First Australians First: Investing in regional infrastructure for the economic benefit and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians

Despite prosperity in Australia, a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) people in rural and remote (regional) communities across the nation continue to live in poverty. Regardless, in 2021 the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade launched an inquiry into regional architecture with a view to progress Australia's international standing and business dealings in the Indo-Pacific region. The author submitted a response to this inquiry, arguing that the majority of regional infrastructure investment must be, first and foremost, for the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians, who are also known as First Australians. This paper explores the critical need for regional infrastructure to close the gap in economic inequality between Indigenous people and other Australians.