Federal

A Working Group was established by RDA Illawarra to gather evidence for a strategic direction on how the Illawarra could be part of a High Speed Rail network between Brisbane and Melbourne.

The Working Group consulted with key organisations in the Illawarra, and with the local community to determine the level of need for, and local support for, the inclusion of the Illawarra in a High Speed Rail network.

RDA Illawarra concluded that a case could be made for the inclusion of the area with two viable opportunities:

• Transit point in the Southern Sydney area, with a Park and Ride facility for Illawarra residents; or
• Upgrade the existing Unanderra - Moss Vale rail link to facilitate a connection to a possible high speed link along the Hume Highway corridor

RDA Illawarra supported the concept of a national land freight network which focused not only on current transport and distribution patterns, but is forward-thinking and allows for future growth in the transport logistics sector.

RDA Illawarra also supported the development of a strategy which incorporates long term freight needs and endorsed the discussion paper’s emphasis on including Port Kembla as a nationally significant regional networked port and adding Port Kembla to the national land freight network.

In the inquiry into the National Broadband Network, RDA Illawarra advocated that the NBN has considerable capacity to contribute to economic growth, job creation and social inclusion in the region.

Comments were made in relation to the following areas:

• Delivery of government services and programs
• Achieving health outcomes
• Improving the educational resources and training available for teachers and students
• The management of Australia's built and natural resources and environmental sustainability
• Impacting regional growth and employment opportunities
• Impacting business efficiencies and revenues, particularly for small and medium business, and Australia's export market
• Interaction with research and developments and related innovation investments
• Facilitating community and social benefits

The Illawarra is proximate to both Sydney and Canberra, and Wollongong, as the capital of the Illawarra region, is well positioned for the relocation of government bodies. The relocation of government administration bodies to regional areas over time can provide substantial cost savings for government and improve labour force participation and unemployment.

An example of a federal government decentralisation is the Australian Taxation Office which has over 400 employees working out of Wollongong. Lease costs in Wollongong are often 50% lower than Sydney and retention rates are higher compared to Sydney.

RDA Illawarra has made a submission to the Regional Development and Decentralisation Committee and continues to advocate for decentralisation in the region.

This joint submission by Regional Development Australia Illawarra and the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation identifies the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region key factors to be considered in the Princes Highway Corridor Strategy, including:

• high levels of vehicle movements on the Princes Highway, with up to 55,000 vehicles per day
• large peri-urban region, with population growth to over 480,000 people projected by 2036
• iconic tourist road, the Grand Pacific Drive
• limited east west links to and from the Princes Highway across the Great Dividing Range
• critical importance of the Port of Port Kembla as a key economic asset which is under-utilised
• as the south coast rail line ends at Bomaderry, the principal land transport link south is via the Princes Highway, and requires further freight consideration and B-Double access

In conjunction with Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation, Wollongong City Council and Property Council of Australia, RDAI have prepared this assessment of Australia's future infrastructure needs.

RDA Illawarra welcomes the Federal Government's interest in improving rail travel times between major economic centres across the nation, and for specifically identifying Sydney to Wollongong as one of the fast rail corridors in the Faster Rail Plan, page 4.

We are proud to announce that the Illawarra-Shoalhaven City Deal Prospectus was launched in October 2020 and is available here.

The Illawarra-Shoalhaven City Deal will deliver transformative change and 12,550 jobs to the regions.  Further information on the types of jobs, including over 2,000 for the Visitor Economy and the breakdown of high value-add jobs is provided in the briefing document here.

The City Deal Prospectus is the culmination of several years of work with our partners in a deeply collaborative way, led by RDA Illawarra.  This Collaborative group includes representatives from Wollongong City Council, Shellharbour City Council, Kiama Municipal Council and Shoalhaven City Council, Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation of Councils, University of Wollongong, SMART Infrastructure Facility, RDA Far South Coast and the Peak Bodies of the Property Council, Illawarra Business Chamber and UDIA. 

The transformative range of proposed projects, when fully funded, will deliver a connected, diverse and resilient economy.  Not only will the Illawarra-Shoalhaven benefit, but this inter-regional proposal enables improved liveability and growth in South-Western Sydney, including Wollondilly and Campbelltown.

RDA Illawarra believes that an Illawarra-Shoalhaven City Deal could be a game-changer which enables our ability to work across all three levels of government and unlock economic potential.

For further information, contact Debra Murphy at admin@rdaillawarra.com.au

Our pre-budget submission (January 2023) to the Australian Government makes recommendations to the Australian Government across four key themes:

• Development of the Port of Port Kembla
• Delivering critical Infrastructure
• Satisfying an ageing and growing Population and
• Fulfilling Housing demand.

 For full details and recommendations, read our submission here.

Our National Hydrogen Strategy Review Submission (August 2023) to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water makes recommendations to the Australian Government across the following key themes:

• The need for speed in developing Australia’s hydrogen industry. If we are to be world-leaders, we must rapidly develop our emerging hydrogen industry
• Recognition that a significant increase in power generation is required by the hydrogen industry, and that offshore wind will play a crucial role in delivering this
• Acknowledgement that a transition period may be needed, and this could require the commercialisation of early hydrogen production using power generated by fossil fuels
• It is crucial to link hydrogen production to ‘green’ power generation. Eventually all hydrogen will be generated using sustainable energy, and the need for power must be linked to hydrogen production
• Remain neutral on technology especially during the transition period when marriages of new and emerging technology may be required. Ultimately the market will decide best technology outcome
• Government support will be vital to support the emerging industry and its supply chains. Support will be needed in policy, regulation, training, research and commercialisation, and could include significant funding, incentives, tax breaks and partnerships.

Read our submission here.