Regional Australians Face Higher Risk of Fatal Neurological Condition
Australians living in regional areas are significantly more likely to suffer from a fatal neurological condition that has seen a dramatic increase in prevalence over the past four decades. Experts suggest that exposure to pesticides in agricultural regions could be a key factor behind the rise in motor-neurone disease (MND), with some areas showing a 40 per cent higher risk of developing the degenerative condition.
The number of MND cases has tripled since the 1980s, and the disease now claims the lives of approximately 800 Australians each year, according to a study conducted by Macquarie University.
Simon Downes, a 68-year-old former dairy farmer from NSW’s Hunter Valley, was diagnosed with MND in 2024 after spending over three decades running his farm. 
He now faces limited mobility in his right arm and is no longer able to work. Mr Downes is seeking answers as he deals with the slow progression of the disease, hoping to make the most of the time he has left.
“It’s horrific,” he said, describing the inevitable outcome for all those who contract MND. “Sooner or later, everybody who has MND dies.”
While Mr Downes is reluctant to speculate on what might have caused his condition, he notes that others in his community who developed MND were not farmers. However, the study’s senior author, Professor Dominic Rowe from Macquarie Medical School, is more willing to point to potential causes.
“Last year, Australian agriculture used half a billion dollars’ worth of insecticides,” Professor Rowe said. “Insecticides are chemicals that are designed to kill motor neurons.”
The researchers’ epidemiological analysis of deaths from MND revealed that Tasmania had 1.4 times and South Australia 1.2 times as many deaths due to the condition as NSW between 2019 and 2023. 
“Our hypothesis is that it’s to do with the co-location of the population and agriculture,” Prof Rowe explained. “If you look at South Australia, most of the population is tucked down into the southeast corner, and that is exactly where all their intense viticulture is. Similarly, in Tasmania, it’s the orchard industry.”
Professor Rowe is advocating for MND to be classified as a notifiable disease, which would require cases to be reported to public health authorities by law.
“If you have a disease that kills 800 Australians a year and it’s likely to be environmental, don’t you think we should get better data on that?” he asked.
This week, he has seen four new patients, including a 19-year-old boy, a 50-year-old nurse, a 60-year-old man, and a 73-year-old woman.
“If you recognise the size of the problem, you actually have to do something about it,” Professor Rowe said.
If the causes of MND can be identified, methods could be developed to help slow or stop its progression, or even prevent it entirely, he added.
Mr Downes, who has three children and five grandchildren, described the emotional toll the disease has taken on his family.
“All of my family know that they’re going to miss out on the long-term future with me, and that’s a toll on them,” he said.
His story highlights the urgent need for further research and action to address the growing crisis of MND, particularly in regional and agricultural areas across Australia.
