Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean has called on political and community leaders to help embed the Federal Government’s ‘bottom-up’ approach to coopoerative federalism, saying that participation will give regions a greater say in the way Australia is governed.

 

Speaking at the Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia (SEGRA) 2011 Conference in Geelong, Victoria, Mr Crean said cooperative federalism based on localism would turn the existing 'top down' approach on its head; changing the way the nation was governed and delivering long-term benefits to regional Australia.

 

Mr Crean said he was working with his Commonwealth colleagues, State government counterparts and local governments through Regional Development Australia networks to build this new approach.

 

"This is about 'whole of government' and 'whole of governments' approach to regional development," Mr Crean told the conference,” Mr Crean said.