Australia’s major national forum debating issues including population trends, climate change, town planning and forecasting opportunities has attracted its largest audience since its inception ten years ago. The Sustainable Economic Development in Regional Australia (SEGRA) conference was held recently in Launceston attracting over 300 Local Government professionals, academics and policy makers.
“Managing the influx of people in sea and tree change regions, has been a hot topic at the conference,” said Dr Geoff Cockfield, conference commentator.
Adapting to climate change, anticipating the impacts of rising fuel costs and identifying opportunities all had delegates talking.
“According to the Commonwealth Bank presentation, strong superannuation savings among retirees will bolster the demand for coastal property well into the future,” Dr Cockfield said. “The sea change trend will continue which will have a variety of impacts, including the question of housing affordability.”
Providing infrastructure and employment opportunities for a growing population and issues such as capping regional populations were also discussed by delegates.
“The way regions deal with these issues will impact on their future attractiveness and viability,” Dr Cockfield said.
Unlike previous SEGRA conferences, talks highlighted the regeneration being experienced by some country regions benefiting from the mining boom.
“Emerging economies like China and India look like keeping the resource sector pretty healthy for quite a while yet,” he said. “But attracting skilled workers to regional areas is an issue many of the delegates are having to grapple with.”
Networking and sharing experiences is one of the key benefits of the conference for attendees.
“Open minds Open opportunities was the conference theme this year,” said SEGRA convenor, Kate Charters. “Regional development is often about taking a very long term view, so it can be very helpful to talk to others who are experiencing similar circumstances or to talk to representatives from neighbouring regions that you may not usually have contact with.”
Adapting to climate change will have different impacts around the country, with some areas becoming a little warmer, and possibly more attractive to live in. Some regions will experience the reverse, so it will be a matter of anticipating and planning.
“Regional planning and cooperation will become increasingly important into the future,” Dr Cockfield said. “This conference provides an invaluable opportunity for decision makers to discuss, debate and consider a range of perspectives. It will continue to grow and attract an impressive array of speakers and delegates into its next decade.”
A full copy of the SEGRA communiqué is available at www.segra.com.au
