News, national,
Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from ACM that has journalists in all states and territories. Sign up here to receive it by email or here to forward it to a friend. This week marks the final week of Race to the Regions, ACM’s series on the impact of COVID-19 on regional and rural Australia. Not all is nice as the issues surrounding home prices and the rental market occasionally overwhelm all other news. Regional housing construction is an important issue, but not the only one. We researched how telemedicine made a breakthrough and was finally added to Medicare’s bulk billing list. The benefits for all Australians having access to health care in this way have been significant, as they not only provide access to specialists regardless of location, but also the ability to schedule a doctor’s appointment from the comfort of their own home. There were also job offers for some. While many people interviewed for the series stressed that moving would never have been possible without the ability to work from home, moving to regional Australia has resulted in promotions and improved wages for others. Perhaps the stories that delighted the most were the ones that were also the most surprising. When I started researching for this series, I didn’t expect to interview families who moved from Sydney to regional NSW for educational opportunities. Of course, it proves the old adage, never assume. Certainly, the benefits of close-knit communities have proven valuable during COVID, where we have all had periods of isolation. As the series draws to a close, the interest and demand for regional Australia as more and more people see the benefits of shorter commutes, a better work-life balance and the ability to slow down are showing no sign of decline. And why should it? I was at a team meeting held through Zoom a few weeks ago. Dozens of us attended the meeting, from all over Australia. It was a reminder that despite the good old whine about technology, many of us can work regardless of our geographic location. Thank you for coming with us at Race to the Regions. If you’re interested in filtering the latest down to a late afternoon read, why not sign up for The Informer newsletter? OTHER MATTERS HAPPEN IN AUSTRALIA
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ROYAL AUSTRALIA
September 6, 2021 – 1:30 p.m.
This week marks the final week of Race to the Regions, ACM’s series on the impact of COVID-19 on regional and rural Australia.
Not all is nice as the issues surrounding home prices and the rental market occasionally overwhelm all other news. Regional housing construction is an important issue, but not the only one. We researched how telemedicine made a breakthrough and was finally added to Medicare’s bulk billing list.
The benefits for all Australians having access to health care in this way have been significant, as they not only provide access to specialists regardless of location, but also the ability to schedule a doctor’s appointment from the comfort of their own home.
There were also employment opportunities for some. While many people interviewed for the series stressed that moving would never have been possible without the ability to work from home, moving to regional Australia has resulted in promotions and improved wages for others.
Perhaps the stories that delighted the most were the ones that were also the most surprising.
When I started researching for this series, I didn’t expect to interview families who moved from Sydney to regional NSW for educational opportunities. Of course, it proves the old adage, never assume.
Certainly, the benefits of close-knit communities have proven valuable during COVID, where we have all had periods of isolation.
As the series draws to a close, the interest and demand for regional Australia as more and more people see the benefits of shorter commutes, better work-life balance and the ability to slow down are showing no sign of decline. And why should it? I was at a team meeting held through Zoom a few weeks ago. Dozens of us attended the meeting, from all over Australia.
It was a reminder that despite the good old whine about technology, many of us can work regardless of our geographic location.
OTHER MATTERS HAPPEN IN AUSTRALIA
