Public transport and housing affordability are holding western Victoria back according to the latest report into gaps in infrastructure.
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The Regional Strengths and Infrastructure Gaps report which nominates Ballarat as the capital of the broader region reaching to the South Australian border, says the lack of public transport and housing are the key gaps inhibiting growth as more people shift to the area.
It lists 6,332 low income households that live with rental stress and a 43 percent rise in requests for long-term housing assistance in the Central Highlands since 2015.
"The Grampians region is experiencing a shortfall of diverse, affordable and quality housing to accommodate its population," the report states.
"Housing prices in the region have risen substantially, further driven by an influx of demand from remote workers moving to regional Victoria during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mismatch between population demand and diversity of housing supply has led to limited options for affordable housing in the region."
The report also highlights the low uptake of public transport and notes the situation gets worse further west in the region, singling out the Wimmera and Mallee where only one percent of people use public transport to go to work.
Only 1.7 percent of tourists and visitors to the region also use public transport.
"A majority of the Grampians region is not serviced by passenger rail and limited regional coach services are available," the report notes.
In the Central Highlands area, where residents are highly car dependent, less than half of the region's residents live within ready access of public transport with poor public transport access a barrier to participation and services, it states.
"This increases the dependence on car ownership to access critical services within the region. Improved transport connectivity and frequency of public transport services is required for rural and remote communities to access local health and education services. Limited connectivity to these services affects liveability, re-enforces disadvantage, and social isolation and inhibits economic growth."
It is western Victoria's uptake of renewable energy that the report highlights as its key strength and notes it will reach net zero emissions by 2044
But more Australians are looking for a home in the regions, but regional areas are under immense strain to live up to that country dream.
The new Infrastructure Australia report says the inequity between cities and the regions is "deeply pronounced", with rural infrastructure spending set to increase from $6.9 billion in 2019-20 to $15.6 billion in 2022-23.
This boom is sparked by a "regional renaissance" during COVID-19, as changing work conditions drive more people out of the cities, while more regional residents stay put, and fly-in-fly-out workers opt to settle closer to their jobs.
Housing, water security, connectivity, education and access to public transport are the top five infrastructure gaps in country areas, according to the Regional Strengths and Infrastructure Gaps report.
The lack of housing is a serious problem in most regions, including in Tasmania where one-third of renters are experiencing rental stress.
In the NSW Illawarra region, social housing waiting lists are five to 10 years and there's demand for 58,000 new dwellings by 2041.
Better water security is needed in many regions, including in tropical north Queensland and western NSW.
The Cairns council says the fast-growing area could face drinking water shortages by 2026 without additional infrastructure.
In western NSW, inflows to dams in the Macquarie-Castlereagh region could halve by 2070 and the frequency of 10-year droughts is expected to increase.
Connectivity is a particular issue in the Northern Territory, where 10 per cent of the population have no access to mobile coverage.
South Australia's Eyre Peninsula is one of many grappling with healthcare gaps, especially in aged care and disability sectors, with concern for indigenous communities.
In WA, roads and access are vital for the economy, but some communities in the Kimberley are cut off almost every wet season due to flooding on the Great Northern Highway.
Despite the gaps, regional areas bring in 30 per cent of the nation's GDP through industries like mining and agriculture, while there are growing opportunities in healthcare and energy.
The regional groups consulted for the report said nature, ports, research facilities, natural resources, and transport were their top five assets.
Infrastructure Australia's chief of research and policy, Peter Colacino, said the wide variety of issues shows that local communities are best placed to shape their own future.
"We're hoping to empower communities to understand how to grow in the way they're comfortable with and can be sustained," Mr Colacino said.
The Select Committee on Regional Australia on Wednesday handed down 13 recommendations about the future of the regions, including that the federal government create a national development plan.
Committee Chair, Liberal MP Tony Pasin, said it's "imperative" to continually improve the lives of regional Australians.
"At the same time, we need to focus on making regional Australia an attractive place for more Australians to live, work and raise a family."
with AAP
