For nearly a hundred years, governments have spent a huge amount of money and effort trying to promote economic growth in regional Australia, with little evidence of success. In this chapter in the book, ‘A Greater Australia: Population, Policies and Governance’, Grattan CEO John Daley argues that while all Australians should receive equal services wherever they live, money for business development, job creation and universities in regional Australia may simply redistribute economic activity around the country, and impose a significant cost on taxpayers in the process.