House of Representatives Committees

| House of Representatives Standing Commitee on Regional Australia

Note: This page contains links to PDF files. For more information, see the web page on Accessing files.

Cancer of the bush or salvation for our cities?

February 2013

© Commonwealth of Australia 2013

ISBN 978-0-642-79849-7 (Printed version)
ISBN 978-0-642-79850-3 (HTML version)

View the report as a single document - (PDF 1.66MB)


View the report as separate downloadable parts:

Preliminary pages (PDF 327KB)
 
Chapter 1 Introduction (PDF 69KB)

Definitions
Conduct of the inquiry
Structure of the report

 
Chapter 2 The FIFO workforce practice for resource development (PDF 267KB)

Purpose-built company towns
Long distance commuting
The emergence of fly-in, fly-out workforce practices
Current profile of the resource industry
Workforce profile
Labour shortages and conditions
Workforce outlook
Construction workforces
Operational workforces
Workforce projections
Workforce and population data
Population-based funding for services
ABS definitions
Challenges in data collection
Committee comment

 
Chapter 3 ‘Fly-in’ communities (PDF 358KB)

Community image and social cohesion
‘Us’ versus ‘them’
Safety
Community engagement
12-hour shifts
Drive-in, drive-out after 12 hour shifts
Economic impact
Medical services
Economic diversification
Tourism
Business development
Choice
Community benefits
Local government involvement in planning
Royalties for regions and local government capacity
Housing affordability
One solution – adequate land release
Commonwealth assistance

 
Chapter 4 ‘Fly-out’ communities (PDF 201KB)

The FIFO worker experience
Accommodation standards
Health impacts on FIFO workers
Committee comment
FIFO families
The impact on children
 ‘Source’ communities
Impact on source communities
Benefits for Indigenous communities
Committee comment

 
Chapter 5 Governance (PDF 388KB)

Taxation
Fringe benefits tax
Zone tax offset
Voting and electoral enrolment
Voting accessibility
Committee comment
Commonwealth agencies’ responses to FIFO
Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
Committee comment
Governance model
A case study in coordinated response

 
Chapter 6 Delivery of health services and local training (PDF 284KB)

FIFO and health professionals
Workforce shortages
Nurses and allied health professionals
Building a residential medical workforce
Committee comment
Other services
Youth services
Policing
Non-residential workforces and local communities: a case study
Committee comment
Training and skills development
Skills shortages
Recruitment and skills sourcing
Local training
Commonwealth initiatives
Challenges in regional education
Committee comment

 
Dissenting report – Dan Tehan MP (PDF 26KB)
 
Appendix A – List of submissions (PDF 59KB)
 
Appendix B – List of exhibits (PDF 58KB)
 
Appendix C – List of witnesses, hearings and inspections (PDF 130KB)
 
Appendix D – Delegation program (PDF 65KB)

Canada
Mongolia

Back to top

We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website may contain images and voices of deceased people.