As 2025 begins, Robbie Sefton reflects on the key issues and insights that shaped rural and regional Australia in 2024 - from the 3G network shutdown to farmer sentiment, biosecurity, and health services in the bush.
In this hopeful yet clear-eyed piece, she shares why passionate advocacy, community support, and resilience will be critical to navigating the uncertainty ahead.
04 January 2025
Insight from: Robbie Sefton
Happy new year to everyone as we welcome 2025 and consider what it may have in store for us. The start of a new year always ushers in a feeling of hope and optimism as we look towards the future, as well as being a time when we consider how the previous year influenced and shaped our lives.
For me, it’s always a chance to reflect on how I saw the past 12 months through the lens of my regular Land Insights – the topics that moved and inspired me and which I thought readers would appreciate. My 2024 columns were a mix of serious issues affecting agriculture, and rural and regional communities, as well as more light-hearted subjects that I hoped may bring a smile to your face. Some of the topics were challenging and you may not have necessarily agreed with me, but that’s okay, too. In building and growing healthy communities and industries, there must be a range of views and we need to challenge each other regularly, albeit respectfully.
In April, I reflected on the looming shutdown of the nation’s 3G network, of which the deadline was shifted a number of times throughout the year before finally being switched off in late October. There were real concerns about the impact of this on rural and regional communities, particularly areas where 4G and 5G coverage was non-existent, or patchy at best, and despite the reassurances of the telcos, this currently remains a big concern and people in these areas are reporting a loss of, or decline in, services since the shutdown. In the run-up to the shut-off, we were told 4G and 5G coverage was being upgraded and expanded to consolidate the loss of the 3G network – we can only hope this is ongoing because it’s not proving adequate to date.
In August, Seftons and the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) released the results of its second annual National Farmer Priority Survey, the outcomes again revealing some significant insights into farmer sentiment and the industry as a whole. On the positive side, nine in 10 respondents agreed with the statement ‘I love what I do’, up 18% on the 2023 survey, while on the flipside there were increased levels of concern across a broad range of external pressures, with biosecurity ranking the highest. Only one in 10 respondents were confident Government had a positive plan for the farming sector. Watch this space for the 2025 results.
The provision of fit-for-purpose and reliable health services for the bush, the importance of ongoing conversations around addressing mental health concerns for farmers and the impact of potential changes to working visas that will have big ramifications for agricultural businesses should they be introduced were also explored through 2024. The only thing we can say with certainty about the year ahead is that like 2024, it will offer a mixed bag of fortunes for the regions. Climate and weather will continue to play a major role in this; global impacts like trade and market access will obviously resonate; and domestic policy decisions will continue to impact.
So much of this is out of our hands though, so in 2025 we can only continue doing what we do best in the regions: advocating passionately for our people, communities and industries; maintaining the resilience, spirit and ingenuity that has driven our communities for generations; and supporting each other - always.
