Australia’s rural communities face a range of increasingly complex issues that decision makers and the communities, themselves, must confront if they are to maintain the sustainability of these cities and towns. Take the greater introduction of robots and farming automation. The use of these will be profound, increasing farm efficiency and productivity; but, the impacts on employment will also be significant. It is absolutely vital that we no longer plan for the future of Australia’s rural economies by relying on outdated worldviews and memories of glorious pasts. New narratives must be created and adaptive thinking employed.