AS the skills shortage in the bush remains a worrying issue, a job recruiting agency has said the Federal Government needs to promote the lifestyle of the country rather than providing financial incentives.
Queensland director of Hays recruitment, Darren Buchanan, said the Federal Government needed to focus its attention on promoting the bush as an attractive place to live.
"We are past monetary incentives, because there are restrictions in the bush to be able to spend that money," Mr Buchanan said.
"We have to make it about the lifestyle - it's about selling the Australian dream to live in the bush, and there are people out there who are over the city and are after a more relaxed lifestyle.
"There are large groups of people in the city whose dream is to want to work in the bush; therefore we should make our focus on them."
While a parliamentary inquiry by the Federal Government will try to relocate job seekers from areas of high unemployment to where they're needed, Mr Buchanan said it was important to highlight the benefits of living in the country, such as being able to own a home
"You have to highlight what the bush offers," Mr Buchanan said.
"Most people want to be able to own their own home at some stage of their lives."
He said rural towns offer local support and community involvement, and many people are looking for a close knit community feel, after spending so much time in cities.
"During the financial down turn people became stressed and the city became less appealing - a lot of them are ready to relax now," Mr Buchanan said.
"It's about tapping into those people.
"In the city, there are a lot of expectations that you're meant to live up to, like having the best TV, car and basically keeping up with the lifestyle.
"However, the bush takes that pressure away."
Mr Buchanan said people will still earn an income in the country, but they would be more satisfied.
"Rural towns have more community involvement, something that everyone wants to do, but perhaps don't get the opportunity to do it while living in the city."
The parliamentary inquiry is being run by the House of Representatives Standing Committee with representatives from both sides of politics.
The House of Representatives Employment Committee chairwoman and WA MP Sharryn Jackson said there needed to be incentives to get people to live and work in regional areas.
She said the mining areas were sucking people out of rural areas and the fly-in fly-out jobs were becoming more attractive.
"As the mining industry boom picks up again people are leaving existing jobs in rural areas and we are being forced to bring in skilled labour from overseas," Ms Jackson said.
"Another major problem is that young people are leaving country towns because of a lack of employment opportunities."
Ms Jackson said areas of high unemployment, especially youth unemployment included places like western Sydney and Wollongong.
WA has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Australia.
"We still have to ask ourselves what we can do better," she said.
"Maybe it will have to be changes in tax, maybe it will be more work experience in the rural areas, maybe it will be direct flights from Sydney to Port Hedland.
"There needs to be the right policy settings and incentives to attract people to the areas experiencing skill shortages.
"The previous government provided a relocation allowance for unemployed people willing to move from their home to work in rural areas.
"However, I believe the allowance of $5000 wasn't sufficient and alternative initiatives need to be considered and assessed."
Ms Jackson said the committee had received positive feedback from a company in rural Queensland which was working with local communities and local councils, state government and non-government agencies to recruit workers to their area.
They are looking at finding employment for more than one person in a family to help them make the move to the bush.
But she said there was a problem with seasonal work in rural areas because it was unlikely many families would be willing to relocate for only a short amount of time.
"There are benefits to living in the country though - for example land and housing are often cheaper and it's easier to be a part of the community," Ms Jackson said.
Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and WA, Gary Gray, is leading a task force with industry representatives on employment opportunities for people in northern Australia, especially WA.
There are also changes to immigration policies to target overseas workers in skill shortage areas.
"But I want to see more Australians working in the bush," Ms Jackson said.
"It's about reassuring people that there are employment opportunities out there and the lifestyle is attractive."
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