Rural and remote communities in Australia continue to face entrenched barriers to accessing timely, person-centred care. This paper calls for national leadership to shift from siloed, input-focused service models to coordinated, outcome-driven approaches. It identifies four key areas for reform to support policy alignment for place-based health solutions.

A collection of six peer-reviewed papers from the 2025 national conference covering the themes: Across the lifecourse; the First 1000 Days; Schooling years; Children at the centre; and Relationship breakdown and re-partnering.

Place-based policies have seen renewed interest against a backdrop of persistent spatial disparities in economic, social and environmental outcomes. This report synthesises the latest knowledge and evidence on place-based policies to provide policymakers across all levels of government with insights on the design and implementation of better (place-based) policies for better lives.

Rural economies can be powerful engines of national growth. This report offers governments practical guidance for navigating long-term transitions while addressing immediate vulnerabilities in rural development policy. It advocates a place-based, people-centred approach to policy to unlock the full potential of rural regions.

This article examines congruence between federal, state and local initiatives to reduce Aboriginal incarceration through the lens of a place-based regional service. The article determines that the multi-level efforts are not intersecting. It recommends improving agreement in communication to increase the likelihood of achieving the desired outcomes of reduced Aboriginal incarceration rates in regional settings.