Community & Business
1 September, 2026
2026 National Bush Summit returned to Dubbo
Dubbo held 2026 National Bush Summit
By Molly Shannon
The 2026 National Bush Summit was brought back to Dubbo for the second time since the event's inception in 2019, on Wednesday, August 26 and Thursday, August 27, bringing together experts, politicians, and people from all over the nation to discuss the biggest concerns facing regional, rural, and remote communities.
The theme for this year, ‘Back the Bush, Build the Future’, was celebrated and debated over the two-day summit created by News Corp Australia and presented by Hancock Prospecting.
The summit focused on 20 topics affecting farmers and rural, regional, and remote communities nationwide including talks on invasive species, drought preparedness, and renewable energy plans.
The summit returned to its original format, holding the entire event in one place opposed to separating the summit across states.
Dubbo Regional Council were excited to be hosting the event again, saying they were hopeful it would encourage more people to explore the regions.
The economic benefit of the summit being hosted wasn’t missed either, and Kim Hague manager for strategic partnerships and investments at Dubbo Regional Council said that it was important for regional centers like Dubbo to be included in the conversation.
“I think it's really important that we get the opportunity to have all the leaders of the nation here in our region to listen and to hear what's important for our community, and not just the community of Dubbo, but for regional communities around Australia,” Ms Hague said.
“The Bush Summit is a really important avenue for [local community] to come and listen to leaders, but to also talk to leaders.
“I think it's been a really positive outcome to have that close proximity to some incredible politicians from all around Australia to be here in our local area,” Ms Hague said.
Day one of the summit covered topics on pest control, tariffs and trade, discussions over ‘red tape’, and an address by Julie Collins, federal minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry, to name a few. In her address, Ms Collins acknowledged the importance of Australian ag to the national economy, but also its strength in the global market.
“As many of you in the room would be aware, our farmers and producers have achieved an extraordinary milestone,” Ms Collins said.
“Surpassing the $100 billion in agricultural production, four years ahead of expectation,” she said.
Ms Collins was joined by James Wagstaff the editor of The Weekly Times, to discuss recent headline topics in ag such as the recent selling of Tasmania's largest farm, Rushy Lagoon, and the deadly H5 Bird Flu.
Rushy Lagoon became an important topic over the two day summit, with many in attendance frustrated over the perceived favour on renewable energy over helping rural and regional communities thrive.
Rushy Lagoon is Tasmania’s biggest farm, and was sold earlier this year to UK investment firm, Green House, who plan to turn the property into a forest.
The Australian federal government in turn helped to pay approximately $70 million of the $142 million price.
Day one delved into topics of pest control and how biosecurity is being managed, particularly when it came to the management of H5 Bird Flu.
Jack Gough, chief executive officer of the Invasive Species Council said that the avian bird flu should be a concern, especially when it comes to already vulnerable animals, and called for more funding to be made into the project.
Day two was no less packed. Panel discussions with state premiers, Chris Minns (NSW), South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas, and WA deputy premier Rita Saffioti, a discussion with prime minister Anthony Albanese, a debate between leader of the Nationals, Matt Canavan, and leader of One Nation, Pauline Hanson, were all held.
Similar to day one, concerns over red tape, access to housing, and the impacts of renewable energy infrastructure were main topics of discussion.
The first panel of the day was held with prime minister Anthony Albanese, where he was pushed on the realities that those in the bush are facing.
This wasn’t the PM’s first trip to a Bush Summit, with Mr Albanese having been one of the original politicians to join in the beginning.
The sale of Rushy Lagoon as well as the viability of nuclear energy were posed to Mr Albanese, who claimed that the only reason as to why nuclear energy wasn’t being discussed is because of the economic consequences. “It doesn't stack up,” prime minister Albanese said. “Find me an investor who's prepared to invest in it and then we'll take it more seriously, but the truth is, the economics of it is what stops it going ahead...It’s the economics of it, because the time between making a decision and actually producing any power is so long that the investment cycle just doesn't have a bidder, doesn't have the capital to be provided,” Mr Albanese said.
Energy was the overarching theme of day two, with extensive time being held in almost all panels to discuss the impacts of renewable energies and how that correlated to rising energy prices.
Further panel discussions included talks about access to health and education services, jobs and tourism as well as infrastructure and housing.
In the afternoon, a joint press conference was held by federal member for Parkes, Jamie Chaffey, and federal Nationals leader, senator Matt Canavan, and leader of the opposition, Angus Taylor. An influx of visiting and local Journalists asked the members of the opposition on where they stood when it came to the current government's energy plans.
“We see a government and an energy minister that is running headlong through his ideological crusade to subsidise these projects, rushing them through in places where not only are they not welcome, but the wrong places to put these projects,” Mr Taylor said.
“We will scrap net zero, and we will scrap those programmes that are funding this rollout that is happening right now in the wrong parts of Australia, in the wrong way,” he said.
Senator Canavan held similar views, expressing his frustration with similar projects, including the exclusion of nuclear energy.
“It's been reported that the prime minister said this morning that he'd be open to nuclear energy and removing the nuclear energy ban if there were an investor, well, I know there are companies that would love to invest in nuclear in Australia but they've gone to the United States because we maintain this ridiculous out of date, out of step ban on nuclear energy,” senator Canavan said.
“I think you have seen a softening of the Labor Party's position on this,...I think even the prime minister now can see there is a train wreck coming down the tracks here, unless we open up our energy sources in this country,” he said.
With the end of the 2026 National Bush Summit, equal feelings of hope and frustration were palpable.
General consensus from people in attendance was an overwhelming feeling of not being heard, and a large divide between those in the bush and those making the decisions in Canberra.
However, most agreed that without events such as the National Bush Summit, the divide could be even greater.
