What’s your reason?

The tagline – a natural place to live, work and play – is a common one throughout regional councils across the country. Clearly, all councils want the same things for their region in terms of prosperity and lifestyle, so why should a potential new resident choose one region over all the other regions who are offering similar dreams and prospects?  These reasons are as many and varied as the individuals who hold to them. 

At the recent Chamber of Commerce breakfast, we had high school students who’s priority was around educational options – they are in the early stages of their pathway in life. They were motivated to ‘live’.  The young families just wanted a stable job. They were motivated to ‘work’. Then one stately gentleman, who was clearly in the later leg of his life’s pathway, declared that all people wanted was a peaceful community. He just wanted to relax and ‘play’ and enjoy the fruits of his labour.  Each one of these is right and all are worthy motivations.   

During the week, I met residents from Widgee who had moved onto a 50 acre lot from down south and are loving the fact that they can’t see any neighbours. But they are quite incensed that there are now tradies running up and down the road because, it seems, other people have discovered the same idyllic lifestyle as them and they’re moving in next door.

I have met numerous other people who stated quite simply, “We were driving along and turned off the highway at KFC, fell in love with the place, went back home, sold up and moved to Gympie”. 

In the comments below tell us your story. What brought you here?  What keeps you here?

Cr Warren Polley