When life gives you watermelons…
This past weekend saw almost 15,000 people descend on Chinchilla to partake in some crazy, messy, old-fashioned fun. For the last 29 years locals have been organising this festival to not only showcase their fruit but to showcase their town.
Agriculture and regional communities are mutually interdependent. In short, one can’t live without the other. Agriculture brings the jobs, more specifically horticulture does, and the jobs bring people. The people bring the need for doctors, cafes, chemists, pubs, transport, and ancillary services with each of these bringing more jobs. These economic exchanges create the foundation of communities.
The foundation of community is one thing but people don’t stay unless there’s 4 elements.
Jobs and career movement. Jobs are not enough to retain workers – there has to be also the possibility of movement up the career ladder to keep them there. This is why we must continue to invest in opportunities in regional areas which create this ability to expand on entry level positions.
Adequate products and services. In 2000, dial up internet may have been considered adequate in Australia however in 2023, anything less than a strong mobile signal and wifi strength capable of streaming, is considered inadequate. For the record, human is human regardless of whether you live in Chinchilla or the Gold Coast, your expectations of adequate would be quite similar. This is why we must continue to invest in solutions which narrow the gap between our metro and regional growing areas.
A ‘nice’ environment. People like green space, cafes and restaurants and the like. Livability in regional areas is part of the solution to a strong labour force.
A sense of belonging. Religion, sporting groups, family, friends, all help to create a sense of belonging and this is where community events like the Chinchilla Watermelon Festival really take centerstage. This is why we must continue to support these types of organisations as they help stitch together the fabric of community.
For almost three decades local growers and the interconnected community have recognised this economic mutual interdependence and have found a way through drought, adversity, compliance, bushfires to continually put on a show they should all be extremely proud of! And further to this, an economic result they couldn’t have achieved otherwise. As the saying now goes, when life gives you watermelons, show people how to ski in them!
