What the new Albanese government needs to do to help 10 million Australians

While the election result tells our political leaders a lot about the hearts and minds of Australians, it didn't reveal everything.

A cursory review unveils a nation divided, and on some issues that may be true, but the reality of what regional is, and what it will become is something quite different.

At its heart, this crusade is not politically motivated, rather it's about driving social and systemic change, to ensure regional Australians have the infrastructure, services, funding and support needed to play their vital role in our nation's story.

The start of a new government term is when we can reconvene conversations about that rebalancing act.

Initiatives like the Regional Investment Framework, built over the past three years, can now move forward.

It's also the time to focus on long-term projects, to ensure meaningful consultation and action.

And long-term is what regional Australia needs, because the regions of yesterday are quite different to the regions of tomorrow. Amid the cross-nation, pre-polling publicity blitz, analyses of new Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data revealed regional Australia's population jumped to 9.91 million people - a 6.3 per cent increase since 2019.

If we as a country harness the growth potential the regions offer, the estimated productivity gains could be in the magnitude of nearly $14 billion and growing. Combine that with the leading role the regions are playing in the global net-zero transition, and the reliable and significant economic contribution they make through driving the nation's top 10 exports, then it's evident regional Australia needs a blueprint for the future.

A National Population Plan is a crucial first step in a holistic puzzle to put in motion a long-term strategy for regional Australia.

Undertaking population scenario modelling and planning would provide valuable insight for policymakers to plan settlements for optimal social, economic and environmental outcomes.

While housing continues to be a central feature of the policy landscape, we are no closer to answering the most important question - where is that investment most needed and why?

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The absence of such a plan means the true potential of these investments cannot be realised in a way that could not only reimagine our nation but equally unite it. Market research recently undertaken by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) revealed 40 per cent of city-dwellers would consider a move to regional Australia - up from 20 per cent in May 2023.

We know we don't want to be a nation of megacities. Therefore, we need to adequately plan to redesign Australia's future. It's a bold task, but it can be tackled with a strong mandate.

While housing dominated the campaign trail, now's when the promises made need to come to fruition. The $54 million commitment to advancing prefab and modular homes speaks directly to discussions at the RAI's inaugural National Regional Housing Summit and builds on the work under way through the Housing Australian Future Fund and National Housing Accord.

However, regional specific carve-outs would ensure those who live outside metropolitan areas benefit. Housing supply was acknowledged through the $78 million proposal to fast-track trade qualifications - but it needs more focus. In 2023-2024 building approvals dropped by 9.4 per cent across regional Australia, following a decade of falling behind. Further, housing supply needs to be more varied in our regional communities. We need one, and two, and three-, and four-bedroom properties.

Likewise, addressing constraints in accessing finance is imperative.

It is our hope and aspiration the next term of government will focus on a more integrated and horizontal policy approach to supporting regional Australia. Much like the RAI's regionalisation ambition looks to holistically address the region's pinch points, so too must our government. The ambition, released in 2022, provides a framework to help direct the actions of government, industry and the community towards achieving a greater proportion of Australians living prosperously in the regions by 2032 and beyond.

It recognises through setting out 20 key goals that you cannot address one concern, without also affecting another.

We need more houses, but we also need more builders, and to train those builders, they need access to educational facilities.

This systems-thinking approach ensures the sum of all the parts gets addressed, rather than just one squeaky wheel.

Living in regional, rural and remote Australia is a brilliant way of life, but it comes with trade-offs. The next three years are about ensuring we take meaningful steps to minimise or even end those trade-offs, so no matter where you live, no one is left behind.

This is a crusade with a cause. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you sit on - this quest for change is above party politics, it's about empowerment, betterment and investment.

So, at a time when no introductions are necessary, let's unite as a collective and get on with ensuring regional Australia has the prosperity, productivity and parity it needs to rebalance the nation.