I would like nothing more than move back to the country, country gal. I hope that your vision will come true one day.

There is nothing more than I miss than waking up in the morning at Pambula Beach to the king parrots splashing in the pond, the black cockatoos kiting over my balcony, and kangaroos in the neighbourhood that I knew by name, and the a beach view unthinkable in the city. The rent for this 3 bedroom brick house was 1/4 of the dump that I now live in. The kids miss the country, I know. I struggle to pay the rent in the city but for my own reasons, I'm stuck here.

The question is, are country people ready for us wierdos from the city with all our quirks, strange ideas together with our skills and free spirit? I guess this is not fair on country people. But if skilled city people who usually like diversity did really move to the country on mass, would there be harmony or would there be cultural rivalry?

Australia needs to a population decentralisation strategy. Senator Lyn Alison last year published an OLO article advocating decentralisation, entitled "Small town life-styles". As much as I dislike the useless Democrats, Senator Alison made some very good points.

Read it here:

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=4920

Mark Latham also advocated a decentralisation policy of sorts. He argued that new migrants should be encouraged to settle in regional areas, as opposed to cramming into the already overcrowded capital cities.

Read his views here:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/20/1082395857017.html

The Howard Government's immigration program is fundamentally flawed. It is purportedly aimed at alleviating Australia's alleged "skills shortage". However, the skills shortages are mainly concentrated in regional mining areas e.g. high-growth regions and towns in Western Australia and Queensland. There is no mining boom in Sydney or Melbourne.