what we think.

Robbie Sefton says the success of prominent figures from the bush prove you can become anything you want, by working hard and backing your talents. JAN Logan’s success story is an inspiration to all Australians; not just those from the regions. Just like other accomplished entrepreneurs, an abundance of self-motivation, passion and creativity underscored Jan’s risk-taking journey, ...
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Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott says we must unleash the potential of our people and places across the whole of the country. Image credit - The Land There is a lot of well-documented frustration in regional Australia, where some regions feel they have been bypassed in the nation’s prosperity push. The statistics don’t look all that encouraging, either: of the ...
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ONE thing I’ve learned over the years, in working with and meeting regional Australians from all corners of our great country on different projects and initiatives, is this. If you want a miracle, be the miracle. Unfortunately, these days – especially in a world dominated by the internet and social media, where keyboard warriors vent their fickle, fleeting thoughts 1000-Tweets a minute – it ...
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THIS has been another challenging year for the Australian agricultural sector with our resilience tested on multiple levels. But as always, the tough times have also seen many good people doing good things to exhibit the fierce fighting spirit and practical problem-solving prowess that we all know exists in regional Australia. Undoubtedly, drought is the biggest issue that’s confronted ...
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To plan or not to plan, that is the question. In recent weeks I’ve been travelling through some of the driest regions of New South Wales and Queensland speaking to farmers about the various ways they’re coping with this terrible drought. These forums have included presentations from different people offering sound information and valuable, practical advice in key services such as farm ...
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The Prime Minister has announced his drought relief initiative – see what Robbie Sefton has to say on ABC Radio – The World Today (Monday 4 November) and ABC Radio AM (Thursday 7 November). ABC AM today, Thursday 7th November at 8am Link to story - https://www.abc.net.au/radio/sydney/programs/am/govt-to-offer-super-cheap-loans-to-drought-affected-farmers/11680254 The World Today ...
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ABA CEO Anna Bligh (pictured with Bendigo Mayor Margaret O'Rourke with ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott) summarised agriculture's challenge at the NFF conference when she said, "Trust comes in like a turtle and leaves like galloping horses". Credit - The Land STORIES on page three and five of the Daily Telegraph earlier this month provide another sharp reminder of not only the agricultural sector’s many ...
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Our tiers of government have helped give Australians some of the world’s best living standards. But sometimes the arbitrary boundaries we draw to define government areas get in the way of common sense. Exhibit A: the Murray-Darling Basin. Siloed thinking is also proving unhelpful as we grapple with where to put all our people. An Infrastructure Australia report recently warned that if ...
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Making people feel good about themselves has always been a safe bet for activists, politicians and investors. Right now, this time-proven principle is behind the flow of a whole lot of exploratory capital into developing meat-protein alternatives. This money is betting that in the future, a lot of people will believe that avoiding meat that was once part of a living animal is a virtuous act ...
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Image Credit - The Land - The Thallon silos following their launch in 2017 While this drought is all pervasive and impacting many livelihoods, it has also brought out the exceptional mix of strength, independence and generosity that makes rural Australia so resilient. I recently visited seven small communities in NSW and Queensland to run workshops, and was uplifted by what I saw and the ...
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Image credit - The Land Understanding the social and economic conditions impacting each and every Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) community is as vital as the water itself. For without such understanding, we simply will not have strong, thriving communities. That’s why it is essential voices are heard, and communities have the knowledge and tools to shape their own destinies. The Independent ...
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Farming in Australia is very different to many other countries around the world, particularly war-torn regions from where many migrants originate. Image credit - The Land Migrants moving to the bush should be a classic case of need-meets-opportunity: the bush needs more people, and migrants need work and community. The reality is more complicated, as reality always is. Some migrant groups are an ...
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Image Credit - The Land Robbie Sefton says the community can play a part in Australia's biosecurity battle by being aware of purchases during an overseas holiday that could carry hidden risks Australia is the lucky country in so many ways – not least of which is the island status that has protected us from many of the pests and diseases that could spell economic disaster should they ever reach ...
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Image Credit - The Land The Indonesia-Australia trade agreement signed in March was another important deal for Australian agriculture, and follows a series of similar agreements the current government has forged with China, Japan and Korea. Australian agriculture produces far more than our domestic market can consume, and often needs a greater return on its produce than the domestic market ...
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Image credit - The Land No matter whether you are conservative or progressive, I think we all have a sense that our world is changing too fast for comfort. It’s not just the climate, although the implications of a changing climate is of growing concern to Australians. All our systems - political, legal, economic, social - are being strained by growing populations, new technologies, and ...
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Image Credit : The Land Australia has more land per person than almost any other country, yet about 90% of its population choose to live in just 0.2% of that space — mostly our coastal cities. We are nearly as urbanised as Japan (94%) and more urbanised than the United States (82%) and United Kingdom (83%). We in the bush would do well to remember how minor is our minority in the nation’s ...
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