News Corp Australia today announced its annual Bush Summit will this year become a national event and held in every state to shine a light on the challenges and immense opportunities for rural and regional Australia.
The 2023 Bush Summit will bring together the nation’s most powerful decision makers and thought leaders to discuss the biggest issues facing regional industry, agriculture, business and community leaders and propose practical solutions to ensure and develop ongoing prosperity in regional Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will give the keynote address at the Tamworth Bush Summit, his fifth time attending the annual event. As part of the Bush Summit’s expansion, the 2023 Bush Summit will be held in Tamworth, New South Wales, on August 11, before travelling to Perth in Western Australia, Port Lincoln in South Australia, Hobart, Tasmania, Wodonga in Victoria and Rockhampton in Queensland.
News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller said the Bush Summit has quickly become agenda-setting and policy-shifting and has the ability to achieve better outcomes for the bush. “As someone who grew up in the bush, I have been proud to see the Bush Summit go from strength to strength, and its impact grow, year after year,” Miller said.
“The fact that federal, state and local members from all sides of politics have invested the time to participate each year, is testament to this Summit’s reputation and the importance we all recognise and support regional Australia.
“I’m delighted that we are expanding the 2023 Bush Summit into a truly national initiative with our state mastheads and The Australian and The Weekly Times advocating simultaneously for all regional Australians.
“Together they will explore the opportunities and challenges of their regional communities, as the Bush Summit grows to become an important national initiative.”
The Daily Telegraph editor Ben English said: “The Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit was first conceived to respond to a community in crisis.
“It’s easy to forget that back in July 2019, the bush was on its knees, crippled by one of the worst and most protracted droughts in history. By staging the Bush Summit, we were letting rural and regional Australians know they were not alone and not unseen,’’ he said.
“We were able to bring together everyone from the prime minister and the premier to regular farmers, business people and all the key stakeholders across rural and regional Australia.
“For the first time, crucial issues facing this vital community – the beating heart of our economy – were able to be heard and then politicians held to account for helping address them
“Four years later, there are as many opportunities as challenges but the remit remains the same, giving rural and regional Australians a megaphone to improve their lives and futures.
“And now it’s great to see the company expand the event across the country, it’s time to have a national conversation about these important issues.”
The National Presenting Partners of the Bush Summit are Hancock Agriculture and Hancock Prospecting. Hancock Prospecting, executive chair, Gina Rinehart said: “Eighty-five per cent of Australians live in large urban locations, but we should not forget the engine room of our country, that being outside the cities in mining and agriculture and all of those who work in our bush.
“They in turn make possible jobs for the many businesses the primary industries support; the truckies, the shops, even accountants, legals, tax advisors and many more.
“Our agriculture and mining national days, November 21 and 22 respectively, celebrate that 15 per cent, and this Bush Summit is a further opportunity for the ones in the bush, to share their stories with other Australians, to help our governments better understand those living and working outside our cities and hugely contributing to our country, and I welcome the Bush Summit partnership with News Corp which helps to enable this.”
Along with the seven in-person events across regional locations, the Bush Summit editorial campaign will run across The Daily Telegraph (NSW), Herald Sun (VIC), The Courier-Mail (QLD), The Advertiser (SA), The Mercury (TAS) and The Australian in print and digital. The Weekly Times and AgJournal will also support the program nationally. All of the events will be broadcast on Sky News Australia.
