Could coronavirus prompt an escape to the country?

Two western mayors believe the period after the coronavirus pandemic ends will be ideal for city-dwellers to relocate to the southwest. Here’s why:

SOCIAL change never comes easy, but leaders in the west think the coronavirus pandemic might just be enough to start a revolution in our region.

Mayors Stuart Mackenzie of Quilpie Shire and Shaun 'Zoro' Radnedge of Murweh Shire envision massive growth in the southwest when the COVID-19 crisis ends - more residents, more jobs, and greater prosperity for rural communities - as Australian families seek out a "tree change", away from population-dense areas where the virus spread quickly.

Cr Mackenzie said he firmly believes the biggest driver would be people's new-found freedom in work: if they can work from home in the city, they could work remotely from a country town.

"I get a sense of what's happening both here and in the cities, people are enjoying working from home and simply being at home - whether they are young people, people with families, and even older people," he said.

"People with families have essentially been forced to spend time at home, and not feel like they have to go to every event, and workers aren't having to spend hours travelling in to the city for work, because they can do the same job at home.

"It really is wonderful for people, and I think there is going to be a lot of pressure on business and governments to not go back to how things were.

"Once you do that, you realise you don't have to live within an hour of the city just because that is where you work.

"I think it will open up opportunities for people to live in more remote areas, and change our society to a point - how people live and think about their world."

That sentiment is shared by Cr Radnedge of the Murweh Shire, who ran for office this year on a platform of lobbying for the return of jobs to the region and boosting the local economy.

Between the drought and now the pandemic, Charleville, like many local economies, has taken a hit over the past few years.

Cr Radnedge said the loss of local jobs, particularly in government sectors when services became increasingly centralised, hit the town hard, but there was plenty of opportunity for them to be returned.

"Working in a rural town, the rent has got to be (at most) a third of what it is in Brisbane, and more people working from home in recent months proves that you can work remotely on the NBN," he said.

"The economic benefits for families alone, to live in a regional area and still have the jobs they did in the city, far outweighs any negatives, and right now is the perfect time to sell ourselves and showcase the lifestyle that comes with living here.

"To create jobs you need people, and to bring people you need jobs, so it is a catch 22, but I think the appealing things like regional lifestyle … I think even under the duress of a pandemic it is still a lot better than metropolitan areas, and really there is no better time for government or businesses to look at extending to a regional area."

 

But some things will need fixing …

While the mayors do have plenty of encouraging reasons for people to move here, they do concede some infrastructure needs to be improved if their towns are going to handle major changes: namely, telecommunications around the region.

Each town does have mobile reception and internet connectivity, provided by Telstra and NBN (satellite, not fixed line) respectively, but Cr Mackenzie said satellite internet doesn't always meet the demands of their current population.

"In my shire the communications are struggling; the mobile and landlines drop in and out, and the NBN satellite service is becoming very slow," he said.

"I think it is highlighting what we always knew could be an issue, but it was sort of just hanging in there because it wasn't getting the usage (from our small population).

"Right now we have seven people in my closest town of Eromanga who are doing university study online, and at times they do struggle to source the materials they need because of the connection speeds.

"The only reason they aren't better is because there aren't enough people, so the more people, the better services will become.

"Other things like our schools and hospital are actually quite good, and I think people will realise this is not a bad way to be, and it has its benefits."

Like the circle of jobs and people - one needs the other to grow or improve - the conditions of better connectivity would only come to the community if it grows.

In the west, growth is the most valuable thing of all, keeping every small town alive and eventually, the mayors hope, it will help them to thrive.

Once centres for agricultural industry, they are ambitious in becoming home to many businesses again, and Cr Radnedge said it won't happen without people.

"We want to build our community up and make ourselves sustainable, and we will if we can build the population up, because that's what will make us and our economy stable."

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