Plan to overcome economic isolation

Sixty partners from government, the private sector, Aboriginal communities, non-government bodies, research agencies and universities have announced a major bid to overcome the economic disadvantages faced by a million Australians who live in remote areas of the continent.

The proposal for a national Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation (CRC-REP) is the most comprehensive approach to the issue of economic isolation yet put forward, head of the bid Jan Ferguson said.

“The proposed research institution has three main goals:

“The remote regions of Australia generate far more export income per head and have more enterprises per head than the rest of Australia combined - but in terms of economic opportunity they often face great disadvantages and these impact directly on lives and communities,” she said.

The CRC-REP will be a ‘public good’ research organisation delivering better business models and tools to remote populations. Within 15 years, this would help achieve:

The CRC-REP will also pioneer a world-first approach to precision pastoralism that integrates pasture cover with stock management to achieve sustainable production in Australia’s - and the world’s - drylands.