Regional Capitals Australia (RCA) Chair, Mayor Shane Van Styn joined RCA Board Member and Tamworth Mayor, Cr Col Murray to meet with National Party Leader, The Hon. Barnaby Joyce to discuss Australia’s regional capital cities.
During the meeting Mayor Van Styn outlined the role that regional cities play in creating jobs and economic growth in Regional Australia.
Mayors Van Styn and Murray were both pleased to hear strong support for this position from Mr. Joyce.
“Every year $225 billion dollars is generated by the 4 million people living in our regional capital cities, we are concerned that this not being reinvested,” Mayor Van Styn said.
“Even if one per cent came back our way every year, the return on that investment would be miles ahead of the major cities,” he said.
Infrastructure Australia has confirmed the growing cost of congestion in metropolitan cities will cost Australians $53 billion by 2031.
Mayor Murray agreed, saying just as Melbourne or Sydney’s reputation was built on high levels access facilities and services, so too should our regional capital cities.
Regional Capitals Australia has been calling on the government to ensure regional capital cities have high-speed broadband, functional and competitive mobile services, adequate access to tertiary education, investment in social infrastructure like arts centres, pools and sporting facilities and assistance to attract big business to create more jobs.
“The 50 regional capital cities act as regional hubs to residents in smaller rural towns, one-third of Australians rely on a thriving regional capital city for their every day needs – that is the combined population of Melbourne and Sydney,” Cr Murray said.
“Our challenge to Mr Joyce was to put plans into place that will narrow the divide between major capitals and regional capital cities for the benefit of all regional Australian’s,” Mayor Van Styn said.