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Liveability

Creating thriving, well-connected regional communities with the services, amenities, and lifestyle Australians need to live well. This pillar includes targets to enhance wellbeing, digital connectivity, transport, housing, childcare, education, and the arts ensuring regional Australia remains an attractive and sustainable place to live, work, and invest.

Liveability Research Reports

Answering the Call for Regional Housing
Liveability

01 August 2025

Answering the Call for Regional Housing

This report outlines the urgent housing crisis in regional Australia, driven by population growth, chronic undersupply, and affordability pressures.
1/08/2025 12:00:00 PM
Maranoa and Western Downs Childcare Study
Liveability

01 March 2023

Maranoa and Western Downs Childcare Study

Exploring the challenges and opportunities in delivering accessible, affordable, and high-quality childcare across two regional Queensland LGAs.
1/03/2023 12:00:00 PM
Building the Good Life Foundations of Regional Housing
Liveability

01 May 2022

Building the Good Life Foundations of Regional Housing

A multi-stage project undertaken by a team at the University of South Australia for the RAI’s Intergovernmental Shared Inquiry Program in 2021-22 led by Professor Andrew Beer, a leading expert on housing in Australia.
1/05/2022 12:00:00 PM
Building the Good Life Meeting the demand for regional housing
Liveability

01 December 2021

Building the Good Life Meeting the demand for regional housing

Highlighting the different drivers of housing problems in different parts of regional Australia. These different drivers mean that the responses, too, need to be tailored to each region if they are to be effective.
1/12/2021 12:00:00 PM
Liveability in Australian Mid-Sized Towns
Liveability

01 October 2021

Liveability in Australian Mid-Sized Towns

Exploring the attributes that cause people to remain committed to the community and those attributes that won’t.
1/10/2021 12:00:00 PM
Understanding Regional Liveability: Discussion Paper
Liveability

01 December 2019

Understanding Regional Liveability: Discussion Paper

Attracting and retaining populations should be a key concern for towns and cities across regional Australia.
1/12/2019 12:00:00 PM
Steps to Settlement Success A Toolkit for Rural and Regional Australia
Liveability

01 July 2019

Steps to Settlement Success A Toolkit for Rural and Regional Australia

This toolkit has been developed to respond to the information needs of rural and regional communities looking to settle migrants locally.
1/07/2019 12:00:00 PM
Government that works for the bush
Liveability

01 December 2018

Government that works for the bush

Decades of reform to service delivery across Australia has introduced a diversity of publicly and privately provided services, aimed at improving both access and quality.
1/12/2018 12:00:00 PM
The Case for Collaboration: What it is and how to do it well
Liveability

01 November 2018

The Case for Collaboration: What it is and how to do it well

Competitive grant programs are being used to supply infrastructure to regions, and competitive tenders determine the providers of a great many services.
1/11/2018 12:00:00 PM
Small Towns Report Card: Access to Services
Liveability

01 July 2017

Small Towns Report Card: Access to Services

​Ranking how we have fared as a nation providing essential professional services to residents living in small towns across Australia.
1/07/2017 12:00:00 PM
Lighting Up Great Small Cities: Challenging Misconceptions
Liveability

01 June 2017

Lighting Up Great Small Cities: Challenging Misconceptions

Despite their size, Australia’s great small cities’ long-term growth rates have matched those in metropolitan cities. There are good prospects for this medium-term economic performance to continue.
1/06/2017 12:00:00 PM
Social Infrastructure
Liveability

01 July 2016

Social Infrastructure

This Action Point highlights the benefits of social infrastructure and aims to build the capacity of practitioners to invest in successful projects.
1/07/2016 12:00:00 PM
InSight For Competitive Regions: Economic Fundamentals
Liveability

01 December 2015

InSight For Competitive Regions: Economic Fundamentals

Strong economic fundamentals support local businesses and indicate that a region is successfully translating its economic potential into growth. Regional Australia is as competitive in many aspects of economic fundamentals as metropolitan areas.
1/12/2015 12:00:00 PM
The Future of Regional Australia: Change on Our Terms
Liveability

01 November 2015

The Future of Regional Australia: Change on Our Terms

It has become evident that no true consensus exists as to how to develop regions. Yet there is a growing agreement that the approaches pursued in the past, whilst well-intended, were failing to yield the desired outcomes.
1/11/2015 12:00:00 PM
Delivering Better Government for Regions
Liveability

01 November 2015

Delivering Better Government for Regions

Over the past four decades, public sector processes have failed to reduce the disadvantages evident in regional Australia, despite a booming economy and a rising quality of life across the nation as a whole.
1/11/2015 12:00:00 PM
InSight For Competitive Regions: Infrastructure and Essential Services
Liveability

01 November 2015

InSight For Competitive Regions: Infrastructure and Essential Services

Making the Most of Our Regional Infrastructure and Essential Services
1/11/2015 12:00:00 PM
Returning to Regional Australia Factsheet
Liveability

01 July 2015

Returning to Regional Australia Factsheet

Research suggests that lifestyle, proximity to friends and family – particularly the ‘granny factor’ – and access to good schools, childcare and health services are attracting people back to the regions.
1/07/2015 12:00:00 PM
Talking Point: The Foundations of Regional Australia
Liveability

01 November 2014

Talking Point: The Foundations of Regional Australia

Australia has hundreds of regional communities – and each one is unique. However, the factors that will shape their economic futures can be divided into three categories.
1/11/2014 12:00:00 PM