This year's State of the Regions report

This year's State of the Regions report theme is at the very core of the issues that may well shape the economic development opportunities and competitiveness of Australia's regions. The Report explores the case for the use of telecommunications infrastructure, to assist regions improve their performance.

It can be said that, as a driver of economic development in the 21st century, communications infrastructure is as important as roads and railways were in the 19th century.

The technical and innovation issues that drive the telecommunications infrastructure debate and the impact of information communication technology on economic development are complex. Because of this complexity, the key issues and outcomes that surround the telecommunications infrastructure debate are sometimes hard to follow.

• How can regions protect their own futures and sustain competitiveness in a global and increasingly knowledge based economy?
• What are the real issues and facts relating to the telecommunications debate?
• What are the consequences of getting it wrong?

These critical questions are tackled in this year's State of the Regions report. As well as the analysis of telecommunications infrastructure, the Report also continues to review how regions are performing by:

1. presenting the latest statistical indicators of how Australian regions are performing
2. analysing the indicator trends in terms of growing equality and inequality between Australian regions
3. considering the policy implications of current Australian regional performance
4. expanding the indicators used to measure regional performance.

This is the eighth State of the Regions report. The 2005-06 edition, the second in a three-part series on infrastructure, comes together with previous Reports to create a coherent framework for analysis and understanding of regional development and forms an essential tool for planning and policy direction across Australia's regions.

See also: Table of contents

You can find information about, or access to, previous year's Reports on ALGA's State of the Regions index.