When politics meets economic complexity: Doing things differently in the Gippsland region, Australia

Regional change and development is contested. The established approaches to social and economic change rely on either state intervention or a celebration of competition and markets, although often a messy combination. An alternative approach addresses political relations (who decides what and how) with socio-economic developmental proposals. This latter approach distinguishes between the foundational dimensions of a regional economy and the competitive aspects and initiatives. It also draws a contrast between patterns of change, focusing on the immediate (transitional) and the more long-term (transformational). The challenge is to exercise inclusive regional governance in relation to the opportunities and barriers to social and economic change. These themes are addressed in relation to the shift from a carbon-based economy to a less carbon reliant regional community, in Gippsland, the State of Victoria, Australia.