the book

Globalisation, the state and regional Australia (Sydney University Press, 2018) is about the 7 million Australians who live outside our major cities and the impact globalisation has had on their regional economies and communities. More specifically, it’s about how Australian governments have approached the task of helping regional Australia deal with  globalisation.

The history of the last 40 years tells us that Australian governments have been, variously, inconsistent, ineffective and destructive in their approach to regional Australia, particularly in industry policy and regional policy. Regional communities have the capacity and the desire to thrive in the era of globalisation—but they deserve much better, smarter public policy

Global, national, regional

As Australian governments ‘opened up’ the national economy, regional economies and communities became highly exposed to global competition. The book surveys the state of regional Australia and its intersection with national policies for industry and regional development. Three case studies from one region – the Shoalhaven, south of Sydney – allow for careful consideration of what globalisation and government policies mean for local growth and wellbeing.

Case studies

The dairy industry, paper manufacturing and ethanol production are iconic industries in the Shoalhaven, and their trajectories over the last 40 years are illuminating for theorists and practitioners alike. The case studies reinforce important points about the nature of globalisation, the pervasiveness and inconsistencies of neoliberal policymaking and the role of the state in building and mediating globalisation. For all the (laconic) political commitment to ‘regional development’ in Australia, policies for regional Australia remain undeveloped and often ineffective.

Implications for policy

In presenting the impacts of globalisation on a human scale, the book shows how policies and practices in a non-urban region have intersected, interacted and responded to globalisation. The book concludes with recommendations for federal policymakers on how to make regional policy work in the era of globalisation.

Find the book

Want to read more? For the physical book, visit the Sydney University Press online store. Or find the e-book at Kindle, Google Play and Apple Books.