Job Guarantee policy)
  • Better manage the adverse effects of mining on regional communities
  • Subsidise new abattoirs in Australia where needed to offer viable alternatives to live animal exporting, minimise animal cruelty, value-add to commodity exports and help secure the livelihood of people in regional Australia 

"The Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU), estimated that some 3500 direct employment meat processing jobs have been lost because of the Australian live animal trade. An ACIL Tasman report on Australia’s live animal exports estimated that the establishment of a meat processing facility in northern Australia could create up to 1300 new jobs in the region." Australian Farm Institute

  • Better fund the ABC's regional services (also see Media policy)
  • Investigate the viability of establishing a publicly owned commercial bank to provide a much-needed benchmark for the banking sector including accessibility in regional Australia. Operation would include areas of low-risk deposits and lending and potentially:
    • Use Australia Post’s outlets and infrastructure; and/or
    • Operate as part of the Reserve Bank of Australia (also see Economy and Privatisation & Public Assets policies)