Not Post Apocalypse, But It Can Be

 Around a year after the reported arrival of Covid 19,  we walked around the main street of a most familiar stomping ground - one of many comparable suburbs around Australia.  This one is served by a functioning rail station, albeit a secondary line outside a capital city.  The years leading to 2020 has seen a spike in small retail outlets, mainly in food, grocery, coffee, basic health services, household needs and nothing too fancy.  I did note that this micro economy was mainly based on consumption and a quiet lifestyle - and not so much on investment except in constructing more residential units.

The future of an economy, big or small, need not be fully tied to its past.   What sustained in history can no longer be relevant.  Changes coming in the future need to be worked out to take advantage of them.  The Covid 19 year has not been kind to the viability in spending at small businesses, which do form the back bone of the Australian economy.  It underscores the urgency for innovation, transformation and longer term planning in what we do at various levels of our personal lives, the health of our community and the financial growth of society.

Walking down on the still well maintained pavements (several had in fact been upgraded by Council recently), I observed that some long standing shops had gone, but replacements still are mired depending on personal consumption.  The long standing chemist near the main set of lights has gone, but the pub still is there.  The suburban version of a bank branch, ethnic culinary restaurant and medical centre all survive, but the travel agent is closed.  There is no significant sign of the future possibilities - are there shops writing analytical programmes, experimenting with new business models and tapping into cost wise customer interaction platforms?  We still depend on petroleum to drive us, our food supplies and online orders of purchases.  There are more solar panels on roofs in this neighbourhood, but mostly we still have an energy supply grid that relies on coal, monopolistic players and political demands.

For a long while, I reflect on the state of business in that suburb in early 2021.  A cafe has turned into a barber shop, a corporate child care business has been swallowed up by a bigger rival and one of the existing chain supermarkets is getting more shabby.  On the brighter side, the Returned Service League has renovated and improved its operations, while vehicle traffic on the main road - Princes Highway -shows the return of more paying customers.  Underlying like a strong thread of commonality are signs of ageing of society here -  with medical related services vying with cafe activity.

There is also an increased presence of franchised and chain business operations, with names that started in the nearby Big Smoke and replicating its operations for new markets in areas with growing residential population.  Does it mean better service?  Not necessarily, as staff can be put under more pressure, delivery can become more impersonal and performance  is watched like an eagle to achieve revenue targets.   What retail banks went through in the past 30 years at the street level is now beginning to be happening with other retail businesses.

Disenfranchisement of the work productive young can be forecast in such a suburb.  Schools are busy but their graduates look to greener pastures outside this suburb. The nearby university has learnt in a disturbed way the over reliance and non diversification of its student markets from overseas.   The regional town and area is not earmarked for any exciting specialisation in growth of a forward looking technology.  The region grew because of extraction of natural resources and it still depends on such income.  The place is not in any ruling Government's macro plan to provide any public services.  Without any medium and longer term vision, the region has become more residential than pro-active in improving its lot.   Even its city centre landscape has evidently become more reliable on stamp duty and Council fees than something more promising.

Potential advantages of the region - a clean environment, human talent and development of businesses of the future - are under played.   I would not say this area has been caught in a time warp, but neither is it moving forward to move out of its usual problems and issues.  Somehow I suspect the attitude is more inward looking than asking "Why Not?".   Does the region want to grab an opportunity not to be an appendage of the nearby capital city?   Does the region not want to utilise the unique offerings of its hinterland?  Does the region just want to be content to be a sea change for people?