Former Independent Member of Parliament, Cathy McGowan, and President of the National Farmers Federation, Fiona Simson will discuss the future of regional Australia and how it can achieve its full potential.
The discussion will be moderated by journalist, farmer and author, Gabby Chan.
Regional Australia is responsible for about 40 percent of the nation’s economic output and provides jobs for around one third of Australia’s workforce. It is the backbone of Australian agriculture, which seeks to grow from a value of around $60 billion to $100 billion over the next decade.
Over the past few years regional communities have been hit hard first by ongoing drought, bushfires and now the COVID recession. Climate change, urbanisation and the changing nature of work poses both challenges and opportunities for regional Australia.