Photos

View Gallery

REGIONS such as the Southern Downs may face starkly different hardships than urban centres, but one country woman is working to ensure Australian agriculture is just as forward thinking as metropolitan industries.

Hailing from rural Victoria, Catherine Marriott is a passionate advocate for Australian agriculture and women in regional communities, sharing her networking tips in a workshop hosted by the Condamine Headwaters Landcare group at the Warwick Golf Club on Thursday.

"Collaboration and communication is imperative in regional communities," Ms Marriott said.

"It is important we all share knowledge, resources and information as well as lessons to ensure we have all ideas and experiences on the table.

"Rural communities across the board are working with similar challenges such as invisibility from more urban electorates, rising production costs, and challenges with services and infrastructure.

"In the current economic environment, things are getting tighter for everyone, so if there is a way we can work together it will benefit the community as a whole."

Ms Marriott said she was eager to share her knowledge to encourage more people to adopt social media and networking.

"Networking is a skill that too many people lack," she said.

"In my opinion, effective networking is about what you can offer others and forming connections and sharing ideas to improve outcomes for all.

"With a large agricultural industry surrounding Warwick, working together and understanding what others are hoping to achieve can only improve efficiencies for everyone.

"Many people said they now understand the power of social media and are planning on using it as a business tool."

Attracting a number of attendees from across the region, Ms Marriott said she was impressed by people's loyalty to their community.

"It was wonderful to have so many people from one small community with a desire to learn more effective communication to enable them to contribute to the Southern Downs Region," she said.

"The diversity in the room was a testament to the community and I walked away inspired by the things people were talking about and their desire to be the change they want to see in Warwick."