Country Week convenor Peter Bailey told a public meeting in Tamworth yesterday he had recruited 50 communities from across the State, almost three times the 18 which were represented last year.

The Country Week concept was an initiative of Mr Bailey's, designed to persuade Sydneysiders and people from urban centres such as Newcastle and Wollongong that a "tree change" could be socially and professionally preferable to life in the coastal "big smoke".

"And it's working," he said, claiming the Tamworth region was "very close" to getting a big new industrial business

established.

Glen Innes had been successful in having house painters and an investor move to the town, and there had been numerous visits from families considering the move.

Mr Bailey, who is based in Arrmidale, said 80 per cent of young couples surveyed in Sydney believed they would never own their own home, but that could turn into a "plus" for

country NSW.

"However, we've been appalling in selling country NSW, and there is far too much negativity about the country in the big cities than there should be," Mr Bailey said.

While that was, to a fair extent, the fault of city media, country people were also partly to blame, he said.

This was because there was too much emphasis on the actual or alleged deficiencies of Telstra services in the country, for example, and the fact that country people themselves often highlighted the lack of services and facilities in the bush.

"If you're a Sydney businessman or woman, you'd think twice about relocating to Tamworth or Wagga or wherever, if people keep telling you their attractions and facilities are second rate," said Mr Bailey.

"Amazingly, I've even spoken to Sydneysiders who believed Dubbo had a population of 1500.

"You can't tell me we've sold country NSW the way we should have."

Yesterday's meeting was called to help local Country Week organisers prepare for the Expo, which runs from August 5 to 7.