Two Days Left To Sign Petition

March 8, 2017

The Nationals’ campaign to push for more Federal Government decentralisation – dubbed “Get Out Of The City” – is running out of time.

Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien said rural residents had just two days left to support the plan for decentralisation, which is currently the subject of a Senate inquiry.

He urged people to make their voices heard on the “Get Out Of The City” website before it was too late.

The Senate inquiry has already received almost 800 submissions demanding that it hold its hearings in regional Australia so city-based bureaucrats can hear first-hand the need for decentralisation.

“People in regional areas deserve the career opportunities provided by public sector jobs, as well as the flow-on economic and social benefits they create – including more money to be spent at small local businesses, improved health and education services, and population growth,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Submissions close on Friday, and regional communities must have their say.

“Technology, communication and infrastructure gives us the opportunity to enhance our vibrant regional communities, and means that government agencies can be located in local communities and no longer have to be centralised in Canberra and other capital cities.”

Mr O’Brien said the relocation of Commonwealth agencies to the regions would bring well-paying, skilled jobs to local areas.

“New jobs means new investment, which creates more opportunities and prosperity in local communities, sustaining new jobs, as the multiplier effects flow through the economy,” he said.

“More jobs in regional areas means more opportunities for skilled young people who may have left their home community to study, to return back home, and give back to their community.

“Public servants working in the regions will gain a better understanding of the issues and challenges affecting regional communities, and lead to better policy outcomes for regional areas.

“Why should tens of thousands of public servants be holed up in crammed apartments in Canberra and capital cities, when our regions offer better housing and a better quality of life?

“Decentralisation delivers benefits to both taxpayers and families. The cost of regional office facilities saves taxpayers millions of dollars in rent, and regional living offers people a better environment to raise a family.”