The rural group

April 19, 2008, 5:47pm,  149 views

A media report has filtered through from the summit’s rural group, including a predictable call for more infrastructure and investment.

Author and Northern Territory farmer Terry Underwood says 40 years ago she became a city convert and now, with four children and three grandchildren on the ground, she knows there are plenty more potential converts out there.

“That is my dream and vision, that we reverse the drift, revitalise the bush, the outback is the heartbeat of the nation,” she said.

“We have to have infrastructure, incentives, everything we can do to get the bush up and running and to awake in each of us the profound mystery of simply being Australian.”

I think we all agree with that Terry, but how do we achieve it? Maybe the ABC didn’t report that part of her speech or maybe she wasn’t able to squeeze it into her 39 seconds.

My suggestion is to introduce zone tax rebates. People who live in designated remote areas should have their income tax commitment lowered by $5000 a year.

Dean Belle says the aim should be to better equip rural Australia to cope with and find opportunities in change.

“Rather than just seeing it as a negative along the way,” he said. “To do that we need the IT, we need the alternative energy and a range of other subsets to that.”

Mr Belle also called for investment in human capital, entrepreneurship and leadership skills.

I wonder if that’s the same Dean Belle who used to run Mount Buffalo Chalet? That could explain his selection because rural group chairman Tim Fischer knew him reasonably well. I think that Dean Belle moved to Tamworth, if my memory is correct.

Again, I agree with his statement, but how do we achieve it? I say the government should subsidise IT investment in regional areas. We wouldn’t have a phone system or postal network today if that hadn’t been done in the past.

This isn’t asking for handouts. It’s all about balanced nation building and spreading the population.

Catherine McGowan says she is self-employed, running her own business from her small farm.

“I would like to see us think about building on our strengths, and I know in rural Australia our strength is our independence,” she said.

“If we could build on our strengths and create millions of self-employed people, then working in that portfolio arrangement to do it, but to give us the infrastructure to do that.

“I want lots more women to be working from home, running small businesses and making lots of money.”

McGowan is a smart lady and would also be well known to Fischer. Nothing wrong with that; you’d expect the former Deputy PM to know most of the movers and shakers in the bush.

It’s a shame the report doesn’t expand on how McGowan thinks we can achieve her aspirational goal.

Of course, the regions have more activities than just farming. I hope mining was represented in the rural group along with tourism and agriculture.