Much of Australia’s wealth is created in our remote regions, yet many of the people who live there are excluded from the benefits generated by the remote economy. The impact of this inequity on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in particular is acknowledged by the Council of Australian Governments.
The CRC-REP is a collaborative research platform that works with communities, businesses and people in remote regions of Australia to systemically investigate and provide practical responses to the complex issues that drive economic participation. Robust modelling estimates the impacts from CRC-REP’s research will be transformative. Within 15 years these impacts will include:
- over 2,295 jobs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- more than 100 new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses
- savings in welfare payments of $160 million
- additional profitability in remote pastoral industry of $292 million
- an additional $500 million in economic benefit from higher education levels over the working life of remote students
- 1,232 more efficient and profitable small- to medium-sized enterprises
- increased educational, health and wellbeing standards for remote Australians
- reduced social and economic disadvantage
- increased health and wellbeing and decreased levels of crime and domestic violence
These impacts will be achieved through research excellence and innovation by using cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural and inclusive teams, leading experts and soft-systems methodology.
