Regional Capitals Australia (RCA) recently welcomed new member the City of Busselton to the national alliance.
Cr McIntosh said it is wonderful to have Busselton join RCA and recognises the importance of another great Western Australian city joining the alliance.
“The City of Busselton is known for its picturesque aspects and its delightful tourism opportunities – Busselton’s presence in the alliance increases RCA’s profile and provides us with a unique insight into the challenges facing regional capitals in south-west WA,” said Cr McIntosh.
Mayor of the City of Busselton, Cr Grant Henley said he was excited for the council to join Regional Capitals Australia as a member.
“With the latest ABS data from 2017 showing a population of 38,000 people and an average growth rate of 3.5%, Busselton is one of Australia’s fastest growing regional cities,” said Mayor Henley.
Busselton is a coastal city located just over two hours away from Perth, with iconic views and stunning beaches earning the regional capital the enviable title of WA’s top tourism town.
The regional city also acts as a gateway to other tourist destinations, with a wide variety of wineries, award-winning restaurants and boutique brewries in the nearby Margaret River Wine Region while Yallingup offers native bushland and ruggedly beautiful cliffs set against world-famous surf breaks.
“Along with opening up new housing estates, the City has invested significantly in major community facilities such as the Youth and Cultural Precincts and sporting precincts while also planning for the development of a future performing arts centre.”
“The biggest challenges will be ensuring that our population growth is managed sustainably without compromising the environment or the lifestyle, which is the reason many people choose to live in Busselton, along with improving connectivity through the expansion of the telecommunication networks and increased transport networks,” said Mayor Henley.
The Busselton-Margaret River Airport is currently undergoing a massive expansion to bring it up to international standards. The airport also recently received $11 million from the Building Better Regions Fund to fund an airfreight hub – the first of its kind in the region.
“Raising these matters at the federal levels is very important to us and RCA will be able to help us ensure our community, along with those of other regional capital cities, will continue to thrive for many years to come,” concluded Mayor Henley.
“When we work together to discuss jobs, infrastructure and funding opportunities with the Federal Government we are able to present a united front, which is incredibly important when we advocate for our regional capital cities,” added Cr McIntosh.