Region living - benefits and drawbacks

Living in the regions has benefits and drawbacks.?

I wake up every morning with wallabies on my front lawn, kookaburras singing, and my closest neighbours are 250 metres away. Even though we’re dispersed, I’ve never been more connected in my community.?

In Sydney, I didn’t know my neighbours. Everyone was busy rushing from one place to the next and their heads down looking at their phones on public transport.

Living on the Mid Coast, I feel part of the community

I know many people in my area and the neighbouring suburbs. I know my neighbours (we’ve had their horses in our yard), and I’ve made friends across the community, from the local cafe, post office, hardware store and the Farmers Markets.

I’m the President of the Wootton Community Network, and volunteer alongside committee members who have been supporting the region for decades. We’ve had fun hosting and attending Trivia Nights, working bees and lending a hand when neighbours need it.?

I’ve also put my hand up to be a Councillor at the MidCoast Council .?

I’ve got incredible clients from the Central Coast and Forster, through to Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.

I never had to pause a zoom meeting to chase away a goanna, or remove a python from the chicken shed before starting the day in the city - but have done that a few times this year alone!

The drawbacks

Living in the regions comes with difficulties you don’t see in the city.

• income potential is lower, because there are less people and businesses
• there’s limited public transport (if any at all) and
• access to services can be much more difficult - the number of service providers in any industry is lower than in the cities.

It also costs more to get to conferences and events for networking and professional development.

I would have loved to attend the Human Synergistics Australia & NZ event in Sydney today, but that means 2 days out of the office, and an overnight stay. Many events come with a cost as well (the Human Synergistics event didn’t, which is amazing).?

I understand the desire to get to great events like this, and because I’m hosting the 2024 Psychosocial Safety Summit, I want to give away 3 free tickets to people in the regions.?

If the price of a ticket is holding you back, share your details and the reason you’d like to attend here, and I’ll choose 3 of the best responses and provide free tickets to the Summit.?

The survey will close on Sunday 15 September and I’ll contact the people who receive the free tickets on Monday 16 September.

The cost of travel and accommodation will need to be covered by the recipients, however we’ve found incredibly cheap accommodation at only $150 a night.

Get in touch if you need help.?

Find out more about the Summit here https://neonshed.teachable.com/p/psychosocial-safety-summit

The Summit also features Regional Speakers including Blyde Neser , founder of Professional Coaching Solutions and Michelle McFadyen from Michelle McFadyen Consulting - who are both from the Coffs Coast Region.

The benefits outweigh the drawbacks for me every day of the week!

My mental health has improved significantly and I’ve met incredible men and women in the regions that I probably wouldn’t if I lived in a city.?

One of those incredible women is Danielle McAlpine Johnson

Danielle is looking for 1000+ Regional, Rural and Remote Women in Australia.

CheekyMac Productions is currently working on a groundbreaking new documentary Rural Daughters. This feature-length film aims to take an unflinching look at the unique and often overlooked barriers and success stories of remote, rural and regional women as they effect change and lead purpose-driven lives.

As part of the documentary, we are aiming to survey more than 1000 remote, rural and regional women across Australia. The insights gained from this survey will play a crucial role in highlighting the challenges and triumphs of rural women, advocating for their needs, and celebrating their contributions to our communities.?

We have launched the nationwide 1000 Rural Women Survey covering natural disasters, health, domestic violence, societal attitudes, racial prejudice, Tall Poppy Syndrome, community life, leadership, and female role models. This survey is a collaborative effort between Federation University’s Collaborative Evaluation and Research Centre and CheekyMac Productions, commissioned by the Community Enterprise Foundation. It is believed this survey is the broadest and largest of its kind.

This research will not only inform our documentary, it is also expected to inform policy and be used to develop educational resources for Australian schools.?

Survey link: 1000 Rural Women Survey

For more information about the documentary and survey, please visit: www.cheekymac.com/rural-daughters