Armed with a media pass to the National Bush Summit in Dubbo last week, I attended a few of the moderated panel sessions at the two-day event held at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre (DRTCC) from August 26-27.

The venue was at capacity during some sessions I attended. Those lucky enough to have a ticket to the two-day talkfest hosted by Murdoch media conglomerate News Corp seemed to relish the chance to make their views known from the floor on many occasions.

It was good to see a smattering of locals participating on the panels, including Steve Hinks from Taronga Western Plains Zoo and Sharon Winsor from Indigiearth Mudgee, (Creating Opportunities in Regional Australia – Jobs, Visitors and Growth panel); Amanda Ferrari, Director, The Boarding School Collective (Bridging the Divide: Health, Education and Services in the Bush panel); and Roger Fletcher OAM, Director, Fletcher International Exports (Rise of the Regions: Infrastructure, Housing, Resilience panel).

Politicians from all tiers of government were present, especially on Day Two of the program, their presence generating positives and negatives, in my view.

Positives, because they were present and appeared to be paying attention. Negatives in that I don’t know that many of those political representatives were really listening to the opinions and views being shared, or the heckled responses from the floor – bringing to mind the famous song lyric from “The Living Years” by Mike and the Mechanics – “You can listen as well as you hear.”

Listening and hearing are very important at events like this that attempt to gauge the mood of “The Bush” – which comprises one heck of a big space outside the largely coastal capital cities. Especially on subjects like renewable energy projects, fuel supply and security, and transport and road infrastructure. Few political representatives would have driven themselves to the event on ailing NSW roads (and detours!); passed by debated renewable energy projects (or stuck behind wind turbines on the Golden Hwy); or paid increasingly high fuel prices to travel in their vehicles.

I was disappointed not to see The Country Women’s Association of NSW (of which I am a branch member in Narromine) or those representing First Nations’ voices in the policy space participating, as they are important voices that also deserve to be heard.

Perhaps next time, News Corp, if you’re really listening to "passionate local communities"…?

The sessions from the National Bush Summit were recorded and can be watched online at bushsummitnsw.splashthat.com/2026.