Regional Australians: Local shopping vital amid economic stress | The Canberra Times

More than 70 percent of participants 2026 Heartbeat of Australia The survey shows their community is a great place to live.

Nine in 10 people in the regions say shopping local and supporting local businesses is increasingly important for them to feel part of the local community.

But more than half of the thousands of Australians who have already received this training 15 minute online surveyCampaigners, which run until June 6, say they are very or extremely concerned about economic conditions, the cost of living and energy costs.

“The cost of living is unmanageable,” a Generation X woman from NSW commented in the survey.

“I have to save to pay the bills, and I feel lucky that I have savings to use. A lot of people don’t do that. It’s ridiculous that the money I’ve saved all these years is just going to help me get by.”

A Baby Boomer woman from NSW said: “If you can’t afford rising mortgage payments, you lose your home. If you can’t afford fuel, you lose your job. If you can’t afford the Doctor, your health suffers and the Casualty Department becomes stressed. If you can’t afford food, your health and life suffers.”

Only one in 10 people surveyed so far say they feel more positive about the future; By 2025, this rate dropped to one third.

But people find support in strong relationships; 50 percent of people rate their personal relationships nine 9 or 10 out of 10; This rate is around one third in 2025.

Three in five people say they plan to travel to Australia on holiday in the next 12 months, with a third saying they plan to go abroad.

In another indication of cost-of-living constraints on household budgets, only one in 10 people surveyed plan to buy a new or used petrol car in the next year, compared with almost a fifth of those considering buying an electric vehicle or hybrid.

2026 Australia’s heartbeat survey This is the fifth annual national study of consumer sentiment, community wellbeing and the role of local news by ACM, the publisher of this masthead, and the News and Media Research Center at the University of Canberra.

The aim of the survey is to understand how people across Australia, particularly in the regions, feel about their lives, where they live, their future and how they stay informed and connected.

The findings help the News and Media Research Centre’s ongoing work into how access to local news and information impacts community wellbeing, including how the Australian Research Council-funded research project tracks, understands and engages news audiences.

confidential online survey It takes approximately 15 minutes. Individual responses cannot be identified.

Survey participants can enter a drawing to win one of five $500 e-gift cards.