ALBURY-Wodonga is a secret for much of the country and needs to make a splash on the national consciousness, a population specialist believes.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
KPMG demographer Bernard Salt said the Twin Cities should be working to match the high profile of other regional centres.
“I'd like to see Albury-Wodonga project on to the national consciousness,” Mr Salt said.
“It's a little bit like it's a bit of a secret, maybe not in the region, but beyond.
“Everyone knows Geelong has the footy team, everyone might know of Newcastle for whatever reason, is there a way for Albury-Wodonga to actually muscle its way into the national consciousness?
“Parkes does this with an Elvis festival, Stawell does it with the Stawell Gift.
“In the 21st century it's not just about whether the community can leverage more funds for a new freeway or a new hospital.
“We expect that anyway, we want our fair share and everything we're entitled to, but it's the competition for mind space.
“If you have mind space then you get visitors, investors, holidaymakers, passers-by, residents, businesses.
“It's the start of a funnel and the first thing is you've got to be aware of it and if it doesn't enter into the consciousness of the boardrooms of Melbourne and Sydney, you're not even competing.”
Mr Salt spoke, at the invitation of The Scots School Albury parents association, on Thursday night about his faith in Albury-Wodonga and its future.
He compared it favourably to other regional centres which suffered in relying on single industries such as mining or manufacturing.
However, Mr Salt does not believe a very fast train, which has been posited as a commuting option for Border workers, will eventuate.
He said Australia lacked the populous to support such a system and the air service was a better alternative.
“It's in the interests of this community to actually be engaged with that dream, but it's something that I do not foresee will materialise, not unless our circumstances vastly shift,” Mr Salt said.
“There's better things to do with the tens of billions of dollars that would cost to deliver to make it easier to travel from Melbourne to Sydney or give them an alternative.
“We as a nation could do 20 things with the amount of money that that project would take.”