Rural patients' self-reliance means they often wait until it's too late to visit hospital, while the closing of state borders has restricted the movement of some fly-in fly-out health workers.
The smouldering ruins of a child’s bike lies amongst a property lost to bushfires in the Mid North Coast region of NSW last month.
Darren Pateman/AAP
Living in a bushfire-prone area means every decision - from plants to parking spots to holidays - is shaped by fire risk. We live and die by the advice we are given, and the advice we ignore.
From city to country girl, but will she stay?
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Independent MP Helen Haines on using ‘soft power’
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Helen Haines, who does not have the real legislative power her predecessor, Cathy McGowan shared after the Coalition fell into minority government, says "building relationships is key to getting things done".
Tongans gathered in the Sunraysia centre of Mildura to celebrate the Tongan team’s victory over Lebanon in the Rugby League World Cup in November 2017.
A greater focus on the well-established migrant populations and second-generation youth is crucial when planning for the social and economic well-being of rural and regional areas.
While farmers are the familiar face of rural Australia, most jobs are not in agriculture or mining.
Dan Peled/AAP
Barnaby Joyce on facing the drought and rural women.
Some in the Nationals would like Barnaby Joyce back in the leadership before the election. Joyce says if the leadership were offered, he would be up for it - though he insists he is not canvassing.
The Walk Together marches across Australia in 2015 showed how welcoming regional communities are to refugees.
Richard Milnes/AAP
New research shows that refugees in regional Queensland have found it very easy to make friends and feel safe and comfortable raising children in their communities.
For some young women, a perceived lack of career opportunities is a significant barrier to relocating to rural communities.
Dan Peled/AAP
Research shows that young women are more ambivalent than young men when it comes to employment opportunities and other reasons to relocate to rural communities.
The committee has laid out a far-reaching and highly practical work program for regional development.
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A new parliamentary report has taken an informed and sensible approach to developing regional Australia, without simply focusing on the contentious issue of decentralisation.
In some rural Australian towns, there’s nobody left to help the elderly or coach cricket teams.
From Shutterstock
Volunteers have long been the lifeblood of rural communities. But as their numbers shrink, remote towns are at a loss for how to replace them.
To enhance the opportunities for children, we need to ensure we have vibrant and valued rural communities with a strong social and economic future.
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A government review of regional, rural and remote education tells us we need to recognise the uniqueness of and understand successes in these communities to improve outcomes for these students.
Sexual harassment against women is more prevalent in male dominated sectors such as mining and agriculture.
Tony McDonough/AAP
The big cities are still magnets for tourists, but often they find the smaller towns offer a more satisfying taste of local life. It's why rural tourism can be 'the perfect small town business idea'.
It's not the first time Australia has grappled with concerns about affordable housing. History offers insights that can help inform contemporary debates and policies.
The Elvis Express travels from Sydney to Parkes for a festival, now in its 25th year, that has transformed the town.
Dean Lewins/AAP
Outside the capital cities and the coastal fringes, the towns and people of rural and regional Australia have had to be inventive to get through the tough times.
A lack of differences in major policy areas such as agriculture and trade means local project funding – for roads, boat ramps and the like – reinforces the adage ‘all politics is local’.
AAP/Alan Porritt
On the big national policies affecting non-metropolitan Australia, such as agriculture and trade, the major party differences are minor. That's why the election focus turns to local projects.
Theme Lead, Sustainable and Prosperous, Public Policy Institute; President of the Georgraphical Society of NSW; Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, Western Sydney University