Why it’s time for the politicians to mind their regional business

RURAL and regional businesses don’t get much attention in political agendas.

Sure, when natural disasters happen, the government is all hands on deck, but we really need to start thinking about rural and regional economies and the small businesses that keep them afloat. After all, about 67 per cent of the value of Australia’s exports comes from regional and rural areas.

Small business: As with metropolitan areas, rural and regional economies are built on small business.

In fact, rural and regional areas thrive only through the efforts of entrepreneurial locals, who make successful business and investment decisions so the local economy is sustainable.

Government needs to support these small businesses and encourage innovation. With the current skill shortage, it’s going to be innovation and automation that helps rural and regional businesses move forward in the future.

Primary industries and climate change: Without our primary industries, Australia’s in trouble and climate change is a big issue for rural and regional businesses. We’ve all witnessed the effects of the recent drought, fires and floods over the past few years. Government needs to better understand the effects that climate change is having on these areas, and not just in times of crises.

Tourism: The National Rural Health Alliance reports: “Regional Australia plays a critical role in the Australian tourism industry, which makes a direct contribution to Australia’s GDP of $35bn per year.” State governments should invest more of their tourism funds to these areas by way of national or international hosted events.

Healthcare: A 2019 federal government report on rural and remote health stated that, on average, Australians living in rural and remote areas have shorter lives, higher levels of disease and injury and poorer access to and use of health services, compared with people living in metropolitan areas.

Farmers and small businesses are the backbone of the Australian economy and that’s why as advocates for rural and regional small businesses in Australia, Spend With Us, Buy from a Bush Business Marketplace has established the first Australian Rural Business Awards, to shine the spotlight on rural and regional small businesses.

With 99 per cent of Australia’s agricultural business being wholly Australian-owned and our farmers producing $60bn worth of goods each year and supporting 1.6 million jobs, what would happen to our economy if our rural and regional businesses were no longer around?