Celebrating pledge achievements in Year 2

Pledge organisations go above and beyond for regions

21 November 2024

In this year’s report we are celebrating the work being delivered by our networks and partners from across the country, with more than 70 pledges made to Rebalance the Nation, representing more than one billion dollars investment in regional Australia to date.

In particular, we celebrate the achievement of completed pledges, and the impact these initiatives are having on regional communities.

City of Mount Gambier shapes an Affordable Housing Plan for the future

The City of Mount Gambier has launched its Local Affordable Housing Plan, representing a step forward in collaborative efforts to address the demand for affordable housing for the Mount Gambier community.

To support the development of this plan, the Council connected a collective group of local stakeholders from community services, real estate, developers and practitioners to engage in constructive dialogue, share insights and develop holistic approaches to improve affordable housing issues in their community.

Through collaborative partnerships, strategic land planning and community-driven initiatives, the plan aims to contribute to a sustainable housing landscape that meets the diverse needs of their community.

This centralised group will serve as a core to deliver the plan through engaging stakeholders, sharing insights and collectively addressing emerging challenges.

Regular reviews conducted by the group will provide opportunities to assess progress, identify areas for improvement and integrate current knowledge and observations into future iterations of the plan.

Through the Council’s work to empower the community to lead the conversation surrounding housing needs, the plan can be more responsive and reflective of local priorities, and a collaborative approach ensures that the Affordable Housing Plan remains dynamic, relevant and effective in meeting the diverse housing needs of Mount Gambier residents.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank supporting over 600 regional young people pursue their dream careers

In 2023, we spoke with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank about their pledges to support regional skills and young people’s career dreams. Hear directly from the then CEO, Marnie Baker, and scholarship recipients about the impact of the Bank’s support via this news article.

Since then, the Bank has awarded an additional $1.2 million in scholarships to 341 students in 2024, taking its total investment to $2.2 million in the past two years, supporting 623 students in regional Australia in their higher education journey.

The Bank has committed to continuing this program, pledging to grant a further 200 scholarships by June 2026.

Telstra expands mobile coverage to regional Australia, with more than 240,000 km² of coverage added since FY21

Across regional Australia, Telstra is a major employer, investor and infrastructure provider. It is Telstra’s priority to deliver great connectivity and services to its regional customers. In February 2024, Telstra announced it had achieved its pledge to provide an additional 100,000 km² of coverage – delivering this ahead of time, with more than 240,000 km2 of coverage added since FY21.

Telstra has expanded the coverage of 4G to 2.88 million km2, and customers can also access Australia’s largest 5G network, which covers over 500 regional towns and centres and 89% of the population. These investments in coverage and capacity are central to meeting the ongoing growth in end user demand observed year-on-year. While Telstra currently has around 50% of all mobile traffic on 5G, this is expected to increase to around 80% by FY25.

Telstra has also established arrangements with the satellite providers, OneWeb and Starlink, providing connectivity solutions to the most remote parts of Australia.