Topic detailed

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

While I stand here today, I want to honour the Yuibera people, who’s land we are communing
on and pay my respect to the Elders past, present, and emerging.
In light of the recent pandemic, many have been forced to review their priorities and as
Australians, we witnessed an ever-increasing issue impact millions of us.
The current urban divide; a phenomena where rural communities are at a large disadvantage
when it comes to access to basic health care and educational opportunities. Urban areas in
Australia already have almost three times as many hospital specialists per capita. As for
education, rural students have lower literacy rates than urban and suburban students - all
perpetuated by limited access to advanced facilities.
Statistics show that “around 40% of rural student are less likely to gain a higher-level literary
education qualification” (probonoaus, 2022) and as for basic health care “the rate of disease
burden in Remote and very remote areas is 1.4 times as high as that for Major cities” (awih,
2022)
This is the unbearable reality for many Australians and needs to be combatted with strategy.
Whether it be introducing more financial aid to local councils or drawing on a “capability
approach” to allocate resources that are community-centred and equity focused.
This issue must and can be solved together.
Thank You.
Source citations

Rural and remote health - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2022, Australian Institute
of Health and Welfare, viewed 28 August 2022, <https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/rural-remote-
australians/rural-and-remote-health>.

‌ umilty, E, Hess, K & Baker, T 2020, Healing the urban-rural divide: Why a ‘locals-first’
T
approach doesn’t work in a pandemic, The Conversation, viewed 28 August 2022,
<https://theconversation.com/healing-the-urban-rural-divide-why-a-locals-first-approach-doesnt-
work-in-a-pandemic-135301>.

Affluent but unequal: how the urban-regional divide is affecting Australian children 2022, Pro
Bono Australia, viewed 28 August 2022,
<https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2022/07/affluent-but-unequal-how-the-urban-regional-
divide-is-affecting-australian-children/>.