What matters most to you in your local community in 2026?

Is it a great place to live with a bright future? Or do you have concerns about housing or crime or the effects of climate change?

ACM's Heartbeat of Australia survey is now open. Picture Shutterstock, ACM

How important to you is shopping locally and supporting local businesses?

What about social media and generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT? Do you trust them as a source of reliable news and information?

It's the fifth year ACM, the publisher of this masthead, and the University of Canberra's News and Media Research Centre have collaborated on a national study of consumer sentiment, community wellbeing and the role of local news.

The Heartbeat of Australia survey is in its fifth year. Click on the image above to start the survey.

The purpose of the survey is to understand how people across Australia, especially in the regions, are feeling - about their lives, where they live, the future and how they stay informed and connected.

Survey participants can go into a draw to win one of five $500 e-gift cards.

DO THE HEARTBEAT SURVEY NOW

ACM chief marketing officer Jarrah Petzold said the annual Heartbeat survey provided vital insights about Australians living in regional cities and rural towns and how they are feeling about life in their community.

"ACM's longstanding news brands around the country provide a trusted voice for the millions of Australians who live outside the state capitals," Mr Petzold said.

"Heartbeat of Australia is a chance for Australians to share how they feel about the future, their plans for the next 12 months and how they stay informed and connected to what's going on in where they live.

Click on the image above to start the Heartbeat survey now.

"Cost-of-living and housing availability and affordability pressures, the role of social media and now AI in our lives - these are the kinds of personal and community concerns the Heartbeat research seeks to understand, especially among young people and those living in the regions."

The Heartbeat survey findings help the News and Media Research Centre's continuing studies of how access to local news and information affects community wellbeing, including its Australian Research Council-funded research project tracking, understanding and engaging news audiences.

The News and Media Research Centre is Australia's only research centre specialising in news consumption, social and digital media networks and the legal, ethical and social impact of communication technologies.

The centre produces the annual national Digital News Report: Australia, which monitors news consumption as part of a global study of more than 40 countries.

Click above to do the 2026 Heartbeat of Australia survey.