Rural Ausies Want Greater Focus on Outback, Entrepreneurship for the "Hearbeat of the Nation"

Rural delegates in Australia say they want entrepreneurial policy focus. Here’s some of what the Aussie’s said at a recent rural development conference:

Author and Northern Territory farmer Terry Underwood says 40 years ago she became a city convert and now, with four children and three grandchildren on the ground, she knows there are plenty more potential converts out there.

"That is my dream and vision, that we reverse the drift, revitalise the bush, the outback is the heartbeat of the nation," she said.

"We have to have infrastructure, incentives, everything we can do to get the bush up and running and to awake in each of us the profound mystery of simply being Australian."

Dean Belle says the aim should be to better equip rural Australia to cope with and find opportunities in change.

"Rather than just seeing it as a negative along the way," he said. "To do that we need the IT, we need the alternative energy and a range of other subsets to that."

Mr Belle also called for investment in human capital, entrepreneurship and leadership skills.

Catherine McGowen says she is self-employed, running her own business from her small farm.

"I would like to see us think about building on our strengths, and I know in rural Australia our strength is our independence," she said.

"If we could build on our strengths and create millions of self-employed people, then working in that portfolio arrangement to do it, but to give us the infrastructure to do that.

"I want lots more women to be working from home, running small businesses and making lots of money."