Loyalty for regions: Governance reform in the Pilbara (Report to the Pilbara Development Commission)

This Pilbara report is a companion report to the remoteFOCUS report titled 'Fixing the Hole in Australia's Heartland: How Government needs to work in remote Australia'. It is specific to the Pilbara region in Western Australia, however, it draws on the national conversation, analysis and findings of the remoteFOCUS project...In short the remoteFOCUS report confirms the initial diagnosis outlined in the remoteFOCUS Prospectus 'remoteFOCUS: Revitalising Remote Australia' that remote Australia is in dire trouble, and that the way governments engage with, administer and govern remote Australia is at the heart of the problem. The plethora of programs, plans and interventions, the disconnection and uncoordination between the tiers of government and the dissatisfaction and disengagement of remote citizens, attest to this reality. The Pilbara on first glance appears to be at the other end of the remote Australia spectrum being unique in its environment and economic features and the scale and nature of the challenges and change it faces. Yet it shares much in common with all of remote Australia when it comes to matters of governance. The remoteFOCUS report clearly shows that there is a uniformity of diagnosis from the community, government and academe that change is needed and despite well intentioned attempts to respond to this concern, efforts have continually fallen short. The public service has responded by working harder and endeavouring to respond in a more coordinated way. And while the focus of considerable effort across remote Australia has been to address Aboriginal disadvantage, the diagnosis is not unique to them, and affects all residents of remote Australia. This is an issue of about how governments work - not something caused by the people of remote Australia. Systemic change is needed.