Fresh air, open spaces, room to breathe and think – all these are attractive propositions. But as much as urban life tends to pall at times, it’s easy to forget rural life is not as stress-free and serene as it might seem from over the fence.
When you become used to the benefits of dwelling in larger population centres, you take for granted the ease of access to essential services and technologies which keep the modern world turning. In many rural areas, these are not things that can be taken for granted and are often instead relegated to "nice to haves".
Statistics show about 15% of New Zealanders live in rural areas, either in the countryside or in settlements of fewer than 1000 people. As a share of total population that has dropped significantly from close to 25% in 1960.
That life in rural New Zealand is no paradise or picnic is shown by the melodramatic billboards which have appeared on some farms along highways in recent times, revealing quite a different mindset to many urban dwellers.
Railing against climate-change efforts, these placards state "The Paris Agreement is Destroying Us", ironic given the government’s ill-advised rolling back of many emission-lowering initiatives.
Among the challenges of rural life which offset the scenery and the lifestyle are the isolation and exposure to extreme weather events, unreliable technology including inadequate internet and cellphone coverage, poor housing stock, a lack of essential services such as banking and shops and public transport, and high living costs.
Chief among the challenges is the limited access to healthcare, particularly for specialised medical appointments, along with a shortage of rural doctors and the long wait for an ambulance in an emergency.
In recent years, those involved in medical training have become more aware of the problem and more active in their drive to boost rural GP numbers. Now, the University of Otago has carried out a study to pinpoint which factors increase the likelihood of medical graduates choosing to move into practising rural medicine.
The study found that coming from a rural area, being older than 25 on starting at medical school and taking part in an extended rural placement, such as the RMIP, each predicted a higher probability of a student going into rural practice.
RMIP co-director Dr Katelyn Costello, lead author of the study, said students who participated in the programme were six times more likely to be working as rural doctors compared with the rest of their cohort.
Interestingly, it also discovered that students from urban centres and those who had no aspirations to pursue a rural career when they began at medical school made up more than half the early-career rural medical workforce.
Dr Costello said while New Zealand was doing the right thing with rural medical programmes, it still wasn’t enough to overcome doctor shortages in those areas. More targeted government funding was needed.
Transport costs and the expense of running thirsty farm equipment are also major problems facing country communities. As the price of a barrel of oil keeps shooting up, thanks to the war in the Middle East, those beyond the cities are bearing the brunt of a looming fuel shortage.
Diesel is especially in demand in the rural sector. In recent days, diesel pumps have been emptying throughout Otago, with prices reaching $3 a litre, an average rise of more than 70c per litre. Contractors are having to hike their fees to reflect the squeeze.
There was more bad news for small towns this week too, with Originair threatening to scrap its Wellington to Westport route due to ongoing losses. Rising jet fuel prices were the last straw, the company said.
If New Zealand had decent national rail options, the loss of such a route would not be so worrying. But Kiwis depend on some level of air service, particularly those in isolated areas with roads vulnerable to severe weather.
Life beyond the city limits may appear enticing, but it’s about more than just how green the grass looks.
