We spent New Years Eve in regional Victoria and it was magical. Waking up to the sounds of birds and rustling trees, looking out of the vast expanse of Victorian countryside. We live in a beautiful country.

But for every weekender in the countryside, there are communities in rural Victoria struggling with limited access to essential services, and a lack of investment. We don’t need the stats to tell us this - for the last six months, Lucy has been living part-time in East Gippsland and has been experiencing it for herself. 

As Australia becomes increasingly urban, many regional and remote areas are being left behind by their governments. The rural-urban divide is not just a matter of distance; it’s a barrier to equality, opportunities, and a fair shot at prosperity for millions of Australians.

[In]access to essential services

The 2021 Census found that nearly a third of Australians living outside major cities had to travel over 30 minutes to access the nearest hospital or medical centre—often much longer. For people in more isolated communities, travel time can be over two hours. 

Yet, rural and regional Australians are often those with the highest health needs. People living in rural and remote areas are more likely to die at a younger age, have higher mortality rates and higher rates of potentially avoidable deaths and have higher rates of chronic diseases than their counterparts in major cities.

It’s not uncommon in East Gippsland to wait days to see a GP - by which time we’ve either started to feel better or are so unwell we need to go to the hospital. It’s not an efficient system for tax payers and it’s not a fair system for communities. 

A train that never comes

Ask anyone who relocated to a regional area during Covid about the Victorian rail system and you’ll likely get the same answer - when it’s good it’s great, but it’s rarely reliable. 

Unlike in European countries where you can live in a rural area and easily commute by train to a metropolitan centre for work, living in a regional area of Victoria means you have to drive. Everywhere. 

The lack of access to reliable public transport is extremely isolating. It makes it impossible for people who can’t drive (teenagers or the elderly) to have any independence, and it makes it effectively harder for anyone to live in a regional or rural area and hybrid work. 

Which brings us to housing…

Regional Victoria could be a viable option in the ongoing housing crisis. There is an opportunity to develop small towns outside of Melbourne, build the infrastructure around them and create opportunities for people to live and work in other parts of Victoria.

Instead the opposite is eventuating. The infrastructure is not only lacking to support commuting, but the digital infrastructure means teleworking puts an unbearable strain on education and small businesses. 

Could you imagine being a small business owner and half way through the day your eftpos machine cutting out because the internet is overloaded? 

This lack of investment in rural infrastructure makes it harder for small businesses to thrive and for people to access economic opportunities. A 2022 Infrastructure Australia report found that rural areas suffer from a significant shortfall in infrastructure investment compared to urban areas, with transport and digital infrastructure particularly underfunded. 

Representing Victoria means representing all Victorians

With 75% of Victorians living in greater Melbourne, it’s no surprise that elected officials aren’t prioritising the needs of rural communities. But we can’t thrive as a state, or a country, without our rural communities. 

Ultimately what’s good for rural and regional communities is good for all of us. A strengthened regional health system places less burden on our health system overall and drives a stronger, healthier country. A more efficient and reliable regional transport system relieves the burden on urban housing and the road system, lowers carbon emissions and is good for businesses across the transport route. And stronger communities lead to a stronger economy. 

A regional community isn’t just for Christmas. They are the heartbeat of our state, our country, we need to keep them pumping.