There has been some effort to regionalise or decentralise state administration and planning of transport, but certainly nothing which could be termed devolution (of power or control). The federal system, as it arose from the colonies, has cemented anomalies and inequities in transport provision. Regional organisations have developed as expressions of regionalism in response, but transport planning in Australia still shows its centralised colonial legacy. World system theory prompts a look at that history from an unusual angle for transport research. It is used in this paper to help illuminate the tenacity of centralism despite a rural tradition which could be strongly regionalist. To build this picture, the paper looks at the history of transport development and administration alongside some of the characteristics of rural Australia's growth and administration. The paper then examines road and rail in the regional (non-metropolitan) context focusing largely but not entirely on New South Wales. It highlights some potential problems facing regionalisation (seen as top-down change) in a context of regionalism (seeking change from the bottom-up). (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E216058.
Samenvatting