The result of the referendum on the Voice and its implications will clearly play out over the months and years ahead.
A key observation made was the difference in voting between inner-city voters and outer regional areas where the vote respectively favoured yes or no shaped by this distribution. Commentators pointed to the imbalance in socio-economic conditions and opportunities which favour inner areas at the expense of regional and rural localities. This is supported by census data.
Council has recognised this challenge over time and has achieved the funding for the Go Goldfields program to support better outcomes for our early years children. We now seek to sustain assured future funding. Expert advice is the real need to grow prosperity.
We have successfully sought capital investment into community and recreational infrastructure and recognise the continuing need for this.
We have partnered in developing better educational and health services, and championed advocacy for improved public transport, mobile and broadband connectivity.
Council recognises the importance of jobs and the need to attract an increasingly skilled workforce with over two thirds of our employers reporting difficulty in recruitment. Our collaboration with community and business leaders resulting in the three-part SBS documentary “Meet the Neighbours” was in response to that challenge.
In the media release SBS commented that the documentary “has the potential to kickstart an important national conversation about the challenges facing regional Australia.” The Referendum outcome is likely to add to the real need for that to happen.
Cr Chris Meddows-Taylor
