Rural Revival? by John Connell Phil McManus

Author:John Connell, Phil McManus [John Connell, Phil McManus]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Regional Studies
ISBN: 9781317060734
Google: A7MFDAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2016-04-15T05:08:38+00:00

A number of conclusions can quickly be drawn. Firstly, most people were interested in moving northwards, and there was no necessary reason for stopping at the NSW border. Secondly, bigger towns with larger, more diverse stalls and more staff, which usually meant more detailed and comprehensive information, were perceived most positively. Smaller towns with smaller exhibitions, some like Warialda virtually unknown in Sydney, were perceived less favourably. Visitors already knew something about or had at least heard of the larger towns, and size implied services. Having a well-known festival, as at Tamworth, was a major advantage in ‘brand recognition’. Thirdly, many people wished to move to places that were not represented at CW, notably large inland centres such as Bathurst, Mudgee, the Southern Highlands and Orange, and every part of the north and south coast. Fourthly, there was a distinct preference for places that were not too far from Sydney; at every NSW Expo Oberon has been the nearest place to be represented. Distance was a real disadvantage, especially for small towns. People were interested in moving ‘out of town but not out of touch’, a scenario fitting a ‘commuter countryside’ perception. On the other hand, towns that might otherwise seem relatively disadvantaged, such as Moree, but mounted impressive displays (voted the best in both the 2006 and 2007 Expos) generated considerable interest, but that interest was not necessarily translated into action.

Many potential movers had pre-existing ideas about where they wanted to move and what qualities they were looking for, views shaped by factors other than CW. Housing and employment were the main factors that potential migrants sought outside Sydney, and Sydney’s expensive housing market was a particular incentive to migration. Unsurprisingly these were combined with a pleasant lifestyle, often seen as being linked to coastal residence, and reasonable amenities and services. While most visitors mentioned quality of life and community as the key attractions to a potential move, this was underpinned by the primary necessity for housing and usually employment. Potential migrants were more discouraged by the costs of urban residence, the main factor that had drawn many to the Expo, rather than being lured by some notion of country lifestyles.

Queensland visitors had very similar perceptions, rationales for mobility and preferences for the coast, though they often expressed a willingness to move greater distances for good jobs. Proximity to Brisbane was still important, but just far enough away to have a sense of country lifestyle, and vague notions of lifestyle were more frequently expressed in a smaller city where housing prices and congestion were less problematic than in Sydney. What potential movers wanted can now be examined in more detail.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.