Australia has some of the most innovate and creative communities and many of them are not the ones that would typically come to mind.

I have seen communities who are quite isolated finding creative ways to survive and continue to grow and adapt to their environment with the rapid pace of change, especially technological change.

These communities have battled issues such as upskilling existing workforces with new and emerging technologies, retaining the next generation of future workers and leaders and attracting them to the jobs in the region, attracting work and large contracts and keeping smaller businesses and communities afloat.

Communities that have done this well have been those that have worked together knowing everyone needs to do their bit however big or small to remain viable, sustainable, and profitable. The bigger organisations securing large contacts are sub-contracting out parts of the production to the smaller and specialised businesses. I have also seen groups being formed that have all the key people at the table making collective decisions creating sustainable communities, from educational and local government bodies through to business owners solving community problems together. Not one group has all the answers but collectively communities can work through it together.

In my local community this week I have seen local shop owners joining forces such as the green grocer, butcher and bakery, to provide a combined delivery service for locals, I have seen acts of generosity and kindness like a young 10 year old girl stand out the front of her house offering food and supplies she had doubles of to her neighbours.

Through this time of crisis and uncertainty it is the little acts of goodness that give us all a glimmer of hope. This virus has changed our world as we have known it forever. It is up to us, to define the impact we want to have through this time and how we want to adapt and change to improve things for the better.

COVID-19 does not discriminate. It treats everyone as equals. We have so much to learn from this pandemic.