May 2, 2025
Regional Australians are doing it tough under the Albanese Labor Government.
Families across regional Australia are grappling with a cost-of-living crisis, soaring rents and mortgages, and a growing shortage of affordable housing.
Over the course of four Federal Budgets, Labor has cut or delayed billions in funding for vital regional road, transport, and water infrastructure. Funding for community facilities has been slashed, access to subsidised mental health services has been reduced, and it’s become harder than ever to see a country GP or secure local childcare.
The Coalition understands that while there are natural differences between life in the regions and life in the capital cities, all Australians deserve access to quality essential services, no matter their postcode.
A Coalition Government will deliver secure, sustainable, and long-term investment to overcome the barriers holding back regional communities. We will focus on strengthening the economic foundations of regional Australia to meet current needs and prepare for future challenges.
A Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will:
In recognition of the contribution regional Australians make in growing our national economy and the unique challenges faced now and into the future, a Coalition Government will establish a $20 billion Regional Australia Future Fund (The RAFF) to deliver a guaranteed funding stream in perpetuity for regional, rural and remote Australia.
We will preserve a portion of commodity windfall receipts towards the establishment of the Regional Australia Future Fund to grow the Fund to $20 billion.
Once established, the RAFF will invest a fair share of the profits created through the hard work of regional Australians back into the regions.
The RAFF will deliver secure and sustainable long-term funding to tackle challenges that hold back regional communities and invest in building the long-term economic foundations of regional Australia.
The RAFF will help to address future challenges and unlock the potential of regional cities and local communities. It will focus on building productive infrastructure, capitalising on local strengths to grow industries like manufacturing and mineral processing, and develop the services and facilities to accommodate a growing population.
This transformative investment will build economic and social resilience and deliver the long term, secure jobs and opportunities for regional families and quality services equivalent to metropolitan areas.
Following extensive consultations with local communities, the Coalition has identified initial key priorities of the Regional Australia Future Fund, which include:
The RAFF will supplement – not replace – normal government funding across these critical areas where regional Australia faces unique challenges.
A Coalition Government will also make the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) permanent, providing businesses in the North the long-term certainty they need to invest in Northern Australia.
The NAIF has underpinned around 20,000 jobs, yet under Labor currently has a sunset clause of 30 June 2026 – and they have no commitment around its future.
We will make the $7 billion NAIF permanent and give private enterprises the long-term certainty they need to invest in the North.
It is critical to the region’s long term economic success which relies on the successful collaboration of public and private sectors to achieve economic growth and opportunity
Small businesses are at the heart of regional communities and economies.
The Coalition has always backed Australia’s small and family businesses to grow, prosper and hire more Australians.
We believe in backing those who take a risk to build something of their own. That is why the Coalition has a proud record of cutting tax for small businesses. We delivered the lowest tax rate in 50 years, introduced the instant asset write-off and slashed red tape, because your time should be spent growing your business, not buried in bureaucracy.
But business conditions in Australia are collapsing under Labor.
Last year was the worst on record for business insolvencies. Electricity prices for small businesses have risen by up to 52 per cent. Borrowing costs for our small businesses reached their highest levels in 16 years and inflation has been consistently higher than other advanced economies.
A Coalition Government will help kickstart newly incorporated businesses with a tapered, three-year Entrepreneurship Accelerator to reduce the tax on their first $200,000 of taxable income, supporting a new generation of entrepreneurs and setting businesses up for long term success.
We will also make the instant asset write-off permanent and include assets up to $30,000, for businesses with an annual turnover up to $10 million.
The Coalition will also make it easier for banks to lend to small businesses by working with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) to set clear rules to support small business lending. And we will encourage banks to lend more to small businesses, getting cash flowing when and where it’s needed.
Regional Australians often have to drive long distances to access education and medical care, and participate in sport – and the products you need travel long distances to get to local stores.
A Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will deliver immediate relief by halving the fuel excise for 12 months – delivering a 25 cent per litre saving on the cost of petrol and diesel.
The Coalition will also abolish Labor’s family car and ute tax which would drive up the cost of buying new cars. By abolishing this tax, regional Australians will save up to $14,400 off the cost of a new Ford Ranger or up to $7,800 off a Toyota Prado.
A Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will deliver cheaper energy for Australians by adopting a balanced energy mix, including responsible growth in renewables, more gas, and in seven locations, replacing retiring coal fired power stations with zero emissions nuclear energy. This will deliver an energy system 44 per cent cheaper than Labor’s reckless renewables-only plan, saving Australians $263 billion through to 2050.
Our policy will minimise the footprint of our energy system by avoiding the massive overbuild of renewables and the 28,000 kilometres of transmission lines under Labor, which can disrupt regional communities and cut across pristine landscapes and prime agricultural land.
Our National Gas Plan will deliver more natural gas for Australians by reserving gas for the domestic market, unlocking new supply, and investing in the infrastructure to get the gas where it is needed. Independent modelling estimates that, under the Coalition’s suite of policies, the wholesale price of gas would drop by 23 per cent on average, and, as an increasing volume of new gas sales are made, progressively lower prices by:
A Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will put the community first and scrap the Offshore Wind Zones in Bunbury, Hunter, Illawarra and the Southern Ocean in Victoria.
Labor has deliberately ignored serious economic, social, and environmental concerns raised by residents about these proposed wind zones, which have been recklessly placed in critical fishing grounds, jeopardising local fishers’ livelihoods.
We support responsible growth in renewables, not Labor’s reckless renewables overbuild.
If elected, we will ensure these four bungled offshore wind projects do not proceed.
The Coalition will invest in better and safer roads to help our primary producers, resources sector and regional industries get their product to market more safe and more efficiently.
In just three years, Labor has cancelled, cut and delayed more than $30 billion worth of infrastructure projects.
Local councils within regional Australia are crying out for support for local roads and community infrastructure which are critical to building regional economic growth and resilience.
On coming to office, Labor axed more than $10 billion worth of programs to invest in the economic development of our regions. No new programs to support economic development and growth in the regions have been delivered over Labor’s last two budgets.
Local communities rely on regional-focused funds to build the infrastructure necessary to support regional economies, create jobs and improve the liveability of their communities.
The continual neglect of rural and regional Australia by the Labor Government must be rectified. That is why a Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will:
In addition to upgrading roads, the Coalition will get the delivery of the Inland Rail back on track.
By investing in these programs, the Coalition will build on our record of investing in critical regional freight routes through initiatives like the Bridges Renewal, Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity and Roads of Strategic Importance programs, all of which have been cut by the Albanese Labor Government.
The Coalition is committed to delivering better and safer roads and transport infrastructure in regional Australia, including:
Under the Albanese Labor Government we have seen two regional airlines collapse.
The Coalition will support regional aviation by investing more than $130 million in critical upgrades to regional airports to help support our export industries and the travel needs of regional communities, including:
Agriculture is critical to Australia’s success – the value of agriculture production was $92 billion in 2024-25. When our farmers prosper, our regional communities thrive and all Australians benefit.
In just three years, Labor has commenced the rapid shutdown of the live sheep export industry, scrapped the Australian Agriculture Visa, made the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme unworkable and unviable, tried to tax farmers $50 million a year to pay for biosecurity risks created by their competitors, been slow and soft against the supermarkets, implemented general tender water buybacks, introduced a new superannuation tax on unrealised gains, put in place scope three emissions reporting on farmers, and the list goes on.
Since Labor was elected, the cost of food production has skyrocketed, gas is up by 34 per cent and electricity up 32 per cent, leading to a food price increase of 13 per cent.
The Coalition has a strong plan to get the agriculture industry back on track.
The Coalition will immediately address Labor’s mess by:
A Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government understands that strong and diverse trade is essential for sustainable economic development, resilience, and long-term prosperity.
Australia is a nation proudly built on trade. From our agricultural exports to cutting-edge technology, our economic prosperity and security depends on our relationships with global markets. Diversifying trade opportunities reduces reliance on a single market or a few markets, protects the economy from shocks and downturns in specific regions and spreads the risk associated with market fluctuations, political instability, or regulatory changes in any one country.
It was the Coalition in Government between 2013 and 2022 that finalised 11 free trade agreements, lifting the share of Australia’s trade covered by free trade agreements from 27 per cent to almost 80 per cent. We intend on growing this share, continuing our strong record in trade.
A Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will:
A Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will continue to support Australian tourism and improve our tourism numbers through increased competition in aviation, tourism infrastructure upgrades and visitor experiences.
The Coalition knows Australia’s regions hold the key to the future of our tourism industry. While our capital cities attract millions of visitors annually, achieving the full potential of Australian tourism lies in tourists venturing to our regional areas
The Coalition will work closely with regional tourism organisations, industry stakeholders and relevant government bodies to ensure our tourism sector remains supported and is globally competitive.
A Coalition Government will invest $10 million for key projects that attract both domestic and international visitors to drive tourism growth in regional areas across the country. Key projects include:
Water is key to our future prosperity. Without a secure, safe and reliable supply communities cannot grow and prosper and our environment will suffer.
Since coming to government, Labor has ripped $5.9 billion out of water infrastructure funding and bought water out of communities and industries without a clear link to environmental or agricultural outcomes.
A Dutton Littleproud Government will partner with communities to deliver the practical infrastructure and policies to boost productivity and environmental resilience both inside and outside the Murray-Darling Basin.
A Dutton-Littleproud Coalition Government will set new, stronger expectations for telecommunications providers to deliver reliable mobile and internet service coverage and standards in regional, rural and remote Australia.
In its first 12 months, the Coalition Government will develop a framework to reform and modernise universal service obligations for telecommunications providers, including:
A Coalition Government will establish a $20 billion Regional Australia Future Fund to deliver secure and sustainable long-term funding to tackle challenges that hold back regional communities and invest in building the long-term economic foundations of regional Australia.
The Coalition have identified initial key priorities of the Regional Australia Future Fund, which includes improving regional mobile and internet services for communities in regional, rural and remote Australia.
A Dutton Coalition Government will elevate the Office of Northern Australia into the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and expand its charter to task it with investigating the feasibility of developing a Northern Australia Economic Development Area.
The Office would work to investigate policies, initiatives and projects that could leverage greater investment and economic growth, industry development and more employment opportunities in Northern Australia.
The Office will investigate, assess the feasibility and provide recommendations on key economic development measures.
The Coalition stands unwaveringly with Australia’s resources sector. We know it powers our economy – and our regional economies. When our resources industries are strong, our nation is strong.
Critically, the sector employs over 300,000 Australians, many in regional Australia, and pumps $45.5 billion in wages directly into the pockets of families, underpinning some of the highest paid workers’ wages in the nation, double the national average.
Australia is uniquely blessed with an abundance of natural resources that makes our economy strong and our nation a global envy. But under Labor, this is all at risk.
The Albanese Labor Government has slowed and blocked project approvals, said they will bring back their reckless environmental law reforms, introduced crippling industrial relations laws, and failed to seize new opportunities to develop our critical minerals industry.
A Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will support our resources sector – the lifeblood of many regional communities – and help unlock the next wave of discoveries. We will:
With new supply from Victoria being strangled, increasing amounts of gas need to be delivered from Australia’s production centres in the North to meet community and industry demand in NSW and Victoria. However, current infrastructure – both pipelines and storage – needs to grow to support increased flows.
The Coalition will establish a $1 billion Critical Gas Infrastructure Fund, supported by the reinstated National Gas Infrastructure Plan, initially focusing on near-term projects critical to address the immediate gas shortfalls in southern states and opportunities like unlocking the Beetaloo.
Storage, in particular, will be critical to take additional gas supply from Queensland and other sources to hold for use during peak demand over winter periods. This will take pressure off seasonal pricing peaks, help avoid Labor’s looming shortfalls and put downward pressure on prices.
The Coalition has a plan to address Labor’s housing crisis, to boost supply across the country and help Australians get into their first home.
We will invest in shovel-ready enabling infrastructure, the lack of which is hindering the development of new housing, through a new Housing Infrastructure Programme.
This includes new or upgraded housing project infrastructure such as:
An elected Coalition Government will commit $5 billion to get these projects moving, unlocking up to 500,000 homes to be delivered more quickly. A target of 30 per cent of the $5 billion will be for enabling infrastructure to get housing projects up in rural and regional Australia.
Amid their housing crisis, Labor has brought in a record more than one million migrants in just over two years, yet fewer than 400,000 dwellings were completed in that time.
To alleviate pressure on the housing market, we will put in place a 25 per cent reduction in the permanent migration program for the first two years, to free up more homes for Australians. The program will continue at a reduced rate as the housing crisis is alleviated.
The Coalition will also implement a two-year ban on foreign investors and temporary residents purchasing existing homes.
By reducing the migration program to a sustainable level, the Coalition will free up almost 40,000 additional homes in the first year. And well over 100,000 homes in the next five years.
Our plan will help the next generation of regional first home buyers achieve the dream of home ownership. At each stage of the process of buying your first home, the Coalition will help young Australians reach their goal. We will:
The Coalition has a clear plan to alleviate pressure on the housing market, boost supply, tackle Australia’s housing crisis and restore the dream of home ownership.
To ensure a robust and responsible emergency management system, a Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will remain committed to working with state and territory governments to ensure our communities can be prepared for emergencies and can respond and recover as quickly as possible.
Regional Australians’ access to affordable healthcare has become another victim of Labor’s cost-of-living crisis.
Under the Albanese Labor Government, regional health care is becoming unaffordable and heading in the wrong direction – as nationwide bulk billing rates have plummeted 11% in the last three years.
In contrast, a Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will invest $100 million towards upgrading regional medical training facilities across Australia and deliver 200 additional regional medical Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs), to fast track more health professionals living and working in regional, rural and remote Australia.
Building on the former Coalition Government’s strong record in regional health, we will fund a comprehensive National Rural, Regional, and Remote Health Strategy, to ensure Australia has a long-term plan to meet the healthcare challenges in these communities. The Strategy will be outcomes-focused and built on the principles of Teach and Train, Recruit and Retain, creating a healthcare system that is inspiring, innovative, and delivers for rural, regional and remote Australians.
As part of our historic $9.4 billion primary healthcare and mental health package, a Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will:
A Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will establish a new Raising the Regions Program to deliver flexible and innovative approaches to early childhood education and care in childcare deserts in regional and rural areas where there is limited or no supply.
We will provide $100 million to deliver solutions for communities which have been forgotten by Anthony Albanese and the Labor Government.
Under the Coalition’s commitment, funding will be available to support the set-up or expansion of flexible alternatives to the long day care model, with potential models including:
The Coalition understands the complexities of delivering early childhood education and care in rural and regional Australia, and the importance of creating more choice and flexibility for families and service providers.
We know that regional, rural and remote communities in Australia have little to no access to childcare. We also know that long day care models of early childhood education don’t always work for these communities, which have far fewer children and families spread across vast geographies.
Labor’s policies have completely neglected this reality. The guarantee of childcare three days a week means absolutely nothing if you live in a community where families can’t even secure one day a week of care.
The Coalition is committed to giving every child in regional Australia access to quality early learning, regardless of where they live.
The Coalition will ensure the $1 billion in the Building Early Education Fund will be invested into early childhood education around Australia.
A Dutton Coalition Government will invest up to $40 million over an initial two years to increase the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Boarding allowance by an extra $4,000 per year and change indexation to the CPI Education Sub Index.
The AIC Boarding allowance will increase for geographically isolated families from $10,338 per year to $14,338 per year to help deal with cost of living pressures now.
Historically the CPI education subgroup has been, on average, 1.5% higher than overall CPI. The need to increase CPI to the education subgroup allows for the true reflection of the current increases being seen for education fees.
The Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) recently conducted a survey which showed more than 75% of respondents bear out-of-pocket expenses of more than $20,000 per year.
This increase will bring the allowance back in line with the original intent by covering at least 55% of the average boarding fee, assisting families in geographically isolated areas to access suitable schooling for the next generation.
After the first year of additional funding, a Coalition Government will undertake a review of the financial impact on isolated families. This review will inform decisions about future payments beyond the initial two years.
Three years ago, the Prime Minister said “no one would be held back, no one would be left behind”. Since then Labor has turned its back on the regions, cutting funding for regional infrastructure projects, breaking promises to local councils, and axing successful and necessary regional initiatives.
Under Labor, regional Australia doesn’t get its fair share of funding and is continually bearing the brunt of city-centric policies and decision-making, plus the extra burden of Labor’s cost-of-living crisis.
Since coming to government, Labor has:
Regional Australia is crying out for support to be able to invest in community and economic infrastructure and services – initiatives that are critical to building stronger, healthier communities, regional economic growth and resilience. The Coalition believes geography should not be a determinant of success.
A Dutton Littleproud Coalition Government will:
Our commitment is clear: we will bring a strong regional perspective to every decision, always seeking fairness and equity. Regional Australia will have a powerful voice in a Coalition Government, with senior Ministers from rural and regional communities represented in both Cabinet and the Ministry.
A Coalition Government will not shortchange the regions. We will invest in practical local solutions to build economic and social resilience and deliver long-term, secure jobs and opportunities for regional families and quality services, equivalent to metropolitan areas.
Our priorities are building stronger regional economies and secure communities, delivering opportunity and prosperity for all regional Australians, and ensuring a sustainable environment.
Stronger, more secure, sustainable local communities that provide the opportunity for everyone to prosper will deliver a stronger, more secure and sustainable nation.
The Nationals commitment to the national interest does not stop there. The Nationals provide a considered and common sense perspective on all elements of Government policy and a balance between Australia’s political extremes.
