FARMER FOCUS: a fine line between urban and regional
Where do you draw the line between urban and regional? Is there a definable point, that’s the big question at the moment in Western Australia. What’s country and what’s city? Does it make any difference? Well it does when there’s $1bn (£1.45bn) up for grabs in the royalties for regions programme in our state.
With 85% of the population living on the coastal fringe around our capital city Perth, the regional areas had for a long time been neglected despite contributing so much revenue through farming and mining. A regional party, who held the balance of power at the previous state election, brought a policy to distribute one-third of the royalties from mining back to the regional areas.
In the last four years, there has been a massive reinvestment of capital into ageing infrastructure: roads, water, sporting facilities, communication, community projects such as mental health and new hospitals. People in the regions are starting to enjoy the same services and facilities as their city cousins.
What I think has surprised so many in the urban areas, including the politicians, is just how effective it has been to growth right across the state, including the city. Who would have thought that a thriving regional area could bring so much benefit to the whole community.
So in last week’s state election, all the parties agreed to keep royalties for regions, but the regional party that held the balance of power no longer does so, even after increasing their numbers. So the question is where is the line going to be drawn.
I might be a little skeptical about the good intentions of our politicians, even with all the benefits we have seen, but I think that dividing line is about to be blurred.
After all it’s only one billion dollars.
Rob Warburton farms 3,000ha with his wife Jen and two daughters in Kojonup, below Perth in Western Australia. Cropping includes wheat, barley and oilseed rape. Wildflower seed is grown for retail. Merino sheep are reared for wool and meat.
