The Regionalisation Ambition 2032 (the Framework) is a framework designed to help direct the actions of government, industry, and the community towards achieving a greater proportion of Australians living prosperously in the regions by 2032 and beyond.
The Framework has been developed from a decade of research and with extensive input from regional communities, industry, and government.
Download the Framework
RAI’s approach to greater regionalisation considers a set of key cross-cutting themes used in unison and acting to ensure that our ambition is achieved through a balanced, well-rounded and equitable approach.
These themes are collaboration, continued prosperity, inclusion, infrastructure and place-based decision-making and planning.
More information on these themes can be accessed in the full report available here.
To achieve the ambition, the Framework outlines five pillars, with key 2032 targets, actions and benefits that will each contribute to building stronger regional communities, and a stronger Australia.
These pillars are significantly interlinked and addressing each of them is needed to fully unlock the potential of regional Australia.
There are five pillars to the framework; Jobs & Skills, Liveability, Population, Productivity & Innovation and Sustainability & Resilience.
This pillar is about ensuring the regional workforce is optimised and fit for the future. Targets have been set to ensure the skills and supply of the workforce is matched to the labour market, and increasing school and post-school education to develop a skilled regional workforce for the future.
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Jobs and Skills
Liveability is about ensuring regional Australia is equipped with the amenity, services and lifestyle to sustain the great regionalisation. The Framework contains targets focused on wellbeing, digital connectivity, transport, housing, medical services, childcare, education and the arts.
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Liveability
This pillar focuses on achieving a more evenly distributed population between capital cities and regional Australia, with over 11 million Australians living prosperously in the regions by 2032. Targets have been set to introduce a new National Population Plan that will consider a more balanced population distribution scenario, to have more younger people living in the regions and to have more overseas arrivals settle in the regions.
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Population
This pillar aspires for regional Australia to be leading in productivity and innovation by 2032. Targets have been set to increase regional Australia’s economic contribution, boost workforce participation and increase new business and innovation in the regions.
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Productivity and Innovation
This pillar focuses on regional Australia being future-proofed for a changing climate and transitioning economies. Targets have been set to unlock employment and new industries in the regions as Australia pursues it’s emissions reduction target of 43% by 2030, and to see the majority of regional Australia with a moderate to high capacity for disaster resilience.
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Resilience and Sustainability
Australia has no single national approach which draws together the different themes which play a role in unlocking regional Australia’s potential.
While there are various policies and initiatives that address some of the areas across population, jobs and skills, liveability, productivity and innovation and sustainability and resilience, this framework is designed to drive a coordinated effort and holistic view.
It does not seek to replace or replicate the work of other actors, including governments and regional organisations, rather uniting activities under a national effort with common goals and targets to inspire further, collaborative, action.
The Ambition and the initial regionalisation consultation paper has been informed by over 10 years of research on regional Australia conducted by the RAI.
Over the course of 2021 and 2022, more than 2,000 people have been consulted including those from 110 organisations and more than 500 individuals through an online survey. This included regional voices from local councils, regional development organisations and local businesses.
Other critical voices included the members of the Regional Activators Alliance, a group of local government, regional development organisations and businesses, and the Regional Australia Council, a group of 18 leading Australian organisations with a presence in regional Australia. Visit our Supporters page to find out more about RAA and RAC members.
You can read the initial consultation paper here
Organisations are encouraged to show their support by making pledges.
A pledge is a commitment to an action or activity that will help achieve one or more of the targets in the framework. Each pledge is measurable but can be achieved at any time during the 10-year Ambition.
Individuals can add their support and get involved.
The RAI will continue to lead and champion the Framework and will seek to activate the actions put forward by collaborating with our partners and convening decision-makers where targets and actions are outside of our sphere of influence.
In addition to the ongoing campaign to rebalance the nation, the RAI will continue to embed the Framework in our policy, research, consulting and events, as well as activating the Framework itself at a place-based level by engaging with our regionally based stakeholders.
For regular updates on the campaign including progress on the Regionalisation Ambition 2032, join as a supporter here