Rural Australia is not only home to more than 7 million Australians, it also contributes the majority of the nation’s economic worth, with the Reserve Bank noting that the predominantly non-urban resource industries of agriculture, fisheries and forestry account for 80 per cent of Australia’s exports. Despite the enormous contribution made by rural Australia to the general prosperity, resilience and wellbeing of the whole country, people living in rural Australia have poorer access to health services than other Australians. If Australia wants to maintain its economic prosperity and support people living in metropolitan areas with the opportunities and wealth they have become accustomed to, more resources need to be directed to maintaining and improving the health of rural Australians.
