Regional Investment Framework

The Regional Investment Framework is a new approach to how the Australian Government delivers regional investment – valuing local voices and priorities, being informed by and building the evidence, operating with flexibility, integrity and transparency, and coordinating across governments to make investments work better for regions. It provides an integrated and coordinated framework for regional development regardless of a region’s economic circumstances.

• Strengthening our regions is a shared responsibility > All governments play a role in realising our ambition of ‘no one held back or left behind’
• Investments and initiatives should adapt across diverse regions > Initiatives will respond to the different needs, opportunities and challenges of regions across Australia
• Growing and adapting regions should build on unique strengths > Investments will be targeted to support regions to harness their strengths to take up new opportunities
• Regional development should be place-based and locally-informed > Government will listen to and value local knowledge and experience

The key objectives across Government are: 

• Meeting the needs of, and providing opportunities for, First Nations people
• Supporting the transformation to a net zero economy and decarbonisation

This will be achieved by investing in these four focus areas:  

The Framework guides the Government’s approach to design and delivery of regional initiatives. It will influence decision making in Budget processes, drive meaningful collaboration across and between governments, embed data and evidence to support better outcomes, and ensure local voices are heard and influence responses.