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PRIME MINISTER Press Statement No. 493
14 April 1975
LOCATION OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTEMPLOYMENT
The Government has endorsed new criteria for
the location of Australian Government employment in
Canberra and other growth centres.
Most proposals for establishing new units of
Government administration, or relocating existing units,
have tended to assume they would be in Canberra. However
acceptance of all such proposals would place intolerable
strains on Canberra's growth resources in the short
term. The Government has decided that., new government
unit should be located in Canberra when it needs to be
in Canberra for the efficient desptach of its responsibilities
and where its presence contributes to Canberra's role as
the national capital.
The Government will be transferring other new
and existing employment units to new growth centres in
order to ensure that progT. 5; s in these centres is as
rapid and efficient as possible.
Among the criteria which will be considered are:
Relocation will be directed towards relieving
pressure on major cities and at the same time
promoting the growth of regional centres.
Decisions will be consistent with Australian
Government priorities for the development
of particular regions and growth centres.*
Growth centres will have priority, to the
extent of their capacity, in the location of
units of Government administration. New units,
will as far as possible, be located in growth
centres, consistent with the efficient execution
of their functions.
Although Canberra is I growth centre, it is
less in need of growth stimulus than newer
centres. New growth centres provide a viable alternative
to Canberra for the location of units of ' national'
or central office' character. / 2
Each growth centre will tend to specialise in
certain functional areas. This specialisation would be
balanced by appropriate growth in the private sector and
could be supported by the development of related academic
disciplines in educational institutions in the growth
centres. Functional groupings in growth centres which
are expected to emerge are:
Albury Wodonga: National education, environmental
studies, transport, agencies with a national
' market serving' role Health Insurance
Commission). Bathurst-Orange: Earth resources study and
development, cartography.
Geelong: Biological sciences.
CANBERRA. A. C. T.