Tom moved to the hinterland eight years ago, but prior to that worked for most of his life in Longreach.    And it was from there that he tirelessly campaigned the state and federal governments to improve the quality of life for Australians dwelling in remote areas.

And it is a lack of infrastructure, health, education and job opportunities that Tom blames for a tide of people voting with their feet and moving from bush to beach.   ?The inland is still de-populating,? said Tom.    ?Western Queensland in the 1960s had a population of circa 18,000 people but it is supporting les than 11,000 now ? that type of situation is mirrored around the country.?

Tom said the only way to encourage people to move inland was to offer incentives to encourage people away from costal areas that are already swelling at an alarming rate.   ?The government must realise that bush people and rural areas need more attention to encourage people to live there,? said Tom.    ?Other nations like the UK and France offer incentives to keep farmers on their land and we should be doing the same.?

Tom thinks the Federal Government should remove taxation for those living west of the Great Dividing Range. He?s betting that the influx of people that could generate would in itself see private enterprise subsequently update and expand the current dated infrastructure.

As more people leave the bush Tom fears that the nation will loose sight of what it means to be Australian, simply living lives that could be replicated in any city or conurbation around the globe.   ?There seems to be this mentality developing in the Aussie psyche that bush people are second-class citizens,? said Tom. ?We inhabit this tremendous continent which gives us our identity ? but if we crowd people into our cities and abandon inland areas we will fast loose our sense of purpose.?

Tom was delighted with the AM, which was the highest honour given to anybody on the coast, and said that having been granted this award had at least given him the chance to reinstate the argument. Perhaps it?s now time for others to take up the challenge ?

Meanwhile, another hinterland resident also recognised by the Queen was Mooloolah?s Michael Stuart, who received a Public Service Medal for his efforts improving the efficiency at the Queensland Fire Services.