On 31 July 2019, the Senate resolved to establish a Select Committee into the Jobs for the Future in Regional Areas. The committee will inquire and report on the following matters:

1. new industries and employment opportunities that can be created in the regions;
2. the number of existing jobs in regional areas in clean energy technology and ecological services and their future significance;
3. lessons learned from structural adjustments in the automotive, manufacturing and forestry industries and energy privatisation and their impact on labour markets and local economies;
4. the importance of long-term planning to support the diversification of supply chain industries and local economies;
5. measures to guide the transition into new industries and employment, including:
   1. community infrastructure to attract investment and job creation;
   2. the need for a public authority to manage the transition;
   3. meaningful community consultation to guide the transition; and
   4. the role of vocational education providers, including TAFE, in enabling reskilling and retraining;
6. the use of renewable resources in Northern Australia to build a clean energy export industry to export into Asia; and
7. any related matters.

Submission closing date is 6 September 2019.

The committee is to present its final report on or before 4 December 2019. 

The select committee concluded its inquiry when it tabled its report on 4 December 2019.