Sheppartonians demonstrate generosity, acceptance, and kindness

Australians have long been generous hosts.

And the Goulburn Valley is unquestionably one of the better examples of that societal generosity, acceptance, and kindness.

It has not always been smooth sailing, however, but since the gold rush days, Shepparton and the greater Goulburn Valley has been the destination of many immigrants.

What brought them here then and still does today?

Well, many things, among them agricultural and commercial prospects, a perceived social cohesion and opportunities and, importantly, that chance to belong.

And if the City of Greater Shepparton can lay claim to anything, it has become a place in which people can “belong”; something that is probably the greatest of all human needs for it is important to feel as if we belong to something, someone or somewhere.

Modern Shepparton is a concoction of cultures and beyond the occasional minor disturbance, they all live comfortably together, each enriching the other as they willingly share and dip into hitherto unknown ways of living.

What is visible here in Shepparton leads only to a mystery as to why many people are uncomfortable with the idea of sharing their space with others whom they perceive as different from them.

Those who imagine themselves as “local” should be thrilled that others want to come here as it is clearly understood that people want to migrate to places where they see good resources such as healthcare, education, stability, order and a community ready to address environmental matters such as climate change.

Shepparton has traditionally been good all those matters with the exception of the latter, which has emerged as the most important and will stress all the former.

Just a fews days ago several people, among them GPs and other academics and a couple of “ordinary” people, gathered at the University of Melbourne’s Nossal Institute for Global Health to discuss “Climate change, conflict, and migration” not with the idea of reaching any conclusion, but to better understand the dynamic.

Greater Shepparton in north eastern
Victoria is home for many and the
destination for even more.

Discussion centred on a paper from a New York university suggesting that uncertainty about the future was one of the most crucial factors that can lead to violent conflict, and in some ways perceived insecurity is more critical than actual insecurity. The Goulburn Valley delivers that much sought after sense of security.

The paper said: “As such, even if in reality migrants do not pose a significant threat to political or economic power, the perceived risk may be enough to provoke conflict.”

Shepparton’s long history of being the preferred destination for people seeking to put down new roots has manifested a sense of tolerance and understanding that is credit to the wider community.

The New York paper says: “Climate change is one of the most significant threats that mankind will need to address in the coming decades, and the potential impacts of climate variability and change on migration and conflict will remain an important area of research and policy planning.”

The challenge for all of us here in the Goulburn Valley will be to deepen our tolerance and broaden our understanding as climate disruption worsens and subsequently the inflow of new people increases.