Neoliberalism and the Institutions for Regional Development in Australia

Bibliographic Data

ID5877157
AuthorsAndrew Beer (0000-0002-9255-3985, Flinders University, corresponding author), Terry Clower, Terry L Clower (0000-0002-5788-0921, University of North Texas), Graham Haughtow (University of Hull), Angus Maude (0000-0001-5644-9470, Flinders University), Alaric Maude
Year2005
Volume43
Issue1
Pages49-58
Publication date2005-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGeographical Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1745-5863 • E-ISSN: 1745-5871
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1745-5871.2005.00292.x
OpenAlexW2129728202
LanguageEN
Citations received53
References cited9

This paper examines some effects of the pursuit of neoliberalism on regional development policy and practice in Australia, and in particular on the activities and effectiveness of regional development organisations. The paper interprets data from a survey of 505 regional development organisations across Australia through the framework of Jessop's contribution to state theory and his identification of four key trends in economic management under neoliberalism. Regional development policies are seen as a response of governments to electoral pressure from regions, but a response that is constrained by the dominance of neoliberal ideology. The objectives of regional development are predominantly economic, but are often limited to the role of facilitation and the provision of information. Some responsibility for regional development has been shifted downwards to regions, but the effectiveness of the organisations given this responsibility is reduced by the short-term and competitive nature of much of their funding, the lack of coordination between regional development actors at the local level, the proliferation of agencies and the competition between them. The paper concludes that regional development agencies in Australia are in many ways a product of neoliberalism, since they represent one way in which governments can be seen to be responding to regional pressure for assistance but they can do so without incurring significant costs. Yet regional development bodies are also a victim of neoliberalist thinking, since it denies them the resources and the powers they need to be more successful in their work

Economic growth · Economics · Ideology · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Regional development · Regional science · Sociology · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · Rural development and sustainability · Urban Planning and Governance

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub