LiddellWORKS: Transformation in the Upper Hunter
In recent times, a migratory shift regional centres has been discussed as an impact of Covid-19 restrictions in Australia. For many city workers, the implementation of work from home arrangements led to a re-evaluation of lifestyle and work/life balance. When the social attractions of big city living were suddenly limited and shopping could be done online, it didn’t really matter where you lived if the internet connection was stable. Of course, the reduced cost of living in regional areas factored largely in these considerations. Also contributing to the post-Covid change in domestic migration in New South Wales was what human geographer Bill Pritchard describes as the ‘curtailed migration from the regions–people stopped moving to major cities.’ It is not yet clear if this measured shift will be sustained, but there are important implications for arts and culture. Rather than trying to arrest population decline in small towns by replicating the services available in larger centres, Pritchard suggests that with appropriate planning, ‘arts, culture and artisanal food figures prominently in the functional repurposing of commerce in small settlements.’