Regional Capitals Australia (RCA) is pleased to present this second submission for consideration by the Productivity Commission (the Commission) and welcomes the potential for the study’s outcome to inform the government’s approach to regional policy. RCA is a growing alliance of 31 local governments across the nation, representing Australia’s regional cities.

Differences between metropolitan and regional universities are attributable to structural, financial, geographical (e.g. time and cost of distance travel) and employment-related factors that inhibit participation by regional students and which contribute to attrition and delays in apparent completion rates.

The WAPC has endorsed a draft update to the Guidelines for the Lifting of Urban Deferment - that specify requirements for a transfer of land from the urban deferred to urban zone in a region planning scheme. The draft guidelines are open for public comment until 29 Sep 2017.

This paper provides an overview of some recent research into regional development and decentralisation, and highlights gaps that may warrant closer examination by the Select Committee.

Education should be seen as a major lever to drive economic development in regional Australia. Issues, policy and funding around school education and transition to work or further education should not be seen in isolation from other issues around regional economic development.