Critical Issues for Rural Businesses: Case Study Results from Two Regional Centres in New South Wales

Abstract

Structural adjustment in rural areas in response to globalisation, technological change, corporate imperatives and the impact of policies of economic rationalism by governments at most tiers has maintained the need to stimulate and re-orientate local economic activity. Although there is generally an increasing proportion of the rural community no longer in the workforce, the future well-being of most rural communities, in terms of maintaining population numbers in order to retain access to goods and services, is highly dependent upon access to employment opportunities.