The Conference's 18 priority recommendations are presented. Two of the issues have been included in each of the nine biannual conferences. This Conference agrees that Indigenous life expectancy is still unacceptably low, and that there is still insufficient focus in national health research efforts on rural and remote communities.

Many Australians are living under pressure of social change and its consequences. People in rural and regional areas often live with additional stresses particular to rural communities. This paper discusses community cohesion and its relationship to resilience and the development of health and wellbeing.

The focus of this paper is on issues facing men, particularly men in regional areas where the incidence of isolation, loneliness and depression are especially acute. Some relevant literature is reviewed. The potential role of 'men's sheds' in helping to overcome these problems is discussed, along with comments on the overall contribution that men's sheds...