“We continue to lack a sophisticated debate about regional policy in this country"
And this article has not helped one bit. The idea that Newcastle or the Gold Coast are remote areas let alone small country towns two or three hours’ drive from the capital cities is just utterly farcical.
The fact is Governments of all stripes have shown a level of incompetence in Australia that can only be intentional.
There are lots of things that governments could actually do if they were not so corrupt, more importantly if we had a smart regional electorates we could force the government to do things. There are no votes to be won or lost in this policy area so nothing will happen of any consequence.

Kenny,
I'm starting to think that our politicians are confusing policy with police.

Why do people react as though the woes of the world are either produced by politicians or continue because politicians fail to solve them? We get the politicians we deserve; they are a mirror reflecting the society they exist within. If politicians have failed then it is the voters who have failed. Citizens are not helpless victims who have no choice. It is time to debate what constitutes citizen responsibility: the responsibility to be informed, the responsibility to contribute rather than see society solely as the backdrop to serving self interest.

Economically there are diseconomies of scale involved in operating in capital cities. Those diseconomies are not driving decisions in organisations. It was interesting watching Japanese companies enter the UK market. They placed their operations in areas such as Wales or the Tyneside, places seen as being depressed. English managers wanted to base around London to satisfy their personal life style aspirations. Japanese managers placed operations where economics enabled them to create opportunities and success. Australian managers are no different to the English.

Governments can not control the self interest of decision makers. Whilst it can enable business in regional areas through infrastructure development only business decisions based on economics first and self interested life style choices last will change the situation. Perhaps the government could fund a Chair of Economics to address issues such as diseconomies of scale of cities and the impediment to sound business from executives’ life style choices shaping placement decisions.

But then we have become an economy besotted with property development and speculation as well as digging holes in the ground rather than one which trades.

The Author seems to approach the subject matter with the usual dismissive attitude of a self satisfied city centric academic?
The regions are increasingly responsible for our wealth creation, tourism, mining and food production!
Take that away and what's left? Service providers?
What they are not; are, too large overcrowded gridlocked crime riddled areas, identified by the number of poverty trap or lawless ethnic specific/tribal ghettos?
Or places where a miner's cottage could cost the consumer more than a million! Or die in the back of an ambulance, a kilometre from hospital because of gridlock?
They are rarely ever places, where small business operators are forced into bankruptcy, by greedy landlords or even greedier franchising billionaire business barons.
The regions want a larger share of the wealth they alone create! What is wrong with that?
We could assist the regions to develop and finally fulfil the promised decentralisation and returned affordable housing, by rolling out rapid rail.
Rapid rail will pay for its roll out, if parts of the resumed rail corridors are developed; and then resold as urban land, around proposed rail stations.
City centric advocates have no problem with either mindless privatisation, or the sale of Aussie icons or our most productive rural land.
They say we need the foreign capital? Sure, but why in heaven,s name can't it come in as earnings?
If an inherently worthless letter of credit will unlock the millions needed to kick start multi-trillion dollar projects/industries, then surely a Govt guarantee would do the same?
What will we have gained, if at the end of the day, all that remains is rust belts, hundreds of large holes and an economy, with no manufacturing to underpin it?
And Great Depression like economic conditions, which simply have to be the end consequence of selling off the family silver or the family farm, for little more than a never ever repaid IOU, or virtually worthless letters of credit or several thousand Emperor's new suits?
Rhrosty.

rail corridors are developed; and then resold as urban land,
Rhosty,
You've touched on one of my favourite subjects with rail. I have long been saying that there should be a ring rail right around Australia to complement the Adelaide/Darwin link. It could & would be a long-term project with long-term business/employment. My preference would be a monorail for ease of construction/least effort/least environmental impact. Only pylons, no cuttings or bridges. No flood damage to rail lines. Win,win all round.