Across regional Australia, there\u2019s a growing feeling of being overlooked, misunderstood and left behind by the millions of Aussies who live in the capital cities.<\/p>\n
Now, that frustration seems to be spilling over, with a mounting pushback from regional communities.<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s alarming \u2013 and ever-increasing \u2013 rural-urban divide was thrust under the national spotlight last month when the sprawling regional NSW electorate of Farrer elected One Nation candidate David Farley, ending the Coalition\u2019s 77-year stranglehold in the Riverina area. <\/p>\n
He won in a landslide, taking more than 57 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote after a campaign focused heavily on water, agriculture and regional frustration.<\/p>\n
The result took many city dwellers by surprise and made headlines across the nation, with polls indicating support for One Nation is now surging in other pockets of regional Australia as well.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, news.com.au visited the Hunter Region in NSW after voters swung hard towards One Nation there also, turning the Labor stronghold \u2013 held since 1910 \u2013 into a marginal seat.<\/p>\n
Hunter residents described myriad frustrations which had pushed them towards Pauline Hanson\u2019s party, including a housing crisis, high crime rates and poor government policy.<\/p>\n
And after news.com.au also visited the regional NSW city of Griffith last month \u2013 which played a key role in Mr Farley\u2019s win \u2013 it soon became clear that One Nation\u2019s historic victory may be a new symptom of a broken system that has been festering for decades.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s devastating divide<\/b><\/p>\n
In Griffith, dozens of residents described a dire rural-urban divide that had left them feeling \u201cneglected\u201d by the nation as they grappled with unique problems such as a suicide and mental health crisis, a terrifying lack of access to wider healthcare, cost of living pressures and panic over water security. <\/p>\n
Over the course of dozens of conversations with locals, a clear sentiment emerged: regional Aussies feel their voices carry very little weight in the national debate \u2013 whether it\u2019s decisions made in the halls of Canberra, or simply how city folk perceive them and their challenges.<\/p>\n
Water security was one of the first issues raised, with many farmers now forced to re-evaluate the only life they\u2019ve ever known as they struggle to deliver their crops and feed their livestock.<\/p>\n
In a region tied so closely to irrigation and river systems, many spoke about uncertainty around water supply, ineffective government policy and the pressure of making long-term decisions in an unpredictable environment.<\/p>\n
Health care is another issue battering the town and wider region, with those in need often experiencing gruelling wait times and very little access to specialists.<\/p>\n
Despite having recently opened the new $250 million Griffith Base Hospital \u2013 which supposedly delivers \u201cstate of the art facilities and enhanced regional health services\u201d \u2013 locals say they still have to drive hours to larger towns to access the most basic medical attention.<\/p>\n
Mental health was also at the forefront of conversations, as many admitted there would not be \u201cone person in the town who hasn\u2019t been touched by suicide\u201d.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a similar story: the waiting list for psychiatric appointments is months-long, and there is little to no follow up on a person\u2019s mental state once they exit the system.<\/p>\n
Damning stats prove system is broken<\/b><\/p>\n
The same urgent concerns came up again and again during news.com.au\u2019s visit to Griffith \u2013 and a series of damning statistics prove these struggles are all too real.<\/p>\n
Almost 30 per cent of the population \u2013 around 7 million Australians \u2013 live in rural and remote areas, and according to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, they face significantly worse health outcomes than their city counterparts, with higher rates of hospitalisations, deaths and injury and also poorer access to primary health care services.<\/p>\n
Rural Australia also experiences higher rates of poverty, and greater disadvantage linked to fewer educational and employment opportunities.<\/p>\n
Across the country, one farmer dies by suicide every 10 days, while almost half of all farmers (45 per cent) had experienced thoughts of self-harm or suicide.<\/p>\n
In the broader Murrumbidgee area, in which Griffith is located, over 15 per cent of adults experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress, with mental health conditions also more prevalent than across NSW as a whole.<\/p>\n
On top of that, Murrumbidgee has the highest rates of suicide in NSW, experiencing an average of 43 deaths from suicide each year.<\/p>\n
In 2023, Griffith experienced a spate of youth suicides, which locals say left the community \u201cdevastated\u201d.<\/p>\n
But despite these alarming statistics, the town\u2019s new hospital does not feature a designated mental health care unit, instead offering only telehealth appointments with little to no follow-up conversations.<\/p>\n
Additionally, there are currently no acting psychiatrists in the town, and no pediatrician.<\/p>\n
One expectant mother said she had repeatedly been travelling over two hours to Wagga Wagga just to access basic scans during her pregnancy.<\/p>\n
Independent Murray state MP Helen Dalton said the hospital was a \u201cghost town\u201d that was struggling to employ staff due to the challenges of living in the region.<\/p>\n
And then there\u2019s the issue of water buybacks \u2013 a controversial government scheme where authorities purchase permanent water entitlements directly from farmers and irrigators.<\/p>\n
Griffith mayor Doug Curran said even one farmer selling their water entitlements had a damaging knock-on effect to the wider town.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a cost to get the water along that channel system, and if you remove one or two or three, the cost is still the same, so the other farmers have to bear that increased cost, which potentially makes them a willing seller,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u2018We feel invisible\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n
The struggles of this town, and regional Australia more broadly, are many. But at the crux of it are a people that just want to be heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cI worry people are getting tired and underappreciated,\u201d said Cr Curran.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were heartened by the amount of attention we got from the Farrer by-election, we don\u2019t get a great deal of attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a real slap in the face, we feel invisible. We\u2019re happy to explain our point of view and put forward ideas, but we don\u2019t even feel we\u2019ve been given that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs Dalton echoed those sentiments, saying rural areas have \u201chad a gutful\u201d of being ignored.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very passive people and we take a lot, but we deserve a piece,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m tired of people saying water\u2019s not my business. If you eat food and you wear cotton and wool, you should be interested.\u201d<\/p>\n
Griffith local Brian* told news.com.au the urban-rural divide had now become \u201cso vast\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve not lived in an area like this, you don\u2019t generally understand it well enough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think people are feeling neglected. [Cities] don\u2019t understand [the] challenges faced by people out here and the state is completely broken.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s west of the Blue Mountains, people don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian suggested city-siders spend time in rural areas in an effort to bridge the divide.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you grew up in the city, you should have to have compulsory residence in a regional area for a period of six months in your twenties,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Griffith tradie Milton, 19, said he also felt \u201cvery snubbed\u201d by those in the capitals.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey say it\u2019s easy to live in the heart of Australia but everyone in the city gets lower prices and we foot the bill every time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
City residents miss the mark<\/b><\/p>\n
In an effort to gain the perspectives of both groups, news.com.au recently took to the streets of inner Sydney to ask about some of the biggest struggles facing the nation, and their thoughts on the rise of One Nation in the regions. <\/p>\n
But while Sydneysiders were compassionate about the struggles facing their rural counterparts, they largely missed the mark.<\/p>\n
It was evident that while their hearts may be in the right place, many city folk struggle to truly grasp the very real challenges of rural Australia. <\/p>\n
Most city residents will never understand what it feels like to sign away the rights to a generations-old family farm because you simply can\u2019t afford to keep it running.<\/p>\n
They will probably never have to watch their children move across the country to pursue basic opportunities that just aren\u2019t available at home.<\/p>\n
And they will likely never have to learn what it\u2019s like to watch loved ones suffer from a lack of physical or mental health services, or face the prospect of running out of water. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sydney resident John said he felt people from the country had a gripe with city dwellers.<\/p>\n
When asked what first came to mind about regional Australia, John, who previously lived in Parkes, said: \u201cIt\u2019s boring. There\u2019s too much bush, it\u2019s too country, there\u2019s not enough shops and everything is too far away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think country people look down on city people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people found out I was from Sydney they didn\u2019t want to talk to me or know me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jules, who grew up on the Central Coast, has lived in Sydney for much of her adult life and believes there should be \u201cmore awareness from people in the city\u201d about the struggles of regional Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s a divide,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re really empathetic and really love everyone in the country. We know they suffer and have troubles with droughts and food.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see a divide from this side, but maybe people in the country feel like we don\u2019t care about them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jules believes people outside of the cities are \u201cgenuine people who really care\u201d and are often \u201cdoing it really tough\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very myopic in the city. I don\u2019t think we think about other people too much so maybe we should think about other people more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tom, who has lived in Sydney for two years after growing up in Coffs Harbour, says there is a \u201cmassive divide\u201d and believes city residents need to \u201cget out into the bush\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople who live in the cities have access to everything, but I don\u2019t know if [regional people] really care,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so much nicer out there. You\u2019ve got the bush, the stars and the birds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mazey O\u2019Reilly, a budding actor originally from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, is in a unique position after experiencing life in both regional and urban Australia.<\/p>\n
She grew up in regional Western Australia after moving from Alice Springs at a young age, and believes the divide runs deep in even the most fundamental of services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a divide in the economy, job market, education opportunities, school facilities, funding, infrastructure, public transport,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoving to the city has been like moving to another country.\u201d<\/p>\n
She moved to the city for access to more opportunities and believes the switch has given her a \u201cnew perspective on Australia\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I live in the rest of the world now that I\u2019ve moved to the big city,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s given me a new perspective on Australia and all of the people that make up this country. \u201cBut obviously if you\u2019re not seeing that every day, you wouldn\u2019t even know how many people [make] up Australia or what it actually takes to run this country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mazey said residents of regional Australia likely feel \u201cneglected by the government\u201d and that they\u2019re missing out on critical funding. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard because where there\u2019s people there\u2019s more attention and priority. But we need to be proactive about equity between regional and metro Australia,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Janet, 74, has lived in Sydney her entire life and envisions \u201cbeautiful landscapes, old country towns and lovely 19th century architecture\u201d when thinking of regional Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a lovely place to visit but I prefer living in the city,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we have different interests and that\u2019s not a bad thing. We all choose to live our lives differently and I genuinely think that people grow up with different concerns in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
When it comes to politics, Janet believes many Australians are looking to shift away from the major parties, whether that\u2019s towards independents in the cities or One Nation in the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t like the way Australia looks now compared to when we were kids,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, I like the way Australia changes. I think change is a good thing, but I know a lot of people fear change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sydney resident Amadeus believes it\u2019s a case of politicians \u201cpreying on the vulnerabilities of country people\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese parties seem to be funded by people who actually don\u2019t have their best interests at heart,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like [country people] think it\u2019s in their best interest and they feel like they have a different voice. I can see why they think it\u2019s a different way to go but the politicians are playing into it pretty heavily.\u201d<\/p>\n
As support for the major parties continues to erode, it\u2019s clear that it\u2019s not just politics that is fragmenting \u2013 but the sense of a shared national experience.<\/p>\n
Australians are no longer pulling from the same set of institutions, stories, or assumptions about what the country is and who it\u2019s for, but are instead living increasingly parallel lives that rarely meet in the middle.<\/p>\n
And whether these once-fringe parties have the glue that will help bind Australia together remains to be seen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Across regional Australia, there\u2019s a growing feeling of being overlooked, misunderstood and left behind by the millions of…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":860536,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2],"tags":[350993,106976,13269,350950,350967,4740,33383,87708,350960,350983,216929,87414,350948,350987,350994,350990,350951,350978,75426,350998,351000,350973,350986,350946,51369,205982,350988,350979,350958,350962,350972,350947,350985,350963,350995,350949,350975,350997,210637,222654,51830,86,350961,1141,29447,350981,350974,307502,12857,350964,350956,350952,517,68660,16899,67841,42465,350954,15056,50,13264,33378,350957,350984,240833,350977,56443,350999,350955,350968,350966,350980,350992,350971,37995,350991,350996,350965,13048,350989,350953,3155,350976,24107,350982,165741,350959,350969,915,188596,350970],"class_list":["post-860535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-acting-psychiatrists","tag-adult-life","tag-alice-springs","tag-amadeus","tag-art-facilities","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-blue-mountains","tag-broken-system","tag-buyback-schemes","tag-capital-cities","tag-central-coast","tag-century-architecture","tag-channel-system","tag-children-move","tag-city-dwellers","tag-city-folk","tag-city-people","tag-city-residents","tag-coffs-harbour","tag-controversial-government-scheme","tag-country-people","tag-country-people-look","tag-country-towns","tag-crime-rates","tag-dalton","tag-damaging-knock-on-effect","tag-decades-long-breakdown","tag-devastating-rural-urban-divide","tag-dire-rural-urban-divide","tag-doug-curran","tag-education-opportunities","tag-expectant-mother","tag-explosive-rise","tag-facing-city-dwellers","tag-farmer-dies","tag-follow-up-conversations","tag-generations-old-family","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-ghost-town","tag-gina","tag-government-policy","tag-gruelling-wait-times","tag-health-care","tag-health-services","tag-hilary-wardhaugh","tag-ineffective-government-policy","tag-janet","tag-job-market","tag-landslide-victory","tag-lovely-place","tag-mazey","tag-mental-health","tag-mental-health-conditions","tag-mental-health-crisis","tag-mental-health-services","tag-milton","tag-myriad-frustrations","tag-new-south-wales","tag-news","tag-northern-territory","tag-oceania","tag-once-fringe-parties","tag-one-nation-mp-david-farley","tag-parkes","tag-passive-people","tag-pauline-hanson","tag-people-fear-change","tag-people-outside","tag-permanent-water-entitlements","tag-real-challenges","tag-real-slap","tag-regional-health-services","tag-river-systems","tag-rural-areas","tag-rural-urban-divide","tag-school-facilities","tag-shared-national-experience","tag-sydney","tag-sydney-woman","tag-sydneysider-john","tag-tasmania","tag-telehealth-appointments","tag-tom","tag-town-revolts","tag-urban-rural-divide","tag-voices-carry","tag-water-entitlements","tag-western-australia","tag-young-age","tag-youth-suicides"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=860535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/860536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=860535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=860535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=860535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}