MILDURA’S remoteness, social disadvantage, span of services and vast distances should be taken into account when governments consider grants and infrastructure investment, an inquiry into regional Australia has been told.
A Mildura Rural City Council submission to the inquiry said infrastructure investment, grant access and water security were “issues of critical important” to the future of the region.
The Select Committee on Regional Australia will look at the contribution regional Australia makes to the nation’s identity, economy and environment, as well as the effectiveness of existing programs to develop and promote regional centres, cities, towns and districts.
Council’s submission said agricultural and the tourism sector were significant contributors to the region’s economy which should be reflected in government support.
“Attracting and retaining skilled and semi-skilled workforce to rural and regional areas is an ongoing issue,” the submission said.
“For Mildura there are immediate, significant risks to agriculture and horticulture due to the availability of workers, prompting calls for a farm visa and options around labour licensing and accommodation
“Mildura Council continues to advocate for the introduction of a Farm Visa, together with an amnesty for existing undocumented farm workers in the short-term to support the impending harvest season.”
The council said the unbundling of water from land had led to a significant commoditisation of water and skyrocketing water prices which had “potentially devastating impacts” for the horticultural and agricultural sectors.
It said there were many established growers who could find water /prices beyond their capacity to pay which put significant industries and economic wellbeing of the region at risk.
The submission that that given the region’s economic reliance on agriculture, the ability to get product to market was essential for ongoing economic sustainability.
“Rail and road infrastructure are the backbone to these logistics,” it said.
“The delay to the Murray Basin Rail Project, and the underinvestment in upgrading roads that connect our small farming communities to major transport networks continues to add cost pressures to local agricultural businesses.
“In the context of the current condition of some roads, and their mixed use by passenger and large heavy freight vehicles, there is also increasing concern around the safety of road users, and a negative impact on tourist access to some of our smaller townships due to the condition of some key roads.
“Further investment in infrastructure such as rail and road, will be essential for our future.”
The council said the Mildura area accounted for about 10 per cent of the state and that imposed a heavy toll of the community with a large asset base to maintain and a limited base from which to generate rate revenue.
“The importance of consistent and equitable grants … and taking into account the specific issues for regional and rural communities such as remoteness, social disadvantage and the span of services and distances, cannot be overstated,” it said.
The council said access to significant infrastructure funding in the regions was needed to ensure that regional and rural communities can enjoy the same standard of facilities as those in communities with larger populations.
The Federal Government has yet to respond to inquiry documents.
