State Election Platform 2023
Image: Aerial Griffith, Image credit: Griffith Regional Council
Ahead of the NSW Election in March 2023, RCNSW has created a list of our priorities to support the growth of our member cities. RCNSW believes a consolidated policy approach and comprehensive investment plan will deliver a more equitable and efficient outcome for regional NSW.
Regional cities are strong regional hubs providing a central point to access essential transport, health, business, employment, education and other services. The relocation trends witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic present a major opportunity to shape strong, diverse and resilient regional and state economies.
These migration changes highlight the need for accurate and consistent population forecasting for our regional cities to support planning of infrastructure and services. These recent population increases have resulted in major challenges in infrastructure, housing and services.
The Election Platform identifies four key priorities to support our member cities to grow sustainably:
Address the methodology for forecasting the growth of NSW regional cities;
Increase the availability of a diverse range of housing to support our growing cities;
Increase the availability of skills in our member cities to support regional employers; and
Invest in the road and port freight connectivity across regional NSW to support our industries to grow.
Other critical areas requiring the support of the state government include having a supply of skilled workers to match demand; building road and rail connectivity between Sydney and regional cities and building the strength of the Port of Newcastle.
The alliance aims to work with the Government to grow regional cities in NSW through increased investment that will build productive, liveable, and connected regions.