As discussed in the Social Infrastructure chapter, the quality of social infrastructure is integral to community wellbeing, as it builds social cohesion and enhances productivity and quality of life.
For Smaller Cities and Regional Centres, quality, fit-for-purpose and adaptive social infrastructure is central to their ability to attract and retain residents and businesses.
While people's choice of where to live is heavily influenced by employment availability, other liveability factors, such as access to health and education services, as well as arts and recreational activities also feature highly.
The focus of investment in economic and social infrastructure needed to support a population redistribution trend is substantively different to current scenarios.71
Many regional locations and small cities are the 'hub' in a hub and spoke model of service delivery for their local catchment areas. This presents a risk that legacy infrastructure, such as public hospitals and schools that are ageing or under strain, will not be able to meet the needs of larger populations.
To attract and retain residents, skilled workers and businesses, state and territory and local governments should identify, strategically plan for and prioritise appropriate social infrastructure, then sequence it according to local community need.
In addition, international experience shows that planning and investment in initiatives, such as appropriate housing options and education initiatives, as critical to realising the benefits of growth as developing transport hubs and networks.72