'Growth Is Good': The Towns Avoiding the Rural Death Spiral The decline of rural towns in Australia is a pressing concern that threatens both their economic viability and social fabric.
Behind the Great Dividing Range, once thriving farming communities are struggling to stay alive, with shuttered pubs, boarded up homes, and an aging population that's shrinking by the day.
In West Wyalong, for example, the median age has skyrocketed from 26 in 1960 to 43 today. In Grenfell, it's a staggering 52.