The Aged Care Illawarra Workforce Action Group (ACIWAG) which made the submission to the Senate Inquiry includes representatives from Aged and Community Services NSW, and ACT, TAFE Illawarra, Training Services NSW, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, Regional Development Australia and Illawarra Forum.

The submission looked at the following areas of the Inquiry:

• The current composition of the aged care workforce (ToR a)
• Future aged care workforce requirements, including the impacts of sector growth, changes in how care is delivered, and increasing competition for works (ToR b)
• Challenges in attracting and retaining aged care workers (ToR d)
• The role of government in providing a coordinated strategic approach for the sector (ToR i)

The submission explains that 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 in regional centres.

It also highlighted the importance for the Committee of Inquiry to appreciate the transformation taking place in the Illawarra as it transitions from a predominately manufacturing economy to a diverse economy built on knowledge services, advanced manufacturing, trade and logistics and an increasing defence sector capability. Education and health remain significant sectors for employment growth.

The decentralisation of federal or state government administration to the Illawarra region should be considered as it would provide a win-win to the Illawarra's transformed economy as well as providing cost-effective solutions to government.

The response to the Australian Infrastructure Audit Report identifies some key infrastructure issues facing the Illawarra within the broader Australian context.

Identifying and responding to the needs of regional communities is a priority of the Regional Development Australia (RDA) network. RDA Illawarra and the Illawarra Business Chamber collaborated closely on a number of regionally important economic development issues.

The submission highlights some of the unique infrastructure challenges of the Illawarra region and linkages with broader regional, metropolitan and national infrastructure issues to try to ensure that consideration is given, through the development of the Plan, as to how best address these issues, not only for the Illawarra, but other regions at large.