Australia has a booming digital economy that is no longer confined to the Sydney skyscrapers or Melbourne innovation hubs. Regional towns are increasingly attracting digital investments from the country and abroad, including towns like Geraldton and Hunter Valley. These small regional towns are about to reshape the economic future of what it means to work outside of the country’s capital cities.
A Digital Living Nation
Australians have wholeheartedly embraced the digital era with remarkable enthusiasm. It has become even more evident in regional areas as the widespread adoption of online services, digital entertainment, and remote work has boomed. For example, towns in the Hunter region in New South Wales have some of the highest data consumption rates.
Cessnock and Maitland are driving the consumption rates for the state using activities like video streaming, online entertainment, and even telehealth services. The Aussie casino market has also flourished in these regions where land-based options are limited. Aussies won’t have to drive hours to visit a local destination when using licensed platforms. These convenient online solutions offer enticing perks like fast payouts with instant PayID deposits, flexible transaction methods, thousands of games, and generous welcome bonuses. Nonetheless, the digital engagement from this region underscores the broader national trend, showing how connectivity plays a role in daily life.
Expanding the Infrastructure for Growth
A solid foundation of infrastructure is the foundation for attracting digital investments. Geraldton, based in Western Australia, is an early adopter of the National Broadband Network (NBN), which makes it one of the first regional state communities to receive Fibre to Premises (FttP) services to enhance the town’s connectivity and infrastructure network.
Local businesses thrive thanks to the new connectivity potential, improving access to telehealth and enhancing the town’s appeal to local and external investors. Port Hedland also leveraged the digital infrastructure advantages to support its economy, even if the town primarily exports iron ore. The infrastructure streamlined business operations town-wide.
Government Strategies and Initiatives
Government initiatives have pivoted regional capabilities. For example, the Regional Digital Fund in Victoria empowers the development of digital hubs in small towns like Avoca and Ararat. These regional hubs have high-speed internet access with meeting rooms and other online services to support local businesses, driving more ways to appeal to investors.
Meanwhile, the Digital Investment Fund in South Australia was implemented with a $200 million budget for investment over five years to ensure digital innovations across the public sector. The fund aims to improve government service delivery, support digital growth, upgrade cybersecurity, and enhance justice sector ICT systems.
New South Wales also invested in rural digital infrastructure through initiatives with the Digital Restart Fund to support the development of small town technology precincts. The Bathurst Vulnerability Management Centre is one example. These centres aim to foster innovation in regional areas and deliver specialist solutions across government sectors.
Local Business Innovation Driving Digital Appeal
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in smaller regional towns have started increasingly discovering innovative solutions that attract external investments. Places like Orange and Ballarat have creative studios, agri-tech companies, and local manufacturers integrating digital solutions to automate systems and access AI-driven insights.
The advancements improve efficiency and appeal to digital investors looking for regional businesses ready to scale, grow, and boom. These towns are embracing advanced tech and creating jobs for high-skill experts locally, reshaping the perception of Australia’s regional areas. Digital investors are starting to see the economic potential in vibrant destinations.
Regional Tech Clusters Emerge
The rise of regional tech clusters is a testament to the potential of these areas to attract sustainable digital investment. A 2023 CSIRO tech sector report outlines clusters throughout Australia, showing 60 metropolitan and 36 regional clusters. Some regional clusters are developing in Noosa, Queanbeyan, Newcastle, Torquay, and Geelong.
These small towns have developed significant digital workforces, often focused on niche areas to ensure they stand out and appeal to investors. The clusters demonstrate that innovation isn’t only confined to metropolitan areas. Regional towns are becoming fertile ground in which the country and international investors can expand the tech industry.
For example, Geelong has a 10-year economic plan called “Geelong On the Rise,” which aims to attract 120,000 new residents, boost the gross regional product by $9.7 billion by 2041, and create 55,000 new jobs. The plan focuses mainly on sustainable innovation in healthcare and technology, putting Geelong in the race for avid digital investors.
Lifestyle and Community Drive Digital Engagement
The lifestyle offered in regional towns certainly appeals to high-level skills and expertise, attracting developers and experts who only make the towns more attractive beyond the growing infrastructure. The Northern Rivers Region in New South Wales capitalised on its natural beauty by improving internet speeds to invite digital economy businesses.
The appeal from this region lies in the combination of forest, beach, and rural living with a touch of high-speed connectivity, because social connections mean everything. The high data usage in Hunter’s Valley also reflects the deep need for connectivity, especially with remote work becoming the norm. Australia’s regional towns are certainly ready to scale.
