House of Representatives Committees

Standing Committee on Primary Industries and Regional Services

Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

Time running out: Shaping Regional Australia's Future

Inquiry into infrastructure and the development of Australia's regional areas

Report

The committee tabled its report Time running out: Shaping Regional Australia's Future in March 2000. Copies of the contents of the report, individual chapters and other sections of the report are available in pdf or from Government Info Shops (Cat. no. 99 2932 1).

(To view or print the pdf documents, you will require the Acrobat Reader®, which can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe®.)

Recommendations (PDF 44KB)

List of submissions
  

Transcripts of public hearings

21/06/99 Canberra
30/06/99 Canberra
11/08/99 Canberra
23/08/99 Canberra
22/09/99 Canberra
27/09/99 Canberra

Media releases

Government Response: 23 May 2001 (PDF 6,020KB)

Table of contents of report: Time running out: Shaping Regional Australia's Future

Foreward (PDF 76KB)

Membership of the committee (PDF 76KB)

Terms of reference (PDF 76KB)

List of Abbreviations (PDF 76KB)

List of Recommendations (PDF 76KB)

Chapter 1: Introduction (PDF 25KB)

Chapter 2: Leadership and local skills (PDF 37KB)

Leadership
Skills development
Withdrawal of government services

Chapter 3: Policy, planning and coordination (PDF 70KB)

Role of government
Information and data issues

Chapter 4: Finance and investment (PDF 81KB)

Financing infrastructure
Taxation
Clustering of projects

Chapter 5: Access to telecommunications - access to opportunity (PDF 119KB)
Telephony
Mobile Telephony
Satellite technology
Government response the USO
Targeted funding intervention
Broadcasting

Chapter 6: Information Technology - developing regional competitive advantage (PDF 87KB)

Information technology and information - keys to the future
The way forward regional leadership, skills development and networking
Other examples of leadership

Chapter 7: Transport (PDF 215KB)

Introduction
Roads
Benefits of road infrastructure
The state of the roads
Projected demand for roads
Road funding
Planning for good road management
Conclusions
National Highway inclusion of Tasmania
Rail
Introduction
A changing rail industry
State of the track
Investment in rail infrastructure
Planning
Competitive neutrality with roads
The way forward
Conclusions
Ports
Other inquiries
Charges
Airports
Cross-sectoral issues

Chapter 8: Energy (PDF 91KB)

Introduction
Role of power infrastructure in regional development
Deficiencies in regional power supplies
Inadequate capacity
Access to three phase power
Connection costs
Unreliability
Use of own generators
Reform of the Australian energy market
Electricity
Gas
Consequences of energy market reforms for regional Australia
Electricity costs
Gas costs and availability
Private and public sector provision of energy infrastructure
Environment for investment in energy infrastructure
Demand for electricity
Demand for gas
Regulation
Other factors influencing investment
Role of the Commonwealth government
Energy market reform
Planning
Regulation
Environmental policy
Renewable energy
The current state of the industry
Conclusions

Chapter 9: Education (PDF 92KB)

Access to education and its impact on regional development
Primary and secondary education in the regions
Tertiary education and vocational training

Chapter 10: Water resources (PDF 90KB)

Introduction
Benefits of water resources infrastructure
Emerging and growing industries
Investment proposals
Water infrastructure: institutional arrangements and reform
The role of the Commonwealth government
National Competition Policy - Water Reform Framework
The need for new investment in water infrastructure
Queensland's water resources
Options for funding water infrastructure projects
Commonwealth government involvement
State governments: developing partnerships with private enterprise
New approaches
Assessment and approval of infrastructure development proposals
Water Infrastructure Assessment Project
Conclusion
National plan for water infrastructure

Chapter 11: Health (PDF 58KB)

Introduction
Shortage of professionals
Transport
Telehealth
Changing nature of health services and regional needs
Rural health professionals trends, education and training issues

Appendix A - List of submissions (PDF 23KB)

Appendix B - List of Exhibits (PDF 9KB)

Appendix C - List of Hearings & Witnesses (PDF 13KB)

Appendix D - Inspections and discussions (PDF 42KB)

Appendix E - The Universal Service Obligation (PDF 14KB)

Dissent - The Hon R C Katter, MP (PDF 12KB)

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