More than 80 participants, including representatives from rural regions in every State, will attend a three-day national summit on the future of rural Australia at Flinders University from September 21 to 23.

“Rural Futures Matter” is held in partnership with Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (SPERA) and Rural Education Forum Australia (REFA) at the Flinders University School of Education.

The summit has been organised by Professor John Halsey, holder of the Sidney Myer Chair in Rural Education and Communities at Flinders

Professor Halsey said the purpose of the summit is to produce a set of recommendations for government and agencies, private enterprise, relevant community organisations and for a wider public interest on Australia’s sustainability and the roles of education and rural communities in progressing this.

“Rural Australia has a crucial but frequently underplayed role in the social and economic destiny of the nation, and the summit will work to produce a picture of the realities in Australia’s regions with the aim of generating a set of robust recommendations for their sustainable future,” Professor Halsey said.

Delegates include academics, senior public servants, school principals and TAFE staff, as well as secondary and tertiary students and members of community organisations. Interest in the program extends beyond Australia, with international participants from New Zealand and the US attending the summit.

Keynote presentations include:

•    Australia’s demographics to 2050 and beyond
•    Sustainability and Globalisation – Partners or Protagonists?
•    Accessible, Affordable Quality Education in Rural Australia
•    Resource Companies and their Legacy
•    Leadership and Human Resources
•    Youth for the Future
•    Rural Australia – Making it Work!