There's no doubt it's because of jobs.

In the past, agriculture and manufacturing held people in our regional towns.

However with changes since the 1970's, in mechanisation, cheaper overseas labour, it has led to a shift in jobs clustering job seekers into city office towers.

Sure, mining in our region has helped our growth

However, we need to have Government relocating their departments to regional areas. By relocating Government departments to regional areas there is a massive saving in the need for upgrading Sydney infrastructure - roads, rail, transport. Savings that would be better spent in regional areas.

We need to see incentives for businesses and manufacturing to relocate. We know COVID 19 has changed the way we do things....and it works. You don't need to cram into an office block in the city.

The Mudgee Region has seen a natural trend in lifestyle moves of baby boomers and moreover since COVID 19, Generation X-ers, to relocate to the area.

Take for example the Sydney family, who realised during COVID that the same could be done in a home in Mudgee as in Sydney suburbia. So 3 weeks ago, the family moved from a $1400 a week rental in Sydney to a $440 a week rental in Mudgee. Their lifestyle has improved enormously.

Mudgee region has positioned itself well for lifestyle changes, with a new $70 million hospital and new secondary school being established. Health and education remaining integral spheres for attraction to regional areas.

The Region needs to improve local access to higher education with our TAFE and pull back many of the courses our young local apprentices have to travel to Dubbo for.

Across the next decade there will be a greater downsizing trend as people realise they can sell their home in Sydney for 2/3 times the price of a farmlet or house in Mudgee.

First home buyers will realise regional cities are affordable to buy into if jobs are provided.

No doubt politicians like to spend tax payers money in areas where the bigger votes are.

That has to change. Hopefully the NSW Governments' alliance with the Shooters and Fishers Party this week will see more opportunities for regional areas.

NSW is not all about Sydney.

Hopefully our local council will lobby for government department relocation and business incentives to our area.

Our coal mines which have provided huge growth in infrastructure, business and population to our region won't last forever!

Its supply is finite.