The Intergovernmental Shared Inquiry Program (ISIP) is a research partnership between the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) and the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.
The program delivers an annual research agenda focussing on topics of strategic importance to regional Australia. Policy workshops are held throughout the year to discuss findings and policy implications.
The Regional Australia Institute acknowledges our funding partners: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts; New South Wales Government Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Queensland Government Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development; South Australian Government Department of Primary Industries and Regions; Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions; and Western Australian Government Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
The following projects will be completed in 2024-2025:
Regional population planning underpins important decisions on investment in infrastructure, services, and housing needed to keep pace with changing and growing demand. This project aims to strengthen the evidence base for more effective strategic regional planning and resource allocation in response to the significant population growth and demographic change that is occurring across regional Australia.
The aim of this project is to identify and assess the opportunities and challenges for lifting regional productivity and recommend a mix of systemic and place-based solutions for governments, industry and communities to adopt.
The following projects were completed in 2024-2025:
This project will examine best practice models for community engagement, collaborative planning, benefit-sharing and matched investment in renewable energy projects. The aim is to provide recommendations to deliver a positive legacy to regional communities from the substantial pipeline of renewable energy projects in regional Australia in the decades to 2050.
This research project will highlight the specific demand pressures and supply challenges in regional housing markets. It will examine current policy approaches to regional housing with a focus on housing types that are typically undersupplied in regions - townhouses, units, apartments, key-worker housing, social housing and housing built by modern methods of construction.
The following projects were completed in 2023-2024:
This project aims to empower regions to realise the potential of a circular economy. Presenting case studies from six regions across Australia, the report shares examples of innovation in waste management, agriculture, food production and environmental regeneration. The report showcases the place-based approaches, regional strategies and innovative collaborations emerging across regional Australia, often stimulated by visionary local leadership and community action.
This project examined the factors that support mid-sized regional Australian communities in their transition to net zero economies. Based on consultation with six regions, the research found that communities are seeking practical and accessible resources and advice to support local transition planning. Communities view the energy transition as an opportunity to build a legacy for the regions through skills development, employment, housing and infrastructure investment.
The following projects were completed in 2022-2023:
This project focused on regional labour markets and the actions local communities are taking to address workforce shortages. The research showed that regional labour market systems are demonstrating high levels of innovation, collaboration and creative approaches to resource management.
The research highlights six demographic groups that experience barriers to workforce participation: young people; people over 55; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; migrants; people with disability; and people with dependent children. It explores how these groups could be supported through flexible, inclusive and sustainable policy initiatives to realise the potential of regional labour markets.
This suite of three research reports examines transition pathways to net zero for smaller Australian regional communities. The RAI shares a methodology for identifying communities with a high level of fossil fuel dependence outside major industry hubs and offers potential solutions to support their successful economic, social and environmental transition to net zero economies. We then examine lessons from the international context and share local success stories to illustrate the key factors enabling successful transitions.
The following projects were completed in 2021-2022:
National productivity growth in Australia has been slow in recent years. While this is in line with many other advanced economies, it raises questions about Australia’s economic growth. Australia is also experiencing a lower rate of innovation and technological adoption, business investment and education attainment, largely due to changing population dynamics and restructuring of the economy.
Regional Australia has a critical role to play, as it is both the origins of some drag on productivity growth and the source of the required high rates of growth. This report examines the nation’s productivity growth where economic policies can leverage the sectors where regional Australia is leading in productivity, while addressing the sectors being held back.
This research examines regional housing dynamics, suggesting to policymakers, industry and regional leaders that place-based initiatives rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach should be taken to address housing issues being felt by many regions. Regional housing markets are troubled by limited new housing supply. as a result of inadequacies in the planning system, variable and small-scale demand over time, long supply chains and the absence of economies of scale. The result is that regional housing is often unaffordable, particularly for low-income earners. The challenges in regional housing are potentially an impediment to the region’s economic growth.
The following project was completed in 2020:
2020 was a year of devastating bushfires, unprecedented floods and a worldwide pandemic. This research focused on developing tools to help regional communities and businesses owners recover from disaster and strengthen their resilience. While the causes of the disaster may differ, this report highlights that there are some overlapping elements to the way these shocks are managed and recovered from in regional Australia. The report centred on business experiences, identifying the most effective local, state and federal support to build resilience, reduce exposure and aid recovery.
The following projects were completed in 2019:
Mid-sized towns are classified as those with between 5,000 and 50,000 residents. This research examined the economic importance and future growth trajectories of mid-sized Australian towns. The research categorises the different types of mid-sized towns in regional Australia by population size, industry and location, and examines potential pathways to economic growth. The research dives into the concept of liveability as a key factor in attracting and retaining population and emphasises the importance of schools, health services and community infrastructure to liveability.
Research looked at how different regional communities adapt and change to manage their workforce challenges. The work analysed employment prospects in regional Australia for tourism and health. Some areas of focus included the impact of technological development on the size of regional workforces and the skills needed to meet the workforce demands; improving pathways to work for school leavers; analysis of the labour market to understand participation rates and employment culture in different regions; a review of expectations of regional job creation through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and an investigation of healthcare and social assistance as the biggest source of demand for jobs for regions in the future.
The following project was completed in 2018:
This research focused on managing the transition of regional towns and local economies vulnerable to major industry closures or downsizing. The research offered evidence-based policy options for government because economic transitions are experienced differently from one place to another.