ED 458 055 AUTHOR TITLE INSTITUTION REPORT NO ISBN ISSN PUB DATE NOTE AVAILABLE FROM PUB TYPE EDRS PRICE DESCRIPTORS IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT DOCUMENT RESUME RC 023 124 Kenyon, Peter, Ed.; Black, Alan, Ed. Small Town Renewal: Overview and Case Studies. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Barton (Australia). RIRDC-01/043 ISBN-0-642-58265-3 ISSN-1440-6845 2001-06-00 101p.; In conjunction with Jim Cavaye, John Duff, Michael O'Meara, and Peter Palmer. For related manual, see RC 023 157 For full text: http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HCC/01-043.pdf. Reports Research (143) MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. Case Studies; Change Agents; *Community Action; Community Attitudes; Community Characteristics; Community Development; Community Leaders; *Economic Development; Entrepreneurship; Foreign Countries; Geographic Isolation; Quality of Life; *Rural Areas; *Rural Development; *Small Towns; Social Capital; Youth Programs Australia; Capacity Building; Community Viability Many small, inland, and remote Australian rural communities continue to lose population and businesses, a trend that has intensified over the last 2 decades. Mean age continues to rise, while the 15-24 age group contracts dramatically. Such declining demographics are caused by the stress and uncertainty of volatile world commodity markets, as well as by environmental concerns, technology changes, changing lifestyles, low income and rising debt levels, declining educational and health services, deteriorating infrastructure, high family and business costs, and recent policies that centralize services. However, some communities have been able to build resilient characteristics and plan and implement a range of survival and revival strategies resulting in improved quality of life and economic opportunities. This handbook is designed to enhance the capacity of small rural communities to take proactive renewal initiatives by focusing on what communities are doing. Fourteen case studies are presented of small Australian towns with populations of less than 3,500 that have made positive local development possible. Although each case is unique, common themes include right timing; use of community planning processes; enthusiastic local leadership; positive attitude; local entrepreneurship; local investment; smart use of outside training, technical assistance, and financial resources; new community networks; and focus on retaining young people through employment, recreational, and educational initiatives. Contact information is presented for each case study. (Contains 420 references.) (TD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Transcript
ED 458 055
AUTHORTITLEINSTITUTION
REPORT NOISBNISSNPUB DATENOTE
AVAILABLE FROM
PUB TYPEEDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
DOCUMENT RESUME
RC 023 124
Kenyon, Peter, Ed.; Black, Alan, Ed.Small Town Renewal: Overview and Case Studies.Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation,Barton (Australia).RIRDC-01/043ISBN-0-642-58265-3ISSN-1440-68452001-06-00101p.; In conjunction with Jim Cavaye, John Duff, MichaelO'Meara, and Peter Palmer. For related manual, see RC 023157For full text:http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HCC/01-043.pdf.Reports Research (143)MF01/PC05 Plus Postage.Case Studies; Change Agents; *Community Action; CommunityAttitudes; Community Characteristics; Community Development;Community Leaders; *Economic Development; Entrepreneurship;Foreign Countries; Geographic Isolation; Quality of Life;*Rural Areas; *Rural Development; *Small Towns; SocialCapital; Youth ProgramsAustralia; Capacity Building; Community Viability
Many small, inland, and remote Australian rural communitiescontinue to lose population and businesses, a trend that has intensified overthe last 2 decades. Mean age continues to rise, while the 15-24 age groupcontracts dramatically. Such declining demographics are caused by the stressand uncertainty of volatile world commodity markets, as well as byenvironmental concerns, technology changes, changing lifestyles, low incomeand rising debt levels, declining educational and health services,deteriorating infrastructure, high family and business costs, and recentpolicies that centralize services. However, some communities have been ableto build resilient characteristics and plan and implement a range of survivaland revival strategies resulting in improved quality of life and economicopportunities. This handbook is designed to enhance the capacity of smallrural communities to take proactive renewal initiatives by focusing on whatcommunities are doing. Fourteen case studies are presented of smallAustralian towns with populations of less than 3,500 that have made positivelocal development possible. Although each case is unique, common themesinclude right timing; use of community planning processes; enthusiastic localleadership; positive attitude; local entrepreneurship; local investment;smart use of outside training, technical assistance, and financial resources;new community networks; and focus on retaining young people throughemployment, recreational, and educational initiatives. Contact information ispresented for each case study. (Contains 420 references.) (TD)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.
RURAL INDUSTRIES RESEARCH
& DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Small Town RenewalOverview and Case Studies
AT#town I?
44n 74411,011
44r
40-
tire 'Of-01
A report for the Rural Industries Researchand Development Corporation
by Peter Kenyon and Alan Black (editors)
in conjunction with
Jim Cavaye, John Duff, Michael O'Meara and Peter Palmer
June 2001
RIRDC Publication No 01/043RIRDC Project No ECU-6A
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)
C"r(is document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or oganzahonoriginating it.
0 Mmor changes have been made to improvereproduction quality.
Points of view or opomons stated in 1Ns docu-ment do not necessarily represent offioalOERI Position or POIrCY.
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
muk.frauiR5OrN
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
Small Town RenewalPublication No. 01/43Project No. ECU 6A
The views expressed and the conclusions reached in this publication are those of the author and notnecessarily those of persons consulted. RIRDC shall not be responsible in any way whatsoever to any personwho relies in whole or in part on the contents of this report. The contents do not necessarily take into accountall the factors which need to be considered in planning and implementing a rural renewal project. Accordingly,this Handbook should be used in conjunction with indepth research, training and other technical resources.
This publication is copyright. However, RIRDC encourages wide dissemination of its research, providing theCorporation is clearly acknowledged. For any other enquiries concerning reproduction, contact thePublications Manager on phone 02 6272 3186.
Project ManagerProfessor Alan BlackCentre for Social ResearchEdith Cowan UniversityJoondalup WA 6027
RIRDC Contact DetailsRural Industries Research and Development CorporationLevel 1, AMA House42 Macquarie StreetBARTON ACT 2600PO Box 4776KINGSTON ACT 2604
ForewordAlthough long-term economic, technological and social factors have resulted in the decline ofmanysmall inland towns in Australia, other such towns have successfully implemented a range of survivaland revival strategies. This has resulted in positive outcomes for residents in terms of quality of lifeand economic opportunities.
This publication is designed to assist others to learn from the experiences of fourteen of these towns,each of which has a population of less than 3,000 people. Whilst these towns vary among themselvesin history and geography, there are some recurring elements in the processes of their social andeconomic revitalisation. As well as examining these particular processes, this kit provides informationon a wide range of resources that are available to assist rural communities in developing strategiesappropriate to their own situations.
This project was funded from RIRDC Core Funds, which are provided by the Federal Government.
This report, a new addition to RIRDC's diverse range of over 700 research publications, forms part ofour Human Capital, Communications and Information Systems Program, which includesinvestigations on rural social issues and issues relating to rural communities both in towns and onfarms.
Most of our publications are available for viewing, downloading or purchasing online through ourwebsite:
downloads at www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/Index.htmpurchases at www.rirdc.gov.au/eshop
Peter CoreManaging DirectorRural Industries Research and Development Corporation
iii
4
AcknowledgmentsThe authors acknowledge the assistance, hospitality and time devoted to this project by people of thecase study communities. Thanks are also expressed to persons associated with various government andprivate agencies who provided information or commented on drafts of this publication.
Thanks, too, to the Bureau of Rural Sciences, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and ForestryAustralia, for making available Maps 1, 2 and 3 from the publication Country Matters, Social Atlas ofRural and Regional Australia (1999).
iv
5
ContentsFOREWORD III
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IV
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
2. INTRODUCTION 3
3. CONCEPT OF VIBRANT RURAL COMMUNITIES 14
4. THE PROCESS OF SMALL TOWN RENEWAL 18
5. AUSTRALIAN SMALL TOWN RENEWAL CASE STUDIES 25A. Balingup, Western Australia 27
B. Beechworth, Victoria 31
C. Boonah, Queensland 34
D. Burra, South Australia 40E. Coolah, New South Wales 43
F. Deloraine, Tasmania 47G. Donald, Victoria 50
H. Gulargambone, New South Wales 53
I. Harrow, Victoria 57
J. Hyden, Western Australia 60
K. Kulin, Western Australia 64
L. Mitchell, Queensland 68
M. Oatlands, Tasmania 72
N. Tumby Bay, South Australia 76
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY 80
6
'You can change the future of your community oryou can sitback and allow whatever happens to happen.
You can create your own destiny.However, the cost is high.
It means organising a group of people who arewilling to giveof their time and energy to make things happen.It means believing in yourself and your organisation.
It means putting aside individual differences towork together for the good of the community.
It means working together to decide what you wantfor the future and then working together to make ithappen.
You can do it.People are doing it.'
(Jack McCall, 'Small Town Survival Manual'1988:14)
'Nowadays towns are really not so different frombusinesses,they need to keep recreating themselves.Not so many years ago country towns were
subject to general trends.They would all do well or all do badly. The pictureis now very uneven.The successful towns are likely to be driven by
people who arepassionate and creative, who see andopportunity and go for it.You need communities with a bit of get up and go
spirit.Some have it, some don't'.
(Roy Powell, Centre for Agricultural and RegionalEconomics,quoted in Derriman 1999:1)
vi
7
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Small town Australia is certainly at a crossroads. Manysmall inland and remote rural communities continue tohaemorrhage in terms of population and business loss. Thisdecline is not new, but has intensified over the last twodecades. Mean age continues to rise, while the 15-24 agegroup contracts dramatically. Such a situation is notuniquely Australian. Similarities can be seen in the ruralcommunities of midwest USA, New Zealand and SouthAfrica.
Declining demographics are often the product ofhistory and geography, and the stress anduncertainty of volatile world commoditymarkets, particularly within communitiestraditionally based on mining, fishing andtraditional agriculture. In addition, there areother external pressures affecting the stability ofsmall rural community life: growingenvironmental concerns, rapid technologychanges, changing lifestyle options andconsumer habits, low income and rising debtlevels, decline in education and health services,national competition policy and practices,deteriorating infrastructure and high family andbusiness costs. Also, throughout the later half ofthe twentieth century, the government andprivate sector policies that have sought toregionalize and centralise services havecumulatively had a major negative impact onsmall towns. Internationally, these issues arecommon themes, and affect most small inlandand remote rural towns and communities.
However, despite the widespread economic anddemographic decline of many small towns, othersmall communities have shown remarkableeconomic persistence and population stabilityand even growth: 'local governmentdevelopment initiatives, specific local factors,urban push factors and small-scale flexibleindustry have enabled some ... communities toadapt to the processes of change occurring at ahigher national or global scale' (Tonts1996:32).
There is a growing number of ruralcommunities, both within Australia andinternationally, that have recognised the longterm effects of population and service decline,and despite the above issues and pressures have
1
opted not to merely cope with a declining qualityof life, but to adapt, embrace change and beginto prosper. They have begun to build resilient'characteristics and to plan and implement arange of rural survival and revival strategies.This has resulted in positive outcomes forresidents in terms of quality of life and economicopportunities.
These positive outcomes include:stabilising, and in many cases increasing, thesize of population;
retaining and attracting young men andwomen;
diversifying the economic and employmentbase of the community;
maintaining an adequate range of servicesand quality of life for residents;
increasing the levels of civic participationand community pride by residents; and
preserving what is special about thecommunity.
It is vital that communities, governments anddevelopment agencies assess and understandwhy some rural towns have been able to achievecommunity and economic renewal, while othercommunities of similar location, size andweather characteristics continue to decline. Theidentification and replication of these renewalfactors and processes that have enabled positivechange is an issue of national significance.
I 'resilience' refers to 'intentional action toenhance the personal and collective capacity ofits citizens and institutions to respond to, andinfluence the course of social and economicchange' (Centre for Community Enterprise2000:2)
8
Increasingly, governments and developmentagencies are recognising the importance ofcommunities rebuilding from the 'bottom up'and 'inside out', rather than the traditional modelof 'top down' and 'outside in'. They areimplementing a range of community facilitation,technical assistance and funding schemes tofoster rural renewal. However assistance is stilllimited, and Collits (2000:3) captured thesituation well 'current efforts seek to providesmall towns with hope for their futures, but hopebased on their own efforts'.
This Handbook is designed to generate action forcommunity change and renewal by focussing onwhat communities are doing and can do. Itseeks to enhance the capacity of small ruralcommunities to take proactive renewal initiatives. It provides information, tools, resources andencouragement through:
reviewing relevant and internationalliterature and experiences related to smalltown renewal;
analysing the experiences and lessons offourteen small rural Australian communitiesthat have in recent years experiencedsignificant community and economicrevitalisation;
providing a set of process and developmenttools and Information Sheets to assist withplanning and implementation of localdevelopment efforts; and
compiling a comprehensive summary of keyresources, including technical assistanceprograms, funding services and relevantpublications related to rural renewal.
The Handbook is written primarily for twogroups. Firstly, it is designed for thosecommunity builders who are able to fulfil that'spark plug' role within their community:
people who can sense the need forcommunity change and renewal, and knowthat the community needs to takeresponsibility for its future;
a people who can inspire a core group withinthe community to initiate action; and
people who can motivate broad basedcommunity participation in planning andaction.
2
Secondly, the handbook is intended as a resourcefor those individuals who provide a professionalfacilitation function with communities.Dictionary definitions of the word 'facilitate'include phrases like -'to make easy', `promote',`help forward to an action or result', 'to removedifficulty', 'promote ease or readiness withaptitude, dexterity offluency'.
National and international experience has shownthe importance of facilitators being able to fulfilthe following roles:
Energiser - creating an atmosphere ofenergy, excitement, optimism andpositiveness;
Broker - linking communities toexperiences, methodologies, tools, networks,information and resources that may berelevant to their needs and aspirations;
Coach - optimising the knowledge,confidence and experience of communityparticipants by demystifying concepts,processes and strategies, facilitating groupdiscussions and helping to overcomestumbling blocks and conflict.
Champion - promoting the community andits revival efforts to the wider world.
Finally, this Handbook has been designed toassist users through the following steps:
understanding the issues impacting uponsmall town rural life;
demystifying the concept of, and processesinvolved in, small town renewal through theinternational and national experiences andcase studies;
assessing their own community's level ofvibrance/resilience and potential for change;
developing their own responses to the keyquestions of 'where are we?'; 'what have wegot?'; 'what do we want?' and 'how do weget there?'; and
identifying possible tools and technical andfinancial resources that could assist themwith their small town renewal efforts.
9
2. INTRODUCTIONOVERVIEW OF RURAL AUSTRALIA
Small towns and their rural districts face acceleratingdemographic, economic, social, technical andenvironmental changes and challenges. Anunderstanding of these changes and their root causes isan essential starting point for community revitalisation.
A. Demographic Change
Throughout the twentieth century, Australiansdeserted what is affectionately referred to as'the bush' and became predominantly urbancity dwellers clinging to the coast. At thebeginning of the twentieth century, mostAustralians lived in inland rural areas. 54% ofthe population lived in 'the bush' and only37% of the population lived within what arenow the eight state and territory capital cities.Another 9% of population inhabited largecoastal towns. By the end of the twentiethcentury, 'the bush'-big city ratio of Australianshad almost reversed 21% now live in 'thebush' and 63% and 16% respectively withincapitals and coastal provincial cities. 70% ofAustralians now live in 10 cities, up from 41%in 1900 (Salt, 2000).
Continuous population decline for many smallinland towns and communities has nowbecome a consistent trend, with over 50% ofinland small towns and communities losingpopulation. The KPMG annual publication,Population Growth (2000), reveals that duringthe twenty two year period, 1976-1998, 198rural municipalities lost population. In fact 75communities lost more than 20% ofpopulation. Between 1998-99, 120 ruralmunicipalities lost more than 1% of theirpopulation base. Of the 456 rural
municipalities, the Australian Bankers AssociationStudy (1998:2) found 215 municipalities havebeen subject to `..a process of sustainedpopulation loss since 1976. The result is a processof demographic erosion that has reduced thenumber of people in these 215 municipalities from883,747 in 1976 to 778,452 in 1996, representinga decrease of 12%' .
The 1976-1998 KPMG study shows thatsignificant population loss was associated withchanged mining practices (eg, West Coast,Tasmania 44% population loss), and the closureof key services (eg, District Council ofPeterborough in South Australia lost 31% of itspopulation, mainly due to closure of railwayworkshops). However the greatest population losshas happened in the wheatisheepbelt and thedryland grazing areas where the pressures of farmnumber shrinkage and aggregation, and the spongeattraction effects of large regional cities are themost felt. For example, the wheatbelt WesternAustralian town of Perenjori, the Shire of Bulokein Victoria's Wimmera and the south westQueensland Shire of Isisford lost 46%, 34% and35% of their population respectively.
The extent of decline as illustrated by loss ingeneral population, youth population (aged 15-24)and agricultural employment is illustrated by thefollowing three maps prepared by the Bureau ofRural Sciences (Haberkorn et al., 1999).
3
10
Pcipulation change, 1991-96
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6
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Ohm's in number of poisom,(%),
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Change In agricultural Industryernploynlent,,1991-1996
The above maps also illustrate the striking decline between rural areas. 'Close'spatial differences in population growth and
7
communities surrounding capital cities and
13
major urban centres, near the coast, or withresort or retirement amenity, together with someregional centres are gaining population(Haberkorn et al., 1999). On the other hand,communities 'remote' from major centres orcoastal concentrations of population struggle tomaintain population, infrastructure and services.Fuguitt (1978), Luloff (1990), Flora et al.,(1992) and Clawson (1980) outline similarpatterns in the United States.
While there is a significant counter urbanisationtrend in North America (0'Mally, 1994), it isless pronounced in Australia. There has been aconsiderable slowing of net losses from capitalcities to non-metropolitan areas over the lastdecade with interstate migration being the maindriver of counter-urbanisation (Hugo, 2000).
Regarding youth loss, there has long been anestablished pattern of young adults moving fromrural areas to the city (Hugo, 1971). While aproportion of rural-urban migrants return, thereare currently record net losses of young adultsfrom non-metropolitan areas (Hugo, 2000).Higher education, job opportunities or themotivation to travel and broaden experience'pull' young rural people from their home towns(Hajesz and Dawe, 1997). Perceptions ofboredom, not 'fitting in' and being in a 'goldfish
180
160
140
120E.
100
80
60
bowl' of small town life 'pushes' young peoplefrom rural areas (Derounian, 1993).
B. Economic Change
One of the major economic changes in ruralAustralia has been the economic decline ofagriculture. The NSW Government Rural SocialJustice statement (1988:4) captured simply thechallenge for agriculture 'the farm sector - forso long the backbone of the regional economy -continues to be faced with long term adjustmentpressures and an uncertain trading environment.Farmers have had to contend with drought,flood, declining commodity prices, lowprofitability, and the consequences of past highinterest rates and rising debt. The last decadehas seen substantial industry restructuring.'
Increased production, technology, developingmarkets and diversification have maintained thevalue of Australian agricultural production atrelatively stable levels for decades (Figure 1).However, over the same period, world priceshave led to a cost/price squeeze decreasingAustralian farmer's terms of trade (pricesreceived for outputs as a percentage of costsincurred in production) from over 200 in 1952-53 to 98 in 2000-01 (ABARE, 2000).
. . " . 0 %...... ,
... ' ..
" "Tenns of Trade (index 100)
" Gross Value of Production (Sb in 1999/2000 dollars)
e,4,) % % *eeeee.o.
Year
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
Figure 1. The increase in the value of agricultural production and the corresponding fall in farm termsof trade (ABARE, 2000).
These pressures have moved agriculturalproduction onto fewer and larger farms. Over thelast forty years, average farm size in Australiahas doubled while the number of farms hasalmost halved (ABARE, 1998). This trend isrepeated in both the USA and Europe (U.S.Bureau of the Census, 1990; Body, 1996).
Decreasing farm profitability and labourefficiencies from agricultural technology andmechanisation have changed rural employment.For example, the proportion of the Queenslandworkforce in agriculture has decreased from over45% in the 1860s to 18% in 1961 and 5% todaya tend repeated in most western economies(Office of the Government Statistician,Queensland, 1999). Rural youth are opting fornon-farm employment (Rousseaux, 2000). Sincethe late 1960s, farm succession within families inBritain has decreased from 75% of cases to lessthan half (Ward, 1996). Hart (1995) outlinessimilar shifts in the American rural economy.
Farmers are increasingly working off farm. Since1984 off-farm earnings in Australia have risenfrom 24% of farm cash income to 68% (ABARE,2000). Males et al. (1987) showed that on 60%of farms, farmers and their spouses earned off- --
farm income and that in most cases it was vital tothe welfare of the family. This is consistent withtrends in several other major OECD countries(OECD, 1978). In the U.S. for example, 37% offarmers work off the farm for more than 200 days
a year (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990).
The Australian economy is fundamentallyshifting from primary industries to a service andknowledge base. Total number of jobsincreased by 17.3 % between 1986 and 1996.However, employment in agriculture andmining declined by 11.0% and 5.9%respectively. Over the same period, there were30.9% more jobs in trade, finance,administration, retailing and services (Hugo,2000). In Queensland for example, employmentin services has almost doubled since 1960 toover 34% of all jobs (Figure 2). The shift toknowledge-based services has gone hand inhand with increasing education levels (ABSCensuses, 1986, 1996). The reality foragricultural employment is that since 1970, thenumber offamilies making a living from a farmhas reduced by 100,000. A further reduction byup to 20% can be expected over the next tenyears.
Australia is following the US trend wherefarming is losing its mainstay factor of mostrural economies. In the USA, fewer than onefifth of rural counties now have a significanteconomic dependence on farming. The 20% ofnon metropolitan counties that have farming astheir principal economic base contain less than10% of the non metropolitan population (Keller,2000b).
ClAgriculture
Services
1864 1901 1933 1961 1976
Year
1986 1996
Figure 2. The shift in employment from agriculture to services* in Queensland from 1864 to 1996 (*Services consist of personal services, community services public administration, entertainment,restaurants, hotels, and defence). (Source: Office of the Government Statistician, Queensland, 1999).
8
14
Implications of the decline in agricultural sectoremployment are well summarised by Collits(2000:10) 'The consequences for ruralcommunities have been equally stark The needfor fewer farm workers has led to out-migration,the nature of the services provided to farms bythe communities has changed and their leveldiminished, and the formerly close relationshipbetween farms and rural communities hasdeclined'.
The implications of the interdependence offarming and their small service towns are alsowell summarised by Tonts (1996:24) in his studyof the central wheatbelt of Western Australia -'the economic, social and environmental changeswhich have affected Australia agriculture sincethe mid 1970s have given rise to increasingconcern not only for the sustainability offamilyfarming, but also the continuing viability ofcountry towns'.
Job loss in rural areas has also been just asdramatic in other sectors. In the last ten years,there has been a net loss of 66,000 regionalrailway jobs, and the last five years have seenthe loss of over 10,000 rural bank jobs, almostsolely due to loss of bank branches and staffpositions due to the economic efficiencies ofelectronic banking (Kenyon, 1999). AsaWahlquist has undertaken extensive research onservice loss in rural Australia, and estimates thatup to 30,000 jobs disappeared from regionalNew South Wales in the decade to 1999(Wahlquist, 1999b).
There have been a number of specific factorsoperating within the Australian context. Ananalysis by the Australian Bankers Association(1998) indicates that towns which haveexperienced at least 20% population loss since1976 tend to have had at least one of thefollowing characteristics. They were:
based on a depleted local mineral resource;
based on local manufacturing in whichadvances in production methods havereduced the scale of the workforce required;
based on a manufacturing activity that is nolonger required in the local region;
9
located in the wheat-sheep belt where thereare natural economies of scale that haveencouraged farm aggregation;
located within a convenient drive time of aprovincial city which offers services,employment, education and training;
mining operations that have switched to fly-in, fly-out operations;
located within a broader urban area whichhas experienced ageing of the localcommunity of changing land use;
physically isolated from the main highwaysystems; and
formerly based on timber milling, smallscale farming or with a narrow sphere ofeconomic influence over its immediateregion (ABA 1998:25-26).
The economic issues of personal income anddebt also need comment. The downturn in farmincome, together with internal immigration oflow income groups, contributes to non-metropolitan areas having lower averageincomes than urban Australia. The mean taxableincome in non-metropolitan areas in 1996-7 was$28,599 $4,200 less than in metropolitan areas(Hugo, 2000).
Rural debt is also growing. For example ruraldebt in Queensland has grown by 11% over thelast five years (QRAA, 2000). Part of thisincrease was used to fund expansion and post-drought recovery. However, the proportion ofborrowers in long term viable categories reducedby 12.6% and some authors doubt the ability ofmany rural businesses to service debt(McGovern, 1996; Reeve and Curthoys, 2000).
Finally, a major aspect of economic change isglobalisation. Rural businesses now compete onglobal markets with worldwide exchange ofinformation and capital. Global linkages arebeing driven by a revolution intelecommunications and information technology,the Internet, a gradual move towards free trade,increased participation in financial markets, andthe opening of countries with the decline incommunism (Department of Primary Industries,2000).
For rural Australia, globalisation provides bothadvantages and drawbacks. Rural products canpotentially gain access to a much wider market,rural businesses can be exposed to a wider rangeof investors, and business information andmarket intelligence from around the globe can bemore rapidly shared (Jensen, 1998). However,rural businesses also face greater competition inexisting and new markets. Consumers can alsobypass local supplies and obtain goods andservices direct from national or internationalsuppliers. Salant and Marx (1995) argue thatrural communities in the U.S. lack theinfrastructure and capacity to derive a nettadvantage from globalisation.
C. Social ChangeRural depopulation, reduced economic status,changing demographics and general changes insocietal norms have contributed to a loss ofsocial cohesion and community participation inrural areas. Outmigration and the decline of thefamily farm have dispersed social networks(Alston, 1994; Swanson, 1990; Wellman, 1979).The decline of family farming reduces socialcohesion and community participation(Goldschmidt, 1978; Rodefield, 1974). Thespecific loss of young people deprivescommunities of a socially active group andpotential leaders (Pretty, 1998).
Cavaye (1999) has also highlighted the impact ofrural people developing economic and sociallinks beyond their locality due to improvedtransport and communication means. Manysmall towns were created due to horse and traintransport requirements. Today's car, telephoneand internet have superimposed communicationand travel patterns that allow rural people toshop, utilise services and participate inrecreation well beyond the local community.
Consequently, many of the smaller communitiesstruggle economically and socially against theregional centres which are now aptly describedby Salt (2000) as 'sponge cities'. Factors at workinclude 'better transport and communications,diminishing links between farmers and theirlocal communities, the regionalisation ofservices, and the preferences of consumers forwider choices in products and services' (Collits2000:9).
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales is a classicexample. While it has grown 11 fold inpopulation from 1900-2000 (including a 26%growth between 1981-96), small ruralcommunities within 100kms continue to decline,eg, the Shires of Urana, Narrandera andLockhart have lost 29%, 15% and 13%respectively of their population in the 1976-98period (Salt, 2000).
One of the major social pressures is decliningquality of life. Virtually every measure of thestandard of living income, health, education,aged care, access to services, infrastructure,housing is stable or declining in rural Australia(Sidoti, 1998; Sarantakos, 1998). Australianresearchers like Lawrence and Williams (1990)and Lawrence (1987) have argued that theproblems associated with rural poverty are of amore chronic nature than in urban communities.Hill and Phillips (1991) contend that many ruralresidents are showing distinct signs of struggleand disadvantage.
Wahlquist (1998) claimed 'The AustralianNewspaper has found that, by every significantmeasure, country Australians are worse off thantheir city cousins ... country people die youngerand receive less medical attention, lesseducation, and often inadequatetelecommunication services'. Several studies inthe UK and USA have shown considerableincreases in the incidence of rural poverty, largeincome disparities within similar geographicareas and the 'hidden' nature of rural poverty(Rural Development Commission, 1994; Dukeof Westminster, 1992; Rural SociologicalSociety, 1993).
10
For many indigenous Australian residents ofsmall towns, income levels, heath standards,employment rates, and civic participationcontinue to remain unacceptably low, and asource of continual frustration and challenge.Cross-cultural tension remans a strong andunresolved reality in many small towns.
An important part of the picture of ruralAustralia is that of the attitudes and emotionalwell being of rural people. Based on anecdotalevidence, many rural people are angry, frustratedand upset about low commodity prices, erodingrural infrastructure and services, and perceivedlack of government attention. Cox (1995)highlighted the impact of social and economic
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changes on rural people and other sectors ofsociety feeling marginalised, excluded and not incontrol of their future. Many rural people blamegovernment and other external influences, somefeel 'workshopped' and 'meetinged' out, andhave strong expectations of government-sponsored assistance. People are also morecynical and less trusting of govermnent (TimeMagazine, 26/9/94).
Economic and social change is also placingenormous stress on individuals, families,relationships, social ties and communityorganisations (Kerby, 1992; McGregor et al.,1995; Lovelace, 1995). Increased suicide, andmental health problems in rural areas are closelylinked to economic conditions (Viren, 1999),and declining social cohesion (O'Brien et al.,1994). These problems are highest in remoteand deprived locations with low levels of socialsupport (Hoyt et al., 1995). Shrapnel and Davie(2000) have postulated a process of 'naturalselection' in rural areas for people withpersonalities characterised by tenacity and selfreliance.
Finally, there have been a number of reportswhich have provided evidence about thenegative impacts on small communities due' tothe contraction in health, education and bankingservices (Harrison, 1997, Human Rights andEqual Opportunity Commission 1999, House ofRepresentatives, 2000, Australian BankersAssociation, 1998). The Australian Bureau ofStatistics summarises the problems facing manysmall inland towns in Australia 'People livingin declining towns risk losing their savings,livelihood and support systems as they confrontthe break-up of their community, loss of jobs,deteriorating infrastructure and decliningproperty values. In addition, declining townsoften lose service through the closure of schools,hospitals, retail establishments and banks. Suchclosures have a direct impact on the health andwell being of remaining residents, but they canalso have psychological impact, with manyseeing the closure of central services assignalling the 'death of a town' (ABS 1998:10).'
D. Technological ChangeInformation technology also has dual impacts inrural areas. For example, the economicefficiencies of electronic banking have
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contributed to the loss of bank branches fromrural towns (Beal and Ralston, 1998).Information technology (IT) also brings newopportunities to rural areas such as thepossibility of internet sales, and greater access toinformation and services such as video-conferenced medical consultations. It also isstimulating innovative information-basedemployment opportunities in rural areas such asteleworking (Johnson, 1997; Huws et al., 1998).However, issues of line quality and speed oftransmission in many rural areas continue toinfluence whether IT based businesses areviable.
E. Environmental ChallengesIncreasingly, a variety of environmentalchallenges are impacting upon the quality of lifeof many small towns. Firstly, salinity and waterquality are two of the most significant issuesconfronting rural communities and industries.Salinity currently affects 2.5 million hectares(5% of cultivated land). This figure couldincrease to 12 million hectares over the next 20years and to 17 million hectares by 2050.Salinity threatens more than farming land.Currently over, one third of rural river systemsare adversely affected. Nearly 20,000kilometres of road, 12,000 kilometres of streamsand lakes, 306 towns and 80 important wetlandsface degradation from salinity (Rose, 2000).
Water table levels in Western Australia's southwest region are rising at 10 centimetres to 15centimetres per year. According to MarkPridman, Manager of the Small Towns SalinityProgram of Agriculture WA, 'without anyaction, practically all the towns will be introuble in 15 years' (Laurie 2001:11).
Secondly, growing community (especiallymetropolitan population) concern over loggingof natural forest areas has forced governments torestrict forestry operations and extend nationalparks. Consequently, forestry jobs have beenlost, and many rural communities are obliged toexamine new economic and employmentoptions.
Thirdly, the recent growth of plantation forestryon cleared agricultural land has had a majorimpact upon the farming and small towncommunity landscapes. In Western Australiaalone, 28,000 hectares were planted in 1999.
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Kelly (2000) estimates that 25% of the best landin some high rainfall parts of the State haschanged from sheep and cattle to growingTasmanian blue gums. Kelly's study found farmfamilies benefiting from the sale or lease of landfor plantations, but there had been a majornegative impact at the community level in termsof population and infrastructure loss. She alsofound the transformation too rapid for manyresidents and that the new landscape contributedto a heightened sense of isolation.
F. Centralism andregionalism
Certainly the cumulative impact of governmentand business policies to regionalise andcentralise services has contributed to the declineof smaller communities. The ProductivityCommission regularly advocates removal ofbarriers to mobility of labour and capital toenhance 'people prosperity' over 'placeprosperity'. This approach sees no intrinsicmerit in 'maintaining' small towns if people andbusiness are opting for larger centres (Collits,1999).
For example, the Productivity Commission'sreport (1999) on competition policy in rural andregional areas states the impact of nationalcompetition policy is likely to lead to anestimated 2.6% job loss across wheatbeltWestern Australia (Anthony, 1999).
Less obvious has been the attitudinalcontribution by some government officials andacademics in projecting a dying small townscenario and the complementary response ofadvocating the value of building regionalcentres.
New South Wales academic, Tony Sorensen, hastalked about 'voluntary euthanasia' as a possible
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policy response to small town decline (quoted inCollits, 1999). Queensland academic GeoffCockfield advocated that towns that were floodprone or expensive to service should berelocated (Collie, 1998). The most recentacademic 'stir' emanated from Victorianacademic Gordon Forth who advocated thatgovernment, in the interests of the communityand the Australian society in general, instead oftrying to prop up small communities (less than4,000 in population) would be better offproviding subsidies to people to move to largerregional centres (Forth, 2000, Countryman2000). Such statements attract widespreadmedia attention, and contribute to communitystress levels (Kenyon, 2000c).
Demographic, economic, social, technologicaland attitudinal changes are transforming ruralAustralia. These pressures are long termfundamental trends, not just a temporary ruraldownturn. They are the culmination of shiftsthat have been occurring for decades basicchanges in the demand for rural products and insociety itself.
They challenge rural people to limit thedisadvantages of these shifts and capitalise onthe opportunities they present. Many ruraltowns struggle to retain infrastructure andservices. Yet at the same time, othercommunities are also responding with creativeways of retaining employment, diversifying theireconomy and optimising the use of theirresources.How then can small towns survive and prosperin the face of accelerating change? How canthey remain vibrant centres of economic andsocial life? What are the elements orcomponents of a resilient and vibrantcommunity?
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3. CONCEPT OF VIBRANTRURAL COMMUNITIES
Vibrance or resilience is not a fixed quality withincommunities it can grow or decline. There is considerableinternational and national research and debate over the lasttwenty five years focussing on the common characteristicsor outcomes of vibrant communities.
Lackey et al. (1987) summarised much of thisdebate up to the mid 1980s by suggesting sevencharacteristics:
Local groups with well developed problemsolving skills and a spirit of self reliance(Kaufman, 1959);
Broadly distributed power, commitment tothe community and wide participation incivic affairs (Warren, 1983);
Leaders with vision and residents with astrong sense of community loyalty (Sanders,1953);
Collaboration and consensus on goals andpriorities (Cottrell, 1983);
Citizens with problem solving skills and theability to acquire resources (Iscoe, 1974);
Government that provides enabling support(Glick, 1983); and
Ability to manage community conflict(Schoenberg and Rosenbaum, 1980).
Others generally support these characteristics(Goudy, 1977; Rutter, 1981; Heartland Centerfor Leadership Development, 1992). TheHeartland Center (1992) has in fact expanded thelist, and created their 'Twenty Clues to RuralCommunity Survival (see Information Sheet no1) incorporating such characteristics as evidenceof community pride, emphasis on quality inbusiness and community life, willingness toinvest in the future and acceptance of womeninto leadership roles.
Adams (1995) outlined the characteristics of'healthy' and 'unhealthy' communities bycontrasting attributes such as optimism andcynicism, empowerment and apathy,interdependence and parochialism, the politics ofsubstance and politics of personality (seeInformation Sheet no 2, 'What does a healthycommunity look like?').
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The Oklahoma Community Institute (1998)researching the concept of 'effectivecommunities' in the state of Oklahoma, USA,identified nine key characteristics thatcorrespond strongly with Adams' list. Effectivecommunities:
educate the community in the community'sbusiness;
view challenges as opportunities instead ofseeing themselves as victims;
are open to diversity of citizen involvementand perspective;
create opportunities for open, respectfulcommunity dialogues;
have leaders who listen more than they talk;are willing to share decision making;
understand the concept of teamwork;
aggressively work toward collaborativeproblem solving and consensus building; and
seek win/win solutions to issues andproblems.
There are other descriptions of vibrantcommunities that continue to focus on humanand social capital. Lackey et al. (1987) providethe following concise summary:
attitudes and values a positive communityvision and community pride;
capacities knowledge and skills, ability toperform functions;
organisational arrangements that fostercommunity participation; and
leadership shared community-wideleadership and skilled individual leaders.
There are various institutions and writers thatgenerally concur with Lackey et al. The Aspen
1 8
Institute list eight 'outcomes of effectivecommunity capacity building', namely:
more effective community organisation andinstitutions; and
better resource utilisation by the community.
(for further expansion of these outcomes, seeInformation Sheet no 3).
The Center for Community Enterprise (1999)provides a 'portrait of community resilience'listing twenty three characteristics that expandthe Lackey et al. summary. The portrait includessuch characteristics as belief in and support foreducation, openness to alternative economicactivity, optimism about the future anddiversified and representative leadership. SeeInformation Sheet no 4 for a full summary.
Flora and Flora (1994) list eight characteristicsof 'successful communities ', namely:
acceptance of controversy;
ability to depersonalise politics;
surplus income to invest;
willingness to take risks;
ability to define community more broadly;
network ability;
emphasis on academics; and
flexible, dispersed leadership.
These characteristics are summarised inInformation Sheet no 5.
'Healthy' and 'vibrant' are often used asinterchangeable concepts. The Coalition forHealthier Cities and Communities (1999:3)views health as more than just the absence ofdisease. 'It is an optimum state of well being ...Health is wholeness. It includes a sense ofbelonging to community and experiencingcontrol over one's circumstances and fate... Ahealthy community is not a perfect place, but isin a dynamic state of renewal and improvement.
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It builds a culture that supports healthy lifechoices and a high quality of life... '. Hancockand Duhl, quoted by the Coalition for HealthierCities and Communities (1999:3) provide asimilar interpretation of a healthy community, asone that is 'continually creating and improvingthose physical and social environments, andexpanding those community resources whichenable people to support each other inperforming all the functions of life and indeveloping themselves to their maximumpotential.'
The Coalition for Healthier Cities andCommunities is now a network of 450organisations and more than 1,000 UScommunities that have actively embraced'healthier community' principles, processes andindicators.
The Coalition utilising their Healthy CommunityAgenda Dialogue Guide supported a USnationwide set of dialogues from March toNovember 1999. 4,000 people participated inone of 300 dialogues. The dialogues had twopurposes. The first was to stimulate action at thelocal level in building healthier communities.Secondly, participants were asked to articulate amessage to the nation about what they believedcreated health and improved quality of life.
From the responses the Coalition identified'Seven Pillars of a Healthy Community' . Such acommunity:
A popular and current international concept forunderstanding a healthy community is that ofsocial capital, made popular by HarvardUniversity Professor Richard Putnam. Putnamduring the course of a 20 year study of regionalgovernment in Italy found that the differencebetween regions that have prospered and thosethat had not is the quality and intensity of citizeninvolvement in the life of their communities(Putnam, 1993). His famous statement was'these communities did not become civic simply
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because they were rich. The historical recordstrongly suggests precisely the opposite: theybecame rich because they were civic.'
The key to creating prosperity, according toPutnam (1995:67) lies in the creation of socialcapital 'those features of social organisation,such as networks, norms and trust, that facilitatecoordination and cooperation for mutualbenefit'. Social capital strengthens social wellbeing and the sense of community, enhancingthe benefits of investments in physical andhuman capital.
The Strengthening Communities Unit of theNew South Wales Premier's Department hashighlighted the importance of social capital inrural renewal: 'In rural communities strugglingto remain viable in the face of major social andeconomic change, the presence or absence ofsocial capital is a major factor in how well thesecommunities can cope. Social capital isbecoming more crucial and more threatened indeclining communities. Rural communities areparticularly being challenged to develop and uselocal social linkages to develop community-ledresponses. High levels of social capital indicatea high quality of life. This does not necessarilyequate with a high level of income. If people feelsafe, happy and secure, they will work togetherto organise and interact to build a strongercommunity' (2000:9).
International research highlights that socialcapital is built from the ground up. It takes timeto develop and needs particular and concreteattention. Citizens are more likely to becomeinvolved when they believe that theircontribution will make a difference. They aremore likely to support the efforts of others whenthey trust the integrity of the effort. They aremore likely to undertake new projects if theybelieve projects succeeded in the past. AsPutnam (1995) expresses it 'successfulcollaborations in one endeavour buildsconnections in other, unrelated tasks. As withconventional capital, those who have socialcapital tend to accumulate more them as has,gets! ' Social capital is a resource that grows andcompounds when utilised, but dissipates andbecomes depleted when not used.
Harrison (1998) in an analysis of the importanceof social capital describes four themes thatconstitute a 'learning community', namely:
the extent to which local people 'know' andfeel that they 'belong' to their community;
the extent of prior and current experience ofcommunity members;
having a rich human resource base includingpractical, business, communication,pragmatic and energising qualities; and
interaction and 'learning exchange' withinthe community.
US Economic Developer, Ron Shaffer, providesa useful picture of an economically viablecommunity 'Viability is the ability to surviveand to pursue the face of changingcircumstances. Community economic viability isthe capacity of local socio-economic systems togenerate employment and income to maintain, ifnot improve, the community's relative economicposition. Economically viable communitiespossess the capacity to perceive changing socio-economic circumstances and to respondappropriately. Community viability haspolitical, social, physical dimensions' (Shaffer1990:75).
Shaffer (1989a) identifies four key attributes of
viability, namely:
a state of resilience;
creativity and innovativeness;
ability and willingness to experiment; and
a desire and power to begin and completeuseful projects.
The term 'community sustainability' isincreasingly being used as a means of describinghow positive change can be generated andmanaged. The idea of sustainable developmentwas popularised by the 1987 Brundtland Reportemanating from the World Commission onEnvironment and Development. Sustainabledevelopment was defined as 'development whichmeets the needs of the present withoutcompromising the ability offuture generations tomeet their own needs'.
Much of the initial work on sustainabilityfocused on global population, development,equity and environmental issues. Increasingly,many development organisations andcommunities are exploring what sustainabilitymeans for them in specific, local terms.Sustainability is being viewed as an umbrella
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concept that can assist in dealing in acomprehensive manner with the related goals ofbuilding healthy communities, promotingeconomic vitality, protecting the environment,managing change and enhancing the well beingof community residents.
Bauen et al. (1996) and Hart (1999) have beeninstrumental in getting US communities to thinkmore holistically about the relationships betweeneconomy, community and environment at thelocal level. They have developed a series ofsustainable principles and indicators2. SeeInformation Sheet no 6.
Here in Australia, the StrengtheningCommunities Unit of the New South WalesPremier's Department through their SustainableRural Communities (SRC) Project has pioneeredexciting initiatives in terms of 'communitysustainability'. The Project Handbook(2000:17) uses the following definition'Sustainable communities maintain and improvetheir social, economic and environmentalcharacteristics so that residents can continue tolead healthy, productive and enjoyable lives.Sustainable development in these communities isbased on the understanding that a healthyenvironment and a healthy economy are bothnecessary for a healthy society'.
The project advocates rural communitiesinvestigating their future potential through thelens of sustainability. It has developed a veryhelpful set of Ten Characteristics ofSustainable Rural Communities' (seeInformation Sheet no 7) plus ten tools to enablecommunities to research and analyse specificfactors in a community to assess its level ofsustainability.
Finally, the recent work of the Bank of IDEAS(2000) in Australia and the North CentralRegional Center for Rural Development (2000)in the USA provide a summary of many of thecommon themes. The Bank of IDEAS from its
2 Indicators are benchmarks or measurementsthat provide feedback to a community to help itassess its current condition and the direction inwhich it is moving.
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work with over 500 Australian and New Zealandcommunities have developed contrastingcharacteristics of a healthy vibrant communityand a stagnant dying community. It focuses onvisuals, attitudes, economics and civicparticipation (see Information Sheet no 8).
The North Central Regional Center for RuralDevelopment engaged in a process of asking midwest US rural communities to name 'theoutcomes associated with community success'.The communities consistently named five typesof outcomes, and they provide a useful andconcluding portrait of a vibrant community,namely:
increased use of the skills, knowledge andability of local people;
strengthened relationships andcommunication;
improved community initiative,responsibility and adaptability;
sustainable, healthy ecosystems withmultiple community benefits; and
appropriately diverse and healthyeconomies.
How then can small communities become morevibrant? How can they develop leadership,infrastructure, attitudes and organisation to bebetter able to survive and prosper? This requiresan understanding of the issues associated withsmall town renewal and the application ofcommunity and economic developmentprocesses.
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4. THE PROCESS OF SMALLTOWN RENEWAL
A. DefinitionRural renewal involves a sustained and unitedeffort by the whole community to improve theirlocal economy, quality of life and future options.It represents a process of planning, action,organisation and learning where communityresidents enhance and balance the localeconomic viability, community well being andenvironmental health of their community(Cavaye, 2000, Kenyon 1999, Bauen et al. 1996,Hart 1999, Center for Community Enterprise1999). It is about local people takingresponsibility for their preferred future.
It is about communities and their residentsutilising their human, physical and financialresources to maintain or enhance localdevelopment opportunities and their quality oflife. (Kenyon, 1999). It involves processes ofidentifying and harnessing community resourcesand opportunities to stimulate sustainabledevelopment (Municipal Association of Victoria1994a).
Rural renewal is a process that increases choices.It focuses on new options, diversification,thinking about issues differently and anticipatingchange (Christensen et al., 1989). It is also oftenabout communities changing perceptions andchoices regarding development options,community resources, markets, rules anddecision making capacity (Shaffer, 1989a;Kenyon 1999).
B. Principles/processingredients
Rural renewal is about sustainable developmentwhich stands in sharp contrast to conventional,business-at-any-cost economic developmentstrategies. ICinsley (1997) sees the process ofsustainable development as one which:
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redefines prosperity, weighing quality oflife, community character, and theenvironment alongside economicconsiderations;
seeks true development, in the sense ofgetting better, instead of expansion, which ismerely getting bigger;
advocates the long term stewardship ofcommunity resources, ensuring that presentactions do not erode the basis for futureprosperity.
pursues self reliance and a more democraticapproach to decision making, representingcommunity wide interests over those of anelite few; and
stresses diversity, resilience, and aconviction that many small efforts workbetter than a single one-size-fits-all solution.
Likewise, the Municipal Association of Victoria(1994a) advocates a process that:
focuses on the stimulation of opportunitiesthat will generate additional income andjobs, while preserving and hopefullyenhancing the dynamics and features thatmake the local community special;
seeks more resilient, durable and diversifiedlocal economies;
encourages development processescompatible to local aspirations, needs, valuesand resources; and
emphasises a holistic approach todevelopment;
There is no 'recipe' to be followed for ruralrenewal. Rather, a set of principles, appliedappropriately, guides a flexible process ofengagement and action. Cavaye (2000) outlinedone set of key development principles namely:
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the existing concerns and situation of peopleare the starting point of communitydevelopment;
community development creates a vehiclefor people to act on existing concerns;
the passion and enthusiasm of local peopledrives action and people build motivationand community capacity throughparticipation;
there is community ownership/involvementthe community makes and implements
decisions, and the community's initiativeand leadership are the source of change;
all citizens are given an equal opportunity tobe involved - a diversity of opinion andperspective is welcomed;
external facilitators and resource people are'invited in' to work with rural people;
development activities foster leadership,entrepreneurship and altruism;
there is an appreciation of existingcommunity capacity;
a holistic approach is used, buildingeconomic, human, social and environmentalaspects of community as an interrelatedwhole;
community development helps the processof 'reframing' whereby people redefineproblems and opportunities and discovernew options;
changed attitudes and networks are asimportant as material outcomes; and
success, no matter how small, is recognisedand celebrated.
Tosterud (1998) concurs generally with theseprinciples with his eleven 'premises ofdevelopment'. Shaffer (1989a), NationalBusiness Initiative (1996) and the Centre forSmall Town Development (1997) all provide aremarkably similar set of 'ingredients'.
The National Business Initiative in South Africain their manual Taking the Lead (1996) advocatethe following as key ingredients for renewal:
Vision, passion, self-reliance and a 'can do'spirit;
Ownership and involvement by a unitedcommunity;
Capable and respected local leadership;
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Awareness and use of outside resources,skills and support services;
Adoption of a practical development agendawhich focuses on realistic goals, earlyachievements and long term plans;
Commitment to partnerships, cooperationand a shared vision;
Use of organisations, credible structures andprocesses that make things happen; and
Community entrepreneurism andopportunism.
See Information Sheet no 8 for a summary ofthese eight ingredients.
A very similar set of ingredients was producedby the Municipal Association of Victoria(1994b) in their manual Survival and Revival inRural Communities:
Belief and expectation;
Collaboration;
Local leadership;
Strategic planning and action; and
Opportunism.
The Centre for Small Town Development (1997)has published their Twenty Clues to Creatingand Maintaining a Vibrant Community. Thisappears as Information Sheet no 10 andincorporates such ingredients as:
Passionate local people;
Positive community mindset;
Shared community vision;
Local business vitality;
Practical development agenda; andForging of partnership.
C. Specific Process ElementsNational and international literature consistentlystresses the importance of five aspects of therenewal process.
Firstly, an expression of healthy frustrationwith the status quo, and a willingness toexplore and experiment with developinginnovative solutions and options. McCall(1993:1) used the phrase 'we need new ideas andnew spirits'. Shaffer (1990:76-77) maintainsthat a 'slight level of dissatisfaction' and 'a
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positive attitude toward experimentation' aretwo essential prerequisites for renewal. The firstaspect of dissatisfaction stresses theunwillingness of local economic actors to acceptcurrent conditions as immutable, andacknowledges that until people are sufficientlydissatisfied with current conditions they are notlikely to respond. A 'positive attitude towardexperimentation' implies that the communitydoes not limit its actions to what workedpreviously or under other circumstances. Itunderlines the necessity of the community tosupport and encourage those individuals whogenerate non-traditional ideas and solutions.
Secondly, the demonstration of positivemindset, passion and opportunism. TheHeartland Center for Leadership Development(1992;6) used the phrase 'conviction that in thelong run, you have to do it yourself'. TheMunicipal Association of Victoria (1994a:18)advocated the concept of 'belief andexpectation', and 'a conviction that thecommunity needs to take its own action, ratherthan waiting for the cavalry to come'. Shaffer(1990:85) stated that 'economically viablecommunities believe that they, and they alone,control or make their own destiny regardless oflocal and national circumstances'. The Centrefor Small Town Development (1997) referred tosuch intangibles as:
a positive community mindset that focuseson optimism, belief, expectation, hope and'talks up' the community;
a 'can do' self reliant spirit the belief thatone's economic and social destiny lies in thecommunity's hands; andopportunism.
Powell (quoted in Derriman, 1999:1) argues thatthe entrepreneurial flair of local people is likelyto determine each town's fate 'nowadays townsare really not so different from businesses, theyneed to keep recreating themselves. Not somany years ago country towns were subject togeneral trends. They would all do well or all dobadly. The picture now is very uneven. Thesuccessful towns are likely to be driven bypeople who are passionate and creative, who seean opportunity and go for it. You needcommunities with a bit of get up and go spirit.Some have it, some don't'.
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Thirdly, the use of appropriate communityplanning and development processes. USliterature in particular, highlights the importancethat such processes plays in building the capacityof a community and assisting it to formulate andimplement plans that merge social and economicgoals. See, for example, Ayres et al. (1990),Heartland Center for Leadership Development(1992), Littrell (1995), National Center forSmall Communities (1997), OklahomaCommunity Institute (1997), Kinsley (1997),The Aspen Foundation (1996), North CentralRegional Center for Rural Development 1998).
Many authors outline a sequence of stages in adevelopment process. The common elements ofmost can be summarised into a process thatconsists of four general phases, namely:
Where are we now? collecting andanalysing information about the currentsituation of the community.
Where do we want to go? creating acommunity vision, prioritising issues to beaddressed, developing specific goals forcommunity action.
How can we get there? organising taskgroups, establishing leadership andresponsibilities, making specific plans,implementing and monitoring action plans.
How do we know we have arrived? reviewand evaluation, celebration of success,planning for reinvestment or new projects.
Information Sheets numbered 12, 13 and 14provide three examples of this approachOklahoma Community Institute Planning Model(1997), The Rocky Mountain Institute's, EightSteps to Economic Renewal (Kinsley, 1997), andParticipatory Process to Build HealthyCommunities (New Mexico HealthierCommunities Project, 1999).
While the above appears a linear process,community development is a complex,interactive learning process involving anongoing interplay between planning, action,reflection and negotiation. In effect, communitydevelopment is a constant process whilespecific initiatives start and finish, communitydevelopment is continuous process of collectiveimprovement and enhancement.
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Australian authors like Kenyon (1996),Municipal Association of Victoria (1994a) andMcArdle (1998) provide many of the tools ofcommunity development, consistent with theabove phases. Cavaye (2000) outlines a detailedgeneric process of community development.
Other approaches focus community action onbuilding various aspects of community capacitysuch as leadership, human resources, communityorganisation, local institutions as well aseconomic development (Aspen Institute, 1996;Burgess, 1996).
Kretzmann and McKnight (1993) and McKnightand Kretzmann (1990) focus communitydevelopment on the enhancement of communityassets. They recommend a process thatinvolves:
community 'mapping' of local assets(individual, organisational, institutional);
identifying or forming an 'assetdevelopment organisation' to conduct acommunity development process;
implementing a process of communitydecision making and action; and
building links to outside organisations.
Other suggested processes rely on a specificcommunity encourager or facilitator (Universityof Kentucky, 1997; Sirolli, 1998). A RuralInnovation Model takes a systems approach tocommunity participation and issuesidentification (Van Beek, 1999).
In summaly, common elements of the processthat most authors encourage include:
creation of a shared vision of the bestcommunity future;
broad based participation, withrepresentation from a cross-section ofcommunity interests and points of viewcommitment to inclusiveness, and a highlevel of community involvement;
idea generation by reaching 'wide and deep'into the community in particular the use ofaction/research strategies for collectinginformation about the community, analysingavailable data and demystifying its relevanceto community members;
thinking and reflection outside normalboundaries and boxes that are familiar;
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structured sequential planning that enablesparticipants and the community to identifyopportunities, prioritise actions andunderstand who is doing what and when;
focus on the community's assets, rather thandeficiencies;
starting with the achievable, and moving tothe important;
long term orientation and commitment;
planning and action occurringsimultaneously;
realistic appraisal of the feasibility ofpotential opportunities;
use of limited time and resources in thoseareas that will yield the greatest strategicbenefits;
benchmarking and measurement of progressand outcomes, with adjustment of actionsteps on a regular basis; and
regular celebration of achievements.
A statement by the North Central RegionalCenter for Rural Development (2000:3)summarises well the significance of appropriatecommunity planning and development processes
'a community that is responsible for its ownfuture shares a well-crafted and widelyconsidered vision for the future, turns it intoreality through strategic local action, and makeschanges when conditions or assumptionschange. A community that monitors anddocuments the results of its actions, and thatregularly reflects on its progress and barriers,learns from its experience. It becomes moreresilient, more capable of adapting to change,and better able to improve its efforts and sustainitself over time'.
Fourthly, the implementation of acomprehensive and locally owned andresourced local economic developmentagenda.
The concept of local economic development ishighlighted in most studies. The MunicipalAssociation of Victoria (1994a:5) defines it as 'aprocess of identifring and harnessing localcommunity resources and opportunities, tostimulate economic and employment activity' .
Kenyon (1999:9) refers to the 'community effortto improve their local economy and quality oflife by building their capacity to adapt to andbenefit from global economic changes'. Shaffer
25
(1990:75) refers to community economic vitalityas 'the capacity of the local socio-economicsystem to survive and persist in generatingemployment, income, and wealth and tomaintain, if not improve its relative economicposition'.
Aspects of this process ingredient include:
focus on initiatives that build and balanceeconomic vitality, community wellbeing andthe health of the environment (Hart 1999,Bauen et al., 1996). The Centre forCommunity Enterprise refers to taking 'amulti functional approach to create asustainable (economically, ecologically,politically and socially) development systemwithin the community' (2000:1);
use of holistic frameworks for economicrenewal. For example, Kinsley (1997)advocates four key and interactive elementsof economic renewal, namely:
plug the leaks in the local economy;support existing business;encourage new local enterprise; andrecruit compatible new businesses.
The Bank of IDEAS (1997) in their frameworkfor development advocate a similar list which issummarised as Information Sheet no 11. Luke etal. (1988:236) provide a useful description of theholistic approach required 'the tendency is tothink in terms of industrial attraction ordowntown revitalization or tourism or high-tech,rather than to consider all parts in relation toone another. Successful economic developmentrequires the difficult task of 'wrapping one'smind around the word'.' Both Kinsley (1997)and the Bank of IDEAS also stress thatsustainable development does not result fromany 'quick fix' measure. It involves developinga mix of initiatives related to the community'scompetitive advantages, namely:
formulation and implementation of apractical development agenda whichincludes bite size and medium to long terminitiatives;
importance of diversification in terms ofeconomic and employment options with anopenness to alternative economic activities;
strategies for increasing local ownership;
commitment to local investment; and
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awareness and smart use of outsideresources;
Local investment is a strong theme of much ofthe literature on rural renewal. Kretzmann andMcKnight (1993), The Centre for CommunityEnterprise (2000) and Kenyon (1999) stress theneed for local people to invest locally and forstrategies to increase local ownership.Kretzmann and McKnight (1993:5) havesummarised this aspect well 'all the historicevidence indicates that significant communitydevelopment only takes place when localcommunity people are committed to investingthemselves and their resources in the effort.That's why you can't develop communities fromthe top down, or from the outside in'.
Fifthly, the presence and continuous renewalof local leadership. The most important findingof the 1994 McKinsey Report regionaldevelopment in Australia was that the success ofrural economic development depends to a largeextent on the commitment, quality and energy ofbusiness and community leadership. Theirfamous statement was 'Given the task ofrejuvenating a region and the choice of $50million, or $2 million and 20 committed localleaders, we would chose the smaller amount ofmoney and the committed leaders' (McKinsey,1994:8).
This reflects US experience 'the most criticalfactor in determining the growth of ruralcommunities is leadership, the most criticalinvestment to ensure the future of rural Americais leadership education' (Glen Pulver, ProfessorEmeritus, Rural Development, University ofWisconsin, Madison, quoted in RuralDevelopment News, March 1993). A similarcomment from the Heartland Center forLeadership Development (1992:5) 'HeartlandCenter research has shown again and again howimportant the attitude of the community is indetermining survival. Leadership is the key tomaintaining the community's attitude.Communities that resist change, ignore newopportunities, focus on threats and refuse to takeany risks are in serious trouble.'
The Centre for Small Town Development(1997) identified the importance of the 'presenceof local leadership/champions committed tolocal development efforts', 'the continualdevelopment and renewal of leadership' and 'a
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group of passionate local people who arecommitted to spending the time, energy andother resources it will take to make positivelocal change a reality'.
Epps and Sorensen (1995) through their work inQueensland on the nature of communityleadership identified four key leadershipfunctions, namely to:
formulate a realistic vision of thecommunity's economic and socialdevelopment;
achieve a high level of communityacceptance of, if not active commitment to,the vision;
motivate key community business-persons,administrators and social activists to worksystematically and in a coordinated waytowards the vision; andlead by example.
In their study 'Grassroots Leaders for a NewEconomy', Henton et al. (1997) focus on theconcept of 'civic entrepreneurship', and believetoday's world requires more collective andcollaborative leadership skills than the oldindividual charismatic leadership models.Communities that prosper practice collaborativeproblem solving and consensus based decision,and have leadership committed to thesebehaviours. This is particularly relevant forrural communities.
According to Henton et al. (1997:34), civicentrepreneurs are not afraid of failure, and havevision, courage and energy, and displaying fivekey traits, namely:
they see opportunity in the new economy;
they possess an entrepreneurial personality;
they provide collaborative leadership toconnect the economy and the community;
they are motivated by broad, enlightened,long term interests; and
a they work in teams, playing complementaryroles.
Henton et al. believe civic entrepreneurs areessentially community change agents and thatthis requires 'multiple talents'. It is leadershipfor the long haul 'They lead their communitiesthrough fundamental change and improvementprocesses that have no quick fixes.' (1997:52).
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Leadership development and renewal are acommonly stated ingredients of rural renewal.Commitment to the expansion of the localleadership base and the continual influx of newpeople into decision making opportunities isessential. The Coalition for Healthier Cities andCommunities (1999:13) summarises thischaracteristic as leadership everywhere, whileFlora and Flora (1994:34) use the phrase'flexible dispersed leadership'. In particular, themobilisation, skill development and activeinvolvement of women and young people havebeen highlighted in a number of studies(Heartland Center for Leadership Development1998, Centre for Small Town Development1997). The Heartland Center for LeadershipDevelopment (1992:5) within their list ofTwenty Clues to Rural Community Survivalspecifically identify 'acceptance of women inleadership roles' and 'deliberate transfer ofpower to a younger generation of leaders'.
Finally, the practice of healthy communitybehaviours. International and national literaturestresses several aspects of this dimension. Oneis the issue of collaboration and inclusiveness orwhat Shaffer (1989) describes as 'a high level ofintra-community discussion' . The North CentralRegional Center for Rural Development(2000:5) speaks of 'strengthened relationshipsand strong communication patterns'. Sanzone(1993:11) notes that 'the success of a localdevelopment strategy will rest on a long timecommitment by a sustained coalition of localpublic officers, the private sector, and citizengroups'.
A second aspect of healthy communitybehaviours is what Flora (2000:2-3) refers to asa high level of legitimisation of alternatives'different points of view within the communityare both accepted and valued by others in thecommunity. This leads to the acceptance ofcontroversy, which is different from conflict.Where there is conflict, lines are drawn in thesand and one is labelled according to one'sstance on a particular issue. When everythingappears smooth and everyone agrees oneverything, no discussion occurs. New issuesare not brought forward, visions of the futureare not shared, and alternative ways of gettingthere are not developed. In this situation,conflict often lies right beneath the surface.Controversy, however, is the opposite of conflict.Acceptance of controversy means that people
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can disagree with each other and still respecteach other. In communities that acceptcontroversy, there is depersonalization ofpolitics. Ordinary citizens are more likely to runfor public office, and feel able to implementcountermeasures to resolve community issueswithout being crucified '
A third aspect of healthy community behaviouris the need for communities to link andcollaborate with other communities and withorganisations, enterprises and agencies outsidethe community (Aspen Institute, 1996). Floraand Flora (1994:34) term this as 'the ability todefine community more broadly' 'a successfulcommunity will reach outside itself to thesurrounding community, the region, the stateand even the world Communities must realisethey are part of the global community and thatpartnership within the region and the state canprovide benefits locally'. Effective ruraldevelopment will also require communities to besmart users of outside resources.
D. Conclusion
There is a wealth of international and nationalliterature on themes associated with ruralcommunity renewal. Collits (2000) provides auseful local summary of key process factorswhen listing the success factors emanating froman analysis of Mainstreet/Small Towns Programof the New South Wales Department of Stateand Regional Development.
community ownership of the planningprocess;
commitment to working in partnership withother local organisations;
commitment to funding the program locally;
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local council support and involvement;
an active committee with broadrepresentation from local government,business and community groups;
local leadership;
broad community support for the localprogram;
knowing the local economy;
focussing on the retention and expansion ofexisting businesses rather than attempting toattract large employers;
a realistic strategic plan developed through apublic consultation process;
detailed action plans;
a human resource commitment toimplementing the strategic plan;
monitoring progress and ongoing evaluation;
keeping people informed, particularlythrough positive media coverage; and
acknowledging and celebrating success.
Section V below outlines the case studies offourteen Australia small towns that have activelyengaged in the processes of rural communityrenewal. Their stories and observations by localparticipants provide a remarkable endorsementof these factors.
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5. AUSTRALIAN SMALLTOWN RENEWALCASE STUDIES
Throughout rural Australia, there are various illustrationsof small inland towns which have demonstrated that theability to survive and thrive is not based on location,weather, proximity to the coast or a regional centre, butmore related to attitude, local leadership and local action.
Below are the stories of 14 vibrant smallcommunities, drawn from each State withinAustralia. They are:
Balingup, south west Western Australia
Beechworth, north east VictoriaBoonah, south east Queensland
Burra, mid north South Australia
Coolah, central west New South Wales
Deloraine, north east TasmaniaDonald, Wimmera, Victoria
Gulargambone, central west New SouthWales
Harrow, Western Districts, Victoria
Hyden, Wheatbelt Western Australia
Ku lin, Wheatbelt Western Australia
Mitchell, western Queensland
Oat lands, Southern Midlands, Tasmania
Tumby Bay, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
The selected case studies are all towns with lessthan 3,500 residents. The majority have apopulation of less than 1,000 people. Eachtown has its own story, and its set of ingredientsthat made positive local development possible.Despite their achievements, none of thecommunities would claim they have reached thatstate where the can 'relax their guard', andassume all will be well renewal is definitely acontinuous journey, not a destination. Despitetheir unique circumstances, size and location,there are some remarkable similarities. Anumber of themes appear common to therenewal of most if not all of the followingstories, namely:
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Right timing timing and circumstancesappears important in the process for manytowns including:
local residents recognising that'something must be done and that noone else will do it'often the occurrence of a wake up call orcrisis, eg, closure of major employer,withdrawal of a service, negativepublicity etc.local people coming together to discussand seek a better future.
Use of community planning processes toformalise thinking, planning and actionabout their assets, needs, preferred future,and prioritised actions.
Enthusiastic local champion(s) andleadership having at least one influentialand skilled local person or group activelyand enthusiastically promoting the conceptof renewal and providing the leadership foraction.
Positive attitude positive belief in thecommunity and its future, and theexpectation that deliberate steps could beundertaken to enhance existing activities ordevelop new options and pathways for thecommunity and its residents.
Local entrepreneurism existence of localpeople and groups providing leadership andexample in terms of civic and/or businessentrepreneurism and opportunity obsession.
a Local investment willingness by locals tocontribute towards the financial resources tomake positive change occur.
Smart use of outside resourcesawareness of, and access to the technical and
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financial resources to assist projectdevelopment. All the communities havebeen successful in cultivating allies, activelyseeking information, networking withoutside supporters and securing outsidefunding.
New community networks that activelysupport new ideas, new thinking and newways of working together.
Youth focus attention being given to thekey issues affecting the retention of youngmen and women, including employmentdiversity, education options, transport,
accommodation, lifestyle, image andparticipation.
Each community has a unique journey that needstelling individually. Collectively they providewonderful illustrations of both the processesnecessary, and the outcomes possible for smalltown renewal.
Each case study incorporates extensive use ofquotations by local people drawn fromconsultations in each community, and dialogueswith a host of players who have contributed tothe renewal process.
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A. Balingup,Western Australia
Balingup (population 525) isregarded by many as one of WesternAustralia's most attractive towns.Situated 238 kms south of Perth, thehistoric village of Balingup nestles ina picturesque valley, situated on theinland South Western Highwaybetween the towns of Donnybrookand Bridgetown. Its transformationas a community from the late 1960sis a most remarkable and interestingstory.
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Settled as early as 1859 by one of the State'smost famous pastoralists and philanthropists,Walter Padbury, Balingup was declared atownsite in 1898. Population at that time was250 people. By the 1930s, it was a thrivingfarming community with strong business andcivic infrastructure. The district populationreached its zenith in 1959 with 1,347 residents(Frost, 1979: 57). It boasted its own Shire .
Council, a cheese factory, timber mill, severalmajor company fruit packing sheds and a fullrange of retail businesses. Its annual open tennistournament was a key feature of the State'stennis world, and regularly attracted nationaltennis champions, while its strong sportingorganisations provided regular representation instate teams. It was also the home of the famousregional 'Black and White Band'.
However from the early 1960s, Balingup beganto experience dramatic decline in population andservices. The dairy quota system coupled withthe districts steep terrain combined to make thedominant activity of dairy farming unviable.The pine growing value of the districtsimultaneously attracted the interest of the stateforestry department who began offeringattractive terms to the farmers to leave their land,and the wholesale conversion of the district topine plantations began. From 1959 to 1973, 34properties (including several historic properties)involving almost 10,000 hectares werepurchased by the Forestry Department.Population declined dramatically and the newplantation land ceased to be rateable, making theShire's rate base non viable.
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The Minister for Local Government used around of council amalgamations in 1969/70 toforce the community's incorporation into a newDonnybrook-Balingup Shire Council. Theannoyance and frustration of the community wascaptured well by the town's historian, Alan Frost
'the final meeting of the Shire Council washeld on March 27 when it was resolved "that theCouncil register strong protest at the highhanded and dictatorial methods of the Ministerfor Local Government and departmental officersin the manner in which the Shire had beenamalgamated with Donnybrook". And as a finalact of protest Councillors stood in silence fortwo minutes "for the death of a virile and activeshire brought about by the undemocratic actionsof the Minister and his staff '''.
With the establishment of Donnybrook, (30 kmsaway), as the major centre for civic andcommercial services, the decline in Balingupaccelerated. The final straw was the closure ofthe town's cheese factory in 1976.
However, the mid 1970s also saw the beginningof certain positive developments the influx ofsettlers from the city had begun, attracted to thebeauty and seeking an alternative lifestyle.These new settlers brought new skills and crafts,and reinterpreted the beauty and uniqueness ofthe district. From their ranks emerged a fiercedetermination to build on the community'smagnificent natural beauty, and a commitment tothe natural environment. This new wave ofsettlement also saw diversification of the
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community's economic base, and the creation ofnew and interesting businesses. While todaythere are only four full-time farmers in theboundaries of the old Shire of Balingup, theBalingup community is a vibrant economiccentre.
Today their pride and vision are captured in theopening words of their submission to ProgressRural WA as 'A Most Enterprising ruralCommunity' Talingup is, beyond doubt, thecentre of the universe. It is a town oftremendous vitality, creativity, enterprise andsense of community. Our community vision isone of wealth and celebration; we celebrate thewealth of our natural environment, its rollinghills, misty mornings and abundance of bothnative and deciduous trees; the richness of alively, diverse and active community; a wealth oftalent and creativity in all fields of the arts andin the practice of alternative, ecologically soundfarming practices. The place itself has anintrinsic quality that drew us all here and thenworked on us to call forth the very best we cangive.'
Historic steps in the community's positivetransformation have included the following:
From the mid 1970s: the rapid introductioninto the district of new settlers with idealism,new business ideas, a deep commitment tothe environment and communitydevelopment the establishment of theUniversal Brotherhood Commune inDecember 1975 and the conversion of thederelict Cheese Factory in 1977 to animpressive art and craft complex by twosenior ex-Canberra bureaucrats symbolisedthe process that continues today.
1979 - the formation of the BalingupProgress Association as a vehicle forcommunity development.
1980 - the historic farm 'Golden Valley' onthe outskirts of the town was planted withpines. Balingup residents protested andsubsequently a Community and ForestryDepartment Committee was established toform and manage the Golden Tree Park abeautiful attraction with trees from all overthe world for both locals and visitors. Thisinitiative gave the community an early win,and an illustration of their capacity toorganise and achieve.
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From 1985 the community took theinitiative to rationalise its deterioratingsporting pavilions, by creating onerecreation centre. In the process, thecommunity over a ten year fund raisingprocess totally paid for the building. It is thecentre for a range of indoor sports, home ofa number of clubs and the location forregular community meal nights.
July 1988 the Balingup ProgressAssociation organised a CommunityPlanning Day facilitated by Jane Manning(Coordinator, Small Town Self HelpProgram of the WA Department ofEmployment and Training) to identify theemployment, training and economic needs ofthe Balingup district. This event attracted 85residents, and identified major areas fordevelopment related to education, acommunity centre, home and communitycare service, the horticulture and agricultureindustry, accommodation, recycling, health,tourism and workspace. Many initiativesover the following decade had their originsin this event.
May 1989 work began on the relocationof the old Forestry buildings for the purposeof creating a workspace and communitycentre complex. This was the result of a taskgroup emanating from the communityplanning day. The Centre has benefitedfrom numerous government grants. Itprovides the home for a variety ofcommunity and business groups.
April 1991 the first Small Farm Field Daywas held to showcase the districts distinctiveculture and sustainable agricultural base.The event's creation was a direct outcome ofthe Horticulture and Agriculture Industryworkshop group established at thecommunity planning event. This event hasbeen held every year since, and attracts onaverage 8,000 visitors, 200 exhibitors and250 stalls. The substantial profits generatedare utilised for the benefit of the community(over a ten year period $90,000 has beenprovided for a variety of communityprojects). It is a day of education,information, innovation, celebration andinexpensive non commercial entertainment.
1997 Balingup achieved nationalprominence by becoming WesternAustralia's first Aussie Host Town whereevery business adopted the national 'Aussie
Host' customer service program.
1997 Balingup created another successfuland celebratory occasion, the BalingupCarnivale Medieval Afayre and TulipFestival. This event began as a LandmarkEducation Self Expression and LeadershipProgram project a street parade tocelebrate the creative community and hasexploded in both scale and vision. In 2000over 400 local people became involved inthe event (including the 86 students at thelocal school who constructed and operated a30 metre silk dragon). Profits generated aretargeted at training and employmentinitiatives, and the project creator, RosBenson, is hopeful the event's experienceswill lead to the creation of a communitybusiness in areas like mask and costumedesign, construction and hire, and specialfunctions. The event was motivated by thefact that local business traders identifiedAugust as a poor trading month. This eventnow attracts up to 6,000 people and hasmade August the best financial month forlocal businesses!
1998 Balingup formed a Youth AdvisoryCommittee to focus on the needs of youngpeople and provide a vehicle for youngpeople to instigate community initiatives.
1999 the Balingup and District TouristAssociation was formed, and has nowestablished an Information Centre. Staffedby volunteers and operational seven days aweek.
2000 another Community Workshopfacilitated by Peter Cumins gave thecommunity opportunity to think and plan thefuture growth of Balingup, and how tomanage the inevitable question ofsubdividing rural land. A BalingupCommunity Plan has eventuated which theDonnybrook-Balingup Council has endorsedand incorporated into its Rural Strategy.
Other initiatives which have contributed to
the transformation of Balingup include:
formation of a Townscape Committeeand use of the Tidy Towns Competitionto enhance local gardens andappearance;
founding of the Balingup-DonnybrookHome and Community Care Service
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identity creation of Balingup as the'place where they have all thosescarecrows' metal scarecrows formimpressive town entrance statements,and the annual competition results in upto 70 scarecrows adorning the district;
local winemakers competitions andevents;
use of Federation funding to create aninteresting tourist information bay andtourist shelter;
development of a town strategic plan.
Locals and community development personnelhave identified a number of factors that havecontributed to the positive transformation ofBalingup, namely:
Influx of a group of creative and idealistnew settlers. From the mid 1970s, manycity people have been attracted to the beautyand energy of Balingup. They have broughta range of community and entrepreneurialskills, which has seen both the creation ofnew enterprises and employment, and theirmobilisation for community initiatives. Thereuse of old buildings and the presence ofbusinesses with national markets aretestimony to the creativity of new settlers.The community has developed a positivereputation for its welcome of new settlers,and its strong sense of inclusion.
Development balance. Balingup'sdevelopment has always involved thatcreative tension of finding the right balancebetween economic vitality, environmenthealth and community well being. TheirSmall Farm Day is a celebration of all three,and highlighting the benefits that accruefrom the practice of sustainable developmentprinciples and procedures.
The importance of the communityplanning event. The Community PlanningDay in 1988 holds the origins of much thathas occurred in Balingup over the lastdecade. In the words of the facilitator of thatevent, Jane Manning 'the Small Town SelfHelp Program held in Balingup in 1988 wasthe catalyst which mobilised the community.The priorities identified on the CommunityPlanning Day and subsequent initiativeshave been achieved through many hours ofplanning, volunteer labour and commitment
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of a wonderful core group of Balingupresidents who have persevered in theirendeavours to develop and maintain asustainable economy for their community'.(Manning, 1994: 23). Helen Christensencaptured the importance of the planningevent it was a day that drew together OldBalingup, New Balingup and AlternativeBalingup. Because the workshop was sowell attended, the outcomes were endorsedby the community as a whole'.
Positive attitude. Balingup is a communitythat believes strongly in a positive future,and its ability to achieve it. The long list ofachievements over the last decade is atestimony to this spirit. In addition, thisspirit is complemented by a celebratoryapproach that seeks consistently to highlightand rejoice in the creativity and diversity oftheir community.
Knowledge and use of outside resources.Balingup has been very successful inidentifying appropriate technical andfinancial support. In particular, the longterm personal commitment, passion and skillof Jane Manning, a government regionaldevelopment facilitator has been invaluable,and highlights the advantage of having achampion within the bureaucracy.
High stocks of social capital. The level andintensity of resident involvement withintheir community and its activities has alwaysbeen very strong and valued in Balingup. Ithas been 'the glue' that holds together andinvigorates the community. The massparticipation of the local community inevents like Carnivale Medieval Afayre is anillustration of the level of the community'ssocial capital. The level of social capital in
Balingup is the envy of many of itsneighbouring communities.
Finally, the following quotes by localssummarise well the Balingup story and spirit:
Ralingup is a diverse, vibrant communitythat nurtures and supports all who choose tolive here' (Helen Christensen, local shirecouncillor).
'Balingup is a town with vision andcommitment. It has acknowledged theimportance of planning as a community,embraced the process and generatedprojects with creativity and flair. With acore group of committed residents thecommunity are working together to developa sustainable future for their town' (JaneManning, Regional Development Officer,South West Development Commission).
`With the change in population, a new anddiverse range of activities have been createdwhich has captured the support of the localcommunity. Although there has been atransition from an agricultural basedcommunity to a more creative, lifestyleseeking and tourism oriented population, Ibelieve the spirit of support and communityinvolvement is as strong today as it has everbeen' (Edgar Hawter, Balingup farmer).
For further information contact:
Helen Christensen, Phone 08 9764 1291
Ros Benson, Phone 08 9764 1668
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B. Beechworth,Victoria
Beechworth was once theadministrative centre for a vastgold field, resulting in the creationof a magnificent Victorian stonetownsite. It achieved a populationof over 20,000 inhabitants. Withthe decline of the goldfields, theeconomic life of Beechworthcontracted.
Through the twentieth century it becameincreasingly dependent on public sectorinstitutional employment, despite winning aseries of beautiful town awards in the 1920s. By1984, with a population of 3,154, the welfareinstitutions provided the basis for itsdemographic and employment life 30 jobsand 100 prisoners in the prison, 30 jobs and 17patients in the district hospital, 30 jobs and 134patients in the Hospital for the Aged, and 525jobs and 501 patients at the mental healthfacility, Mayday Hills Hospital (Woods,1985:193)
The state of the community was captured in1984 by the words of the town's officialhistorian, Carole Woods (1985:193)'Beechworth, once a vigorous, multi-facetedregional centre, has become heavily dependenton welfare institutions which tend to have astultifring effect on community life and sap theinitiative required for the diversification of localeconomic enterprise. Over one third of thepopulation of Beechworth are either inmates,patients or employees of the welfareinstitutions'.
However, 1984 was in many ways the year forthe start of the transformation of Beechworth,from a contracting community based oninstitutional employment to one that has built onits unique heritage streetscape and embracedtourism. 1984 was the year that a formerresident, Tom O'Toole returned to Beechworthand purchased a struggling bakery, andcommenced a journey that has not onlyrevitalised the town of Beechworth, butinstigated a national business icon, that has
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inspired countless rural communities andbusinesses across Australia, New Zealand andSouth Africa. 'Sixteen years ago, when I boughtthe Beechworth Bakery, people didn't say "I'mgoing for a drive to Beechworth" unless theywere going to visit Mad Aunty in the lunaticasylum, or one of their relations in the jail.Sixteen years ago, it was a government town...Look at Beechworth today. It's a hive of activityon the weekend. But when I came to town 16years ago, these shops were all boarded up.'(O'Toole, 2000:3, 196).
The phenomenal success of the BeechworthBakery has been synonymous with the successof Beechworth. Many locals and commentatorswould credit the Bakery with turning aroundBeechworth's ailing economy. It provides awonderful illustration of the impact andcontribution that one business can have on atown. It illustrates the importance of the qualityof local business life as the powerhouse drivingthe economic and employment fortunes of acommunity.
In 1984, Tom O'Toole purchased theBeechworth Bakery. Its purchase state reflectedthe sad empty shop state of the commercialdistrict it employed two part time staff, andhad an annual turnover of $100,000. Today, itsachievements for a business located three hoursfrom a capital city and not on a major highway,are remarkable:
largest turnover of any retail bakery inAustralia
annual turnover of $3 million
670,000 customers during the past yearemployment of 65 staff
$27,000 taken over the counter in one day
the Victorian Tourism Award winner forsignificant Regional Attraction on threeoccasions, plus a host of national and statebusiness and customer service awards.
In the words of author, Lowell Tarling 'theBeechworth Bakery is more successful thancorporate breadshops, the franchises and thecity bakeries, and Tom has done it in the littletown of Beechworth. Beechworth has apopulation of 3,149, yet the BeechworthBakery's turnover is the equivalent of taking $1from every person in the Sydney metropolitanarea, every year. Can you believe it?' (O'Toole,2000:248).
Its impact on Beechworth, and its business andemployment basis is equally impressive. Hissuccess has activated a chain reaction in thetown. Today the town is a major tourism centre,and despite the dramatic closure and jobrationalisation within its public sectorinstitutions (eg, the Mayday Hills Hospital hasclosed with the loss of 500 jobs), Beechworth isgrowing in population and employmentopportunity and diversity.
Without doubt, central to the story is theBeechworth Bakery and its creative approach tobusiness and staff development. It's owner,Tom O'Toole readily shares his recipe for'Making Dough his Way' (Ashton, 1999), andprovides a set of ingredients that many othertowns and its business and civic leaders couldlearn from. That famous recipe for success haseight key elements:
Love cashflow and do that little bit extra
Provide exceptional customer service
Implement innovative merchandisingtechniques
Activate a creative marketing strategy
Excite and motivate staff members
Network and cross promote with other localbusinesses
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Participate in a never ending search for newideas
m Be passionate
Concrete illustrations of these ingredients beingput into practice are numerous and include:
Beechworth Dollars, as an incentive to visitBeechworth,
pipes from the Bakehouse connected to thestreet and fans pumping hot bread smells upand down the street,
a jazz band on the balcony every Sunday,
international and national staff visit andexchange program,
place mats advertising other businesses,
bread wrappers reminding customers what tosee in Beechworth,
feedback forms inviting customersuggestions (200 a month are returned),
260 product lines,
inspirational posters throughout thebuildings,
clean and poster free front windows,
regular staff customer service training,staff recognition initiatives,
staff handbook,
staff meetings to determine policy andpractice,
use of Bakery for fun conmmnity publicmeetings,
customer convenience in terms of openingtimes, 6.00am to 7.00pm, seven days aweek,
television marketing.
Tom O'Toole's role modelling of best practiceand its subsequent financial rewards haspermeated the Beechworth business community.Business appearance, merchandisingmethodologies, regular events, cross promotionand product range are now a hallmark of manylocal businesses. Beechworth is an excellentillustration of the importance of local businessvitality and best practice.
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There are other important factors inBeechworth's remarkable revitalisationincluding:
Facilitation role of local government.With the amalgamation of local governmentin 1994, the Shire of Indigo was createdthrough the grouping of a set of historictowns. Local lobbying against becomingpart of the City of Wodonga enabled thecreation of a unique council that had a strongfocus on heritage and tourism. The councilemploys a six person team within a Tourismand Economic Development Unit, incudinga specialist Special Events Coordinator anddedicated Visitor Information Centre staff.Council's facilitative and leadership role hasseen the development of an impressivecalender of events (eg, Golden HorseshowFestival, Celtic Festival, Drive Back in TimeFestival, Harvest Festival), creation of anaccredited tourist information centre andprojects like the current $2 million Heritageand Culture Precedent project, Lake Sambellproject and the Murray to Mountains RailTrail. Over the last five years, council hasaccessed $3.5 million in outside funding forinitiatives.
Victorian Building ambience. The relativelack of twentieth century building intrusionand the presence of 32 National Trust listedbuildings has certainly given Beechworth aunique and very attractive Victoriantownscape. It is rapidly becoming nationallyknown as one of the country's best historictowns and interpreted as a microcosm ofAustralia's history. Council's forethought interms of building regulations ensures thetowns heritage preservation andenhancement. Its popularity as a location fornew settlers and businesses is due to isambience.
Capitalisation of unique communityassets. Beechworth has many illustrationsof such thinking and actions. For example,the building upon the Ned Kelly connection,the Sambell Lake beautification project andthe re-use of the old Mayday Hospital as atertiary eduction and conference facility.
Economic diversity. Beechworth and itsbusiness and agricultural districts hasnumerous examples of diversification and
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value adding, and innovative new businesscreation. In particular, the community wasan early innovator in terms of embracingtourism and it has developed a nationalreputation in terms of heritage tourism,special events, arts and crafts, farm tourismand the bed and breakfast industry.
Attitude. During the period whengovernment service rationalisation wasoccurring, the importance of a positiveattitude was essential. In the words of TomO'Toole 'the only thing that pulled thetown out of these "doom and gloom times"was a change of attitude. We had to get ridof this government hand-fed mentality'.(Powell, 2000).
Active Chamber of Commerce.Throughout the years, the Chamber has beena focus for committed business people tounite and advocate for positivedevelopments. It has been a key ally withcouncil in the creation of the TourismInformation Centre and the calender ofspecial events. Council certainly has seenthe Chamber as a valuable sounding board
. for opinion on developments.
Regional tourist initiatives. Beechworthhas particularly benefited from regionaltourist initiatives like the 'Legends, Wineand High Country' promotion of north eastVictoria by Tourism Victoria. The depth ofstories and achievements of Beechworth hasmade it a prime focus for support by groupslike Tourism Victoria.
Lifestyle attraction. Beechworth is beingpromoted and viewed as a lifestylealternative destination especially forprofessional people able to locate work inregional centres like Wodonga andWangaratta only 30 minutes away. In thewords of its Manager of Tourism andEconomic Development, Terry Robinson,'Beechworth is becoming a northeastVictoria "Sea Change" alternative' .
The following statements by residents andoutside commentators further explain therevitalisation story of Beechworth and why itcontinues to thrive as a vibrant small regionalcentre.
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'Back in the 1920s, Beechworth was a"Beautiful Towns' award winner. Then thetown goes to sleep for 50 years supportedthrough government institution life. It wasawakened through necessity and graspingthe opportunity of being one of Australia'spremier heritage towns. The combination ofthe town's ambience, businesses like theBakery, focus on tourism and heritage byCouncil, all contributed to making whatBeechworth is today'. (Andrew Banks, localshire councillor and business person).
'We have been here ten years and we haveseen a dramatic swing from employment thatwas institution based to businesses based ontourism. And the Bakery has had a majorpart in that' (Elizabeth Mason, Beechworthbusiness person).
'The lesson of the Beechworth Bakeryquality products, exceptional customerservice, innovative marketing andmerchandising, staff motivation andinvolvement, business networking and loadsof passion, is a message that needscommunicating. The Beechworth Bakerytruly captures all these elements, and itsstory is having a phenomenal impact acrossthe country' (Peter Kenyon, Director of theCentre for Small Town Development,quoted in Ashton, 1999).
'The Bakery has done a lot for this town.The town has become a tourist destination'(Alec Armitage, owner, The BeechworthSweet Company).
'The Bakery is an absolutely magnificentdrawcard for Beechworth, and any businessthat draws people to Beechworth meansother businesses get the spin off benefits'(Ian Allen, Beechworth newsagent).
'Tom and Beechworth gives the mere mortalman and small town hope for the future. Hehas shown that it is not rocket science stuff,but to do with a pile of basics' (PeterPalmer, local economic developmentconsultant).
And finally some insights from Tom O'Toole:
'The difference between ordinary andextraordinary is that little bit extra. Who
wants to be a bit ordinary? Who wants to beaverage? Just that little bit extra, that's allwe've got to do'.
'The key to success is all about people: 5%technology, 95% psychology'.
'Customer complaints are the school booksfrom which we learn'.
'Don't tell me what I'm doing wrong, tell mewhat I'm doing right'.
'Only when we continue to raise our goalsdo we allow ourselves to grow'.
in every town or business there has to bethe WOW factor, WOW is the answer'.
'The believers pick up the prizes in life'.
'Every morning, within 15 minutes ofwaking up, I read something positive,something inspirational'.
'What f I train my people and they leave?What i f you don't train them and they stay! '
'If you are not determined, utterlydetermined to stand out you are history. Weget so comfortable. We get store blind, shopblind, town blind.., it's about change, itsabout going beyond your own backyard,getting outside that comfort zone.'
For further information contact:
Terry Robinson,Manager, Tourism and Economic Development
Shire of IndigoPhone: 03 5728 1000
Andrew Banks,Shire Councillor and local business person
Boonah today is the vibrantheart of a small rural shire insouth east Queensland. Thetownship of Boonah has a residentpopulation of 2,700, while theBoonah Shire is home to 8,000people. Despite its proximity tokey centres Ipswich (30minutes), Brisbane (90 minutes)
(courtesy of Felicity Fenwick)
and Gold Coast (45 minutes) Boonah is often referred to as 'pure rural heartland'.
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Like many inland Queensland rural towns, itenjoyed the boom times during most of thetwentieth century, but experienced the fullnegative impact of the more recent ruralagricultural downturn. However, through visionand the formulation and implementation of acomprehensive action plan, Boonah hasachieved national recognition for its communityled rural economic revival.
Their amazing story is captured well in thewords of two locals (Stanfield and Creighton,2000:1):
'Once upon a time, there was a thriving ruralcommunity which enjoyed full employment.Rural industries thrived. The local sawmillsemployed over 500 people and the butter factoryand the dairying industry employed hundreds.Small crop production, the grazing industry andall the associated support industries that formthe framework of a vibrant rural community,created bustling towns and villages and ensuredthat there were jobs for all.
However, with the downturn in ruralcommodities and the exodus of rural people tothe cities looking for easier, better payingemployment, the economies of these communities
34
started to fade. The mills closed. The butterfactory closed and moved to the city. Shopswere empty, boarded up or pulled down.Employment for young people was almost non-existent unless they went into the family businessor onto the subsistence like existence of thefamily farm.
The forecasts for the future were clouds of doomand gloom and visions of ghost towns,retirement villages and empty streets weretaking shape in people's minds. We faced a
future that appeared to hold only two options:a dying and destitute rural communityclinging to its traditions as its youth drifted tothe cities, those who remained grew olderand lost hope; or
- it would become a dormitory suburb for thenearby metropolitan centres, the soul of thecommunity would be lost and the rural natureand strength of our Shire would wither.
But then, through the clouds of doom and gloom,thin shafts of light began to appear. Shafts oflight in the form of new ideas. Ideas of change.Ideas of dumping the traditions which were tiredand ineffectual and bolstering those whichstrengthened us as a community.
3 9BEST COPY AVAILABLE
Ideas of not feeling sorry for ourselves. Ideas ofdoing things for ourselves to carve out a moreviable future. Ideas to seek help, to start theprocess. Ideas for the community to keepcontrol of the process. Ideas from a core groupof enthusiastic, positive and committed peoplewho started down the path which leads to thehappy-ever-after'.
A series of events, actions and achievementssince the late 1980s have provided the structurefor the Boonah story. In the words of the editorof local newspaper, the Fassifern Guardian,Wendy Creighton 'we looked for small ways inwhich we could make a difference. Ourovernight success is the result of about 15 yearsof hard work' (Johnston, 2000:16). Thefollowing are important story components:
Rejuvenation of the main street of Boonah.A desire to convert an architecturallyunappealing, grey and boring street into agreen, leafy, colourful and invitingcommunity heart was the initial catalyst forcommunity economic development. Afterfailing three times to achieve funding fromthe State Mainstreet Program, locals decidedto utilise the principles of Mainstreet, but
. carry out the revitalisation task with theirown resources. This five year project startedin 1992. The result represented a hugechange for a conservative rural community,particularly when the two way streetchanged into a one way thoroughfare withnew angle parking and garden beds. Theexpected hostility from some quarters wasquickly overcome as a safer, cooler andmore aesthetically pleasing CBD eventuated.Today the beautiful streetscape is a source ofmuch local pride, and of visitor praise.Above all, it represented an illustration ofthe change possible through local effort.
Creation of a working partnership betweenthe Boonah Shire Council and the BoonahShire Chamber of Commerce. This helpedto mobilise civic and business support fordevelopment.
Attendance at a Positive Rural FuturesConference. In 1998, a Boonah teamattended this conference at Biloela. Throughexposure to what other communities wereundertaking, and a range of encouraging andinspiring conference sessions, the teamreturned to Boonah convinced they were onthe right path, and determined to marshal
ideas and resources and implemented acomprehensive action plan. As one local putit 'we came home from that Conferencebelieving that we could change our worldand in essence we did and we have' .
Coordination of a Community OpportunitiesWorkshop. Utilizing Peter Kenyon from theCentre for Small Town Development, aCommunity Opportunities Workshop washeld in May 1999. This event attracted 250participants, and resulted in the prioritisationof 20 project areas. Subsequently, 10 of theproject areas have been implemented.
Employment of an Economic DevelopmentOfficer. Through funding from the FederalGovernment's Regional AssistanceProgramme, a project officer was appointedto develop a number of project areas thatemerged from the workshop.
Tourism Project. Being adjacent to sevennational parks and World Heritage Listedareas was something locals had taken forgranted. The realisation of the potential ofthis comparative advantage resulted in a planto enhance the eco tourism opportunities ofthe shire. A $207,000 grant enabled theEcotourism project to begin in October1999, and to date an ecotourism strategy isin place, a database is being built,promotional material developed and valueadding opportunities for local farmers andlandowners identified.
Introduction of the Boonah Shire RuralEconomic Development Institute. Througha partnership with the Bank of IDEAS, theconcept of an annual conference based onbest practice in rural economic developmentwas designed and implemented in October1999. Such an event attracted participantsand resource people from across Australia,New Zealand and the USA. It was based onthe Nebraska Rural Development Institute inthe USA, an opportunity for experimentallearning within a living laboratory. TheInstitute has attracted a grant of $80,000from the Federal Government, enabling it toexpand into a calender of events. TheInstitute has returned many benefits to theBoonah community national and statemedia focus, economic contribution from thepresence of two hundred participants,partnership with a host of state and federaldepartments and organisations, the reality ofover 100 volunteers working together, and
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the unique opportunity to showcase therichness and diversity of the Boonah Shire.
The vision that Boonah locals have for theirInstitute is that it will become a dynamicforce in championing the followingfundamental philosophies:
'vibrant rural communities which drawon, sustain and enhance the natural andhuman resources;
rural areas which have retained orrebuilt their sense and depth ofcommunity, where the integration of newand old creates a foundation for a viableand acceptable future for all sectors ofthe rural population;
the principal income for farming orgrazing families is gleaned from the landthrough farming operations which havediversified into or have createdburgeoning niche markets, or becatering to the urban desire to samplethe bush experience;
the valuable heritage and bank ofknowledge represented by these familiesremains a resource for rural Australiaand a repository for the basis of ournational identity and prosperity;
defined and exciting career paths areavailable to young people within theirrural communities and the rural youth'drop out' and suicide statistics havezeroed out;
the belief that rural communities wereonce built from within and can and mustbe built from within again,' (Stanfieldand Creighton, 2000:5).
Boonah has an impressive record of otherinitiatives that have demonstrated thecommunity's ability to dream, plan and achieve,including:
the Tom Quilty 2000 Gold Cup the localFassifem Horse and Pony Club won theopportunity to host the most prestigiousendurance ride in the country resulting inmassive economic and profile benefits toBoonah.
Industry innovation. Boonah over the lastseveral years has been the seedbed for avariety of initiatives demonstratingexcellence in value adding and
diversification including:
Bunny Bite Farms. This unique $2mvegetable processing and packagingplant implemented by two local farmers.Utilising state of the art technology toincrease shelf life and appeal ofvegetables, it now employs 35 people.
Ironbark Recyclers. This companyemploying over 30 people has broughtthe town's sawmill back to life by valueadding recycled hardwoods. They arenow successfully marketing the productinto Asia, and through their work on theBoonah Streetscape linked to a contactresulting in a massive contract withOlympic Games venues.
Abbotsfield Country Cottages. Aninnovative business utilising the OldButter Factory to build cottages and thenmove them onto site, thus minimisingdelays due to weather and environmentaldamage.
Tradespersons' Cooperative. As aresponse to the discovery that localbuilders only secured contracts for 9 ofthe last 35 new houses in the Shire(representing a loss of $2.5 million),eight local tradespeople have formed acooperative company to work together.
New Crops Initiative. Learning from aNew Zealand project ' Crops forSouthland', and with support from theDepartment of Primary Industry, acommunity initiative is now in placesupporting crop diversification.
Regional Sustainable DevelopmentProject. With the support of theSustainable Industry Division of theEnvironmental Protection Authority,Boonah through its Institute will assessand implement opportunities foreconomic development from thesustainable development perspective.
Agricultural tourism. Recent initiativesinclude two new wineries and theestablishment of a Farm Stay industrysector.
Shopping complex construction. Two newshopping complexes have been built in themain street during the last year.
During 2000, Boonah has won two majorawards for its efforts in community and
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economic development. Firstly, it won theState Award for the town with the most'bush spirit' in Queensland. As part of thestate finals of the Tidy Towns competition,the 'Bush Spirit' award was given for its'Aussie battler' nature. Secondly, Boonahachieved the National Award for Innovationin Local Government CommunityServices Category, for its Rural EconomicDevelopment Institute. This award was givenby the National Office of Local Government.
Locals and commentators reflecting on theBoonah experience have identified a number offactors that have contributed to the positiverevitalisation experience, namely:
Commitment. Change has occurred inBoonah due to the determination andextraordinary level of commitment by anumber of local people and groups. Johnson(2000:18) summarised their spirit well, 'beprepared to get your hands dirty. There is nopart of community economic developmentthat 'just happens ".
Local entrepreneurialism. Theentrepreneurial flair of local people is a keyfactor in the town's positive development. Itis well captured by the Mayor, and localentrepreneur, John Brent In our area weare lucky to have entrepreneurialindividuals ... that's part of the strength ofthe community. The tenacity andindividualism is coming to the fore, and theyare using their own resources to establishthings ... it's not with government handouts.More than half the phone calls I receive arefrom people looking for help, advice anddirection on moving forward, doingsomething or creating something within ourshire' (Wright, 2000:4).
Initial streetscape activities. This was acatalyst for future change. It showed thecommunity the positive social and economicimpact that could be achieved if peopleworked together. It initiated the regularcommunity consultation that occurs inBoonah, and it taught much aboutmaintaining momentum despite regularcriticism.
Positive community attitude andownership. The community has workedhard on building the community's belief initself. It uses every opportunity to highlight
the positive aspects of the communityincluding a weekly newspaper columnentitled Ramblings, seizing any opportunityto speak about the community at state andnational events. A local speaking team hasaddressed six such events in the last 12months. A popular expression in Boonah is'Never go away. Never falter. Never saydie'.
Local leadership. Boonah is blessed with acore of passionate energetic leaders in civic,business and community sectors. Thepartnership between Council and theChamber of Commerce is a major factor inthe towns achievement. In the words of IanFlint (council CEO and Secretary of theChamber of Commerce) 'Boonah ShireCouncil and the Boonah Shire Chamber ofCommerce have formed a uniquepartnership of working together to createopportunities and drive initiatives fordevelopment of the Boonah Shirecommunity. Our collective resources havebeen focused on the common objective ofhelping our community to help itself torevive and strengthen its social andeconomic base from within'.
Smart use of outside resources. Over thelast 2 years Boonah has been the recipient ofover $350,000 funding from state andfederal governments. Early in the processthey recruited a journalist to prepareapplications, and in the words of localbuilder Rick Stanfield 'we have adopted anattitude of never going away; if we areknocked back the first time we find out whyand then overcome each problem as it ispresented'. Creighton adds further insight tothe necessary process 'we soon learnedthat the day you submit a grant applicationis the day that the hard work begins ... youhave to know your project inside out and beprepared to argue your case strongly'(Johnson, 2000:18).
Importance of outside communitychampions. Boonah has invested inbuilding positive relationships with a host ofpeople at state, national and internationallevels, always ready to promote and supportthe efforts of Boonah. In particular, theirlocal federal member, Kay Elison, has beentireless in her support, as have a host ofenergetic and visionary public servantsworking in a variety of departments.
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Focus on young men and women. Boonahhas a strong focus on the active involvementof young people. There are numerousillustrations of this attitude:
Young people are strongly representedin the Institute team of volunteers.The Institute has a special youthdevelopment program.$20,000 was secured to erect a skatebowl.Boonah was the first community inAustralia to pilot the national 'Youth atthe Centre' initiative.
- A strong objective of the Tradespersons'Cooperative is to collectively employyoung people, six new apprenticeshipsresulted in the first six months ofoperation.
The fun component. Boonah people knewthe time commitment that would be requiredto ensure the success of their numerousprojects. They understood that the only waythey could operate was to ensure the processwas fun. 'We make it all social. Peopletrying to get an event together don't haveformal meetings, they sit and talk in a nice
, café. If I had an idea to float, I'd invite therelevant people to dinner. Between 10.00pmand midnight the best ideas start to flow'(Creighton in Johnson, 2000:18).
Belief in the interdependency betweentown and rural hinterland. Boonah is acommunity whose beliefs are firmly based inits rural heritage. They believe that for arural community to retain its identity andlifestyle, there must be a vibrancy in boththe town based and the rural basedeconomies. Both economies are viewed asinseparably interlinked, and all must worktogether to create a common positive future.
Much more could be recorded about Boonah andits unique spirit. The following words by localsprovide a fitting summary:
'Capitalise on our dormant social capitaland there is little we can't achieve as acommunity' (Wendy Creighton, Editor, TheFassifem Guardian);
In the early 1990s, we realised that ourcommunity was at a crossroads. One road,the easier path, let to our future engulfinentas a dormitory suburb for the cities; themore difficult road to our continuation as a
rural centre using innovative andcommonsense projects to ensure a viabletown and rural based economy. We chosethe difficult, but ultimately more rewardingroad' (Stanfield and Creighton, 2000:1);
'We often hear the words. - "we need to slowdown' , "we are going too fast", "it's beentried before", "it will never work", "it's alltoo new, too difficult". We hear them, butwe don't heed them'. (Stanfield andCreighton, 2000:2);
'The many skilled people in our communityhave been able to come together as one andachieve what seemed impossible to themwhen they were acting in isolation. TheCouncil/Chamber partnership has providedthe vehicle for unity of purpose and harmonyof relationships in the community and hasallowed Councillors and citizens topositively interact and share ideas and workside by side to drive our community forwardinto the new Millennium ... The BoonahShire revitalisation has been a team effortand that is why it has been so successful.The community of Boonah Shire has much tobe proud of but the vital reason for thesuccess of its self-development is the spirit ofco-operation and teamwork'. (Ian Flint,CEO, Boonah Shire Council).
Perhaps, finally Stanfield and Creighton(2000:2) capture the spirit, motivation andinterest of Boonah. it is up to us, thecommunity, to ensure that our wealth of humanand natural resource is used to sustain andenhance our lifestyle, to create interestingcareer paths for our youth and to ensure that ourdevelopment is both socially and economicallysustainable'.
For further information contact:
Ian Flint, CEO, Boonah Shire CouncilPhone: 07 5463 1599
Wendy CreightonCoordinator,
Rural Economic Development InstitutePhone: 07 5453 1888
Burra (population 980) located 160 kmsnorth of Adelaide represents an exciting storyof revitalisation made possible through thecombination of heritage presentation, creativetourism marketing and the uniquecontribution and creativity of a local actionand preservation group, namely the BurraBurra Branch of the National Trust of SouthAustralia.
Two correspondents have both well summarisedthe Burra story. Firstly Carolyn Collins of TheAustralian. 'Today the South Australian midnorth town is enjoying a tourism inspired boomat a time when other rural areas are in decline,thanks to some nifty marketing and thedetermination of a group of local peoplecommitted to saving their heritage' (Collins,2000:14). Secondly, Mary Clark of theCommunity Link Magazine: 'short on peoplepower, but long on ingenuity, National Trustvolunteers have staged a takeover of a smalltown, increased its visitor numbers and broughtit new vitality' (Clark, 1998:4).
Burra was the first surveyed mining town inAustralia, and its earliest buildings and mineoperations date back to 1845 when copper wasdiscovered and mining began. Reflecting theinfluence of a variety of immigrant workers,especially Cornish miners, an extensive townsiteevolved. By 1851 Burra was the richest coppermine in the world and Australia's largest inlandtown. Its famed 'monster mine' was the largestmetal mine in Australia up to 1860. However,mining ceased in 1877 and the town continuedprimarily as a pastoral centre.
By the 1960s, the town reflected the state of akey building, Redruth Gaol, which had falleninto disrepair and become a home for sheep. In1965, out of concern about the state of the Gaol,a public meeting was held. It was decided tomount preservation action under the banner ofthe State's most respected heritage organisation,the National Trust. A local branch was formed,and attracted local volunteers and benefactorsdetermined to preserve the unique building andmining heritage of the community, and initiatenew economic life into the town.
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The achievement of this local organisation overthe last 35 years has been remarkable, and itrepresents an excellent model of local action andcreativity. Key milestones in its actions haveincluded:
1965 - The Redruth Gaol and Old Dugoutswere secured as Trust properties.
1966 - The former residence and shop ofAndrew Wade was gifted to the BurraNational Trust by its first chairman. Itbecame the Market Square Museum, servingalso as the Trust's headquarters. Operatedby volunteers, this Museum gave the Trustits first income, and became the first ofmany properties given or leased to the Trustby government bodies, individuals or thelocal council.
1970 - The reopening of the Burra Mine Sitegalvanised local support for its heritagebuildings when several key mine buildingswere threatened with demolition. PeacocksChimney was subsequently dismantled,stone by stone, and re-erected on landowned by local members of the Trust.Early 1970s - The National Trust Branchintroduced the idea of a key hire system toaccess Redruth Gaol and the miners'dugouts. The National Trust branch, localApex club and District Council of BurraBurra joined in creating a guide book tocomplement the key hire system.
1979 - Burra was used as a setting for theacclaimed Australian film production'Breaker Morant' which contributedsignificantly to the local economy, andillustrated the creative use of its heritage andphysical setting.
1979 - Burra gained national attention bybeing the home of the 'Burra Charter', now
4 4
acknowledged as a statement of thefundamental principles and procedures to befollowed in heritage conservation.
1979 - Burra Tourist Office opened and wasinitially funded by the sale of publicationsby local historian Mr Ian Auhl. These bookson Burra are still available for sale at theBurra Visitor Centre.
1980 - Burra Township was placed on theRegister of the National Estate.
1988 - Burra introduced an innovativescheme called the Burra Heritage Passportbased on the key hire system. This passportcomes with a key which today enablesvisitors to gain access to eight lockedheritage sites and interpretation for 47 sitesthroughout an 11 kilometre heritage trail.The passport scheme provided the Trustwith the necessary income to maintain andconserve sites.
1988 - A Heritage Advisory Service wasintroduced into South Australia. Burra wasthe first town to appoint a heritage architect(Mr Douglas Alexander) to provide freeadvice to the Council and residents. MrAlexander continues in the role and isfunded by Council and Heritage SA.
1993 - Burra was declared a State HeritageArea.
1997 - The amalgamation of localgovernment provided a new opportunity forthe Trust to take an even greater role intourism and heritage preservation. The newregional Council of Goyder agreed to leasethe operation of the Burra Visitor Centre anda number of council owned buildings on theheritage trail.
1998 - The town attracted the attention ofthe Flinders University School ofArchaeology and Cultural Tourism. Withthe help of the Mid North RegionalDevelopment Board, an exciting partnershipwas formed between the Trust, the Board,the Regional Council and FlindersUniversity. A three year initiative called theBurra Community Archaeology Project isbeing funded by the Australian ResearchCouncil, the Flinders University IndustryCollaborative Research Grant Scheme andthe Mid North Regional DevelopmentBoard. The project is researching thearchaeological manifestations ofmulticulturalism in colonial Australia. The
aim of Burra is eventually to create aFlinders University Annexe in Burra.
No doubt, if the National Trust Branch had nottaken the proactive stance that it has since 1965,much of what makes Burra an attractive touristdestination would have disappeared. Over time,locals have become used to the idea thatpreserving their unique heritage is good forbusiness and local employment, especiallyduring the recent decade of depressed woolprices. Currently, local tourist accommodationcan provide 400 beds for overnightaccommodation, and Burra attracts 30,000visitors per year. It is estimated that thesetourists contribute $10 million into the localeconomy (Collins, 2000:4).
Burra has also seen the diversification into awide range of other economic initiatives thathave attracted state and national attention,including Adchem (Aust) exporting copperproducts, Thorogoods of Burm apple cider,carob production and the Saltbush ClothingCompany. The Mid North Development Boardand the Goyder Regional Council have beenproactive in attracting outside businesses, andtheir efforts recently have led to a new $4million poultry business which will eventually
: employ 20 people and a perlite processing plantthat will eventually employ 80 persons. Thedistrict surrounding Burm also claims the title ofMerino Capital of the World, reflecting itsimportance still as a pastoral region.
Factors identified by locals as important in thetown's revitalisation include:
Recognition of their comparativeadvantage in terms of heritage assets.The Chair of the local National Trust Branchhas summarised this aspect well: TheAustralia Heritage Commission ranks thistown as amongst the six most importanthistoric towns in Australia and obviously thelocals have woken up to this in due course'(Collins, 2000:4).
Innovative marketing. While manycommunities share the same extensivewealth of heritage assets, Burm has beenexceptionally successful in the way it hasappreciated and marketed the opportunity toenjoy its heritage. Besides allowing thecoordination of, and access to a wide rangeof tourist heritage sites at all times, theBurra Heritage Passport returns a handsomeprofit of $130,000 per year. This enables
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the employment of a Visitor Centre Managerand an Information Officer.
The role of the Burra Burra Branch ofthe National Trust of South Australia.This organisation over a thirty five yearperiod has illustrated its managementeffectiveness as a local driver of bothheritage preservation and tourism marketing.It has evolved from a volunteer communityorganisation to a major businessorganisation now employing a full timevisitor centre manager and 19 part-time andcasual staff. Its annual budget exceeds$200,000.
Its mission statement is 'to preserve anddevelop historic sites and heritage elementsin and around Burra to make this town apremier centre for Australian culturaltourism, education and research'.
It is acknowledged nationally as a model forbest practice in heritage management andassociated tourism development. Itsstatement of objectives is an excellentsummary of its vision and professionalapproach during its thirty-five year history:
- `to take an active role in developing andconsolidating the business of tourism inand around Burra.to identity the key heritage elementsupon which the Branch is to concentrateits resources, and plan theirdevelopment.to manage the assets and business of theBranch in accordance with principles ofgood governance and communityobligation and responsibilities.
to work with National Trust, governmentagencies, universities and otherauthorities to recognise the copper townof Burra as being in the top rank ofheritage places in Australia'.
Strategic alliances. Burra has benefitedgreatly by the desire of key local andregional organisations to force closecollaborative arrangements. The alliancebetween the National Trust, GoyderRegional Council and the Mid NorthRegional Development Board has beeninstrumental in many of the recent initiativesrelated to cultural development and industryattraction. Councils generally have alwaysstruggled with their responsibility with itsbuilt heritage responsibility. In Burra, the
local Council's alliance and agreement withNational Trust has enabled heritagepreservation and tourism to happen on ascale not seen in other small towns inAustralia. It has proved a smart way ofmanaging the town's heritage.
Finally, the words of some of the partners inBurra's revitalisation story:
'So the story is ... in a small heritage richcountry town with less than 1,000, a fewmovers can take it far ... our story has beenabout people - having the right people withvision at the right time' (Maureen Wright,Chair, the Burra Branch of National Trust).
'Burra is a great place to live and workbecause of the vision of a few people in the70s and 80s. Their vision is passed on like arelay and with the support of Council, theTrust and others, Burra will not just survivebut will grow socially and economically tobe an example to other small towns. Bysetting goals, time and effort are not wastedon minor issues as we work togethertowards the bigger picture of where we wantto be as a community' (Stephen Kerrigan,CEO, Regional Council of Goyder).
'Vibrant communities create a successfulrecipe for the foundations of strongeconomic development. Burra has provedthat culture development strategies canproduce direct economic benefits to itscommunity' (Craig Wilson, CEO, Mid NorthRegional Development Board).
'This collaboration has been very fruitful forall of the partners. Working together, weare able to move forward so that all of usbenefit. This project serves as a model foruniversities working with industry andcommunity bodies' (Dr Claire Smith, ProjectDirector, Archaeology Department, FlindersUniversity).
For more information please contact:Stephen Kerrigan
CEO, Regional Council of GoyderPhone: 08 8892 2100
Maureen WrightChairperson, Burra Branch of the National Trust
Phone: 08 8892 2461www.weblogic.com.au/burra
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E. Coolah,New South Wales
On 5 November, 1999, a Giant StreetParty was held in Coolah to celebrate thecommunity's achievements over theprevious four years. The event representedthe opening of the first stage of theirmagnificent revamped main street, theofficial 'turn on' of their new heritagelighting and the first birthday of theircommunity Telecentre.
In the words of the local newspaper editor, GaryConnolly, such a celebration event 'finally killedthe selffulfilling prophecy that this town wasdying - that dragon has well and truly beenkilled'.
Coolah is a small central west New South Walesagricultural service town, 360 kms north west ofSydney. With a population of 880 and servicinga district population of 1,500 people, this smalltown experienced significant economic andsocial down-turn due to the rural recession,drought and particularly the closure of thetown's mill following the State Governmentconversion of the local State Forest into aNational Park. These actions, together with thediscovery that Coolah was left off a range ofrecently published tourism and national parksmaps spurred local residents to take action.
In the words of local farmer, Michael White -'we harnessed the negative energy against theloss of the sawmill and redirected it to positivechange through the vehicle of the CoolahDistrict Development Group. We used publicforums and took a community planningapproach in partnership with local government:in other words organising and communicatinglike a business and taking a business approachto planning our future' (White, 2000:1).
A local development and coordination vehicle,the Coolah District Development Group, wascreated with the following mission statement: `tofoster safe, healthy, cultural and heritageenvironment for our community; preserve ourtown services, character and continue toencourage growth and development of the
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district with productive and sustainableindustries'. Through support from theDepartment of State and Regional Development,a community planning process was instigatedresulting in a variety of key themes - mainstreetredevelopment, tourism, garden festivals, youth,marketing, health, agriculture, Coolah TopsNational Park, signage, mobile phone coverage,technology ...
During the second half of 1996, an eight stepstrategy gave the community development focus,profile and success:
Step 1 - ' Put Coolah back on the map' witha street photograph involving 600 Coolahresidents. It succeeded in gainingwidespread media attention.
Step 2 - 'Clean up Coolah's act' - a majorspring clean event.
Step 3 - 'You don't get a second chance at afirst impression' - employed landscapearchitects to prepare plans to beautify themain street.
4 7
Step 4 - `Raise money for the streetscaping'- an open garden weekend was organisedinvolving eight local gardens and raised$22,000.
Step 5 - `Create attractive town entrances' -entrance statements and signs were preparedand installed.
Step 6 - 'Lobby government' - funding wassought for an all weather road to access thenational park and enhance tourism numbers.
Steps 7 and 8 - `Promote the district' - acolourful brochure and a tourism video wereboth produced.
From that early strategy, Coolah has continuedto put in place an impressive set of projects thathave built community pride, confidence andpositive economic outcomes, including:
focus on, and continual upgrade of, theirmainstreet, providing the community with anattractive heart and a constant source ofpride for locals and positive comment byvisitors. In the words of the initialcoordinator of their Development Group,Eleanor Cook - 'it's very important we makethe main street the town's meeting placeonce again. We want people to be attractedto going down the street where they canmeet with other people. As you never get asecond chance at a first impression, weknow a beautiful main street will attractvisitors and people feel good about theplace'. So far over $500,000 has beenexpended in a main street heritagerefurbishment;
establishment of a local Telecentre whichwas born out of a need to provide low costinternet access and technology basedopportunities for Coolah residents. Fundingto build the Telecentre and establish theirown Internet Service Provider (ISP) businesswas jointly funded by grants from theNetworking the Nation program and TheDepartment of Primary Industries andEnergy. The Centre employs five people.
creation of mobile telephone coverage forthe Shire.
setting up of a youth council.
facilitation of a series of initiatives toidentify and minimise economic leakage,resulting in 3 new businesses providing a
44
total of 16 jobs, together with an emphasison shopping locally.
Locals have identified a number of factors thathave contributed to their successful process andoutcomes, namely -
The wake up call. The creation of anational park and the subsequent closure oftheir timber mill was a crisis turning pointand gave the town 'a smell of death'according to Gary Connolly, the firstchairperson of the Coolah DistrictDevelopment Group. However, locals weredetermined to take responsibility for theirown destiny.
Creation of a development vehicle. Thecreation of The Coolah DistrictDevelopment Group in august 1994 was anearly step in the revitalisation efforts. It isan independent non-profit organisation witha widely based membership drawn frombusinesses, individuals and communitygroups. They are united in theircommitment to the positive growth of theCoolah community. The organisation alsogenerates $5,000 per year through animaginative membership scheme.
Use of community development planningprocesses. Throughout the last five years,Coolah has regularly had planning forumsand utilised outside facilitators. Theseevents have generated both ideas, andcommunity commitment to ensure theirimplementation. The support of theDepartment of State and RegionalDevelopment has been invaluable in thisprocess.
Community inclusiveness. A strongoperational principle evident in Coolah iscommunity inclusiveness. TheDevelopment Group operates through aseries of focused sub-groups, and has soughtto maximise community input andparticipation through public workshops,working bees, and community fund raisinginitiatives. Development Group membersalso discovered early the need to approachpeople personally to get involved. As activemember Susie Brown expressed it - 'I wouldnever have participated i f someone had notapproached me personally and asked me toget involved'.
4 8
Coolah highlights the significant role playedby social capital in community development- that process of community participation,networking and cooperating for mutualbenefit. As local fanner Michael White,reflecting on Coolah's success, put it - 'itsabout social capital - you're stuffed i f youhave not got it'.
Susie Brown has listed many illustrations ofthe high stocks of social capital in Coolah,namely:
'people feel part of the community'
'they feel useful and help in a variety ofcommunity ventures and experiences'
'they actually participate in communitynetworks like public meetings, groupmeetings, working bees and socialactivities for raising money forcharities''high incidence of barter'
'people feel valued and are told so''cars are not locked''children are minded by the communitywhen in public spaces'
'people know who will help them findout something'
Effective fundraising strategies. Over afour year period, Coolah has successfullysecured $1.6m in outside funding forcommunity projects. Each communityachievement helped lift the profile ofCoolah. Government departments anduniversities then wanted to partner with thecommunity. However, what is moreimpressive has been the community'sinternal fundraising schemes. For example,the Coolah District Garden Group, a subgroup of the Coolah District developmenthave raised over $50,000 for the main streetbeautification project.
Partnership with local government. Thearrival of a new General Manager of theShire, Shane Burns, occurred asrevitalisation efforts were beginning. Hispersonal commitment and ability to facilitatea council/community partnership with thecommunity taking the lead, and councilplaying a resourcing role, has beeninvaluable. Council has certainly embracedcommunity ownership and has become
45
willing to invest in local economicdevelopment.
Marketing. Coolah was fortunate to havethe early combination of local newspaperoperator, Gary Connelly, as initialchairperson and Eleanor Cook with herstrong marketing and media background astheir first coordinator. Together their skillscontributed greatly to achieve a number ofhigh profile events like 'Put Coolah Back onthe Map' and 'Turn On the Lights forCoolah's Future', which helped gainwidespread media attention. Coolah hasbeen very effective in utilising local,regional, state and national media tohighlight their achievements, an importantstrategy to keep locals aware and theirmotivation high.
Pride building events. Besides havingmedia profile value, Coolah through its hugecommunity photo event, its garden fundraising events, spring clean up days andstreet party regularly created opportunitiesfor locals to celebrate their achievementsand have fun. In addition, such events alsohad a powerful by-product: in the words ofMichael White, 'paradigm busting wasachieved in the community by understandingthat it was very important to have pridebuilding events within the community'(White 2000:1).
Today Coolah on a series of indicators hasproved the power of self-initiative. Locals quotethe following positives - unemployment rateshave dropped, no empty shops, new businessesestablished, no houses for sale, almostimpossible to rent and high numbers ofcandidates for recent council elections.
Locals have captured the spirit of action inCoolah in a variety of ways:
'Coolah realised that it needed to takecontrol of its own destiny. What a differencegood Australian country spirit can make'(Eleanor Cook, initial Coordinator, CoolahDistrict Development Group).
Community development really works. Wehave proved to ourselves that you can takecharge of your future and not just take whatcomes, but plan and implement a betterfuture for yourself, your family andcommunity' (Michael White, farmer and
'I came from Coolah last night - a new spiritof let's get in there and work in partnershipwith the government to tackle our future, tobuild a better future, and I think that's avery positive thing' (John Anderson, localFederal Member of Parliament and DeputyPrime Minister, quoted on National NineNetwork "Today Show", 25 June 2000).
11ie key to the achievements and successenjoyed by the Coolah District DevelopmentGroup has been the involvement andownership by community members in theplanning and implementation of the futuresplan, coupled with Council's partnershiprole in resourcing the strategic direction ofthe development group. Councils often failto recognise and apply this essentialingredient to community economicdevelopment, choosing instead to play adominant leading role, resulting in the lackof support and commitment by the
Deloraine is a small rural historic township of2,100 residents, located in the Meander Valley,midway between Launceston and Devonport inNorth West Tasmania.
Deloraine was named 'the Australian Communityof the Year' in 1997 by the National AustraliaDay Council - the only Tasmanian community toachieve this Award. In addition, Deloraineduring the 1990s was the recipient of a series ofboth state and national awards for a range ofcommunity and economic developmentachievements.
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Such achievements and recognition spring fromthe community's response to a host of challengesover the past 30 years, including communityconflict, economic recession and a highwaybypass. The 1970s saw the influx of asignificant number of alternate lifestylers, andsubsequent conflict with the 'loggers andwoodchippers' and a division was apparentbetween 'the alternatives' and 'theestablishment', between 'the labourers' and 'theartists', between the community 'workers' andthe 'recipients' (McBain, 2000:1). In 1990,Deloraine was bypassed by Highway One,resulting in the closure of 12 businesses. Andlike many inland rural service centres, Delorainehas continually faced the challenges of ruralrecession and the impact of volatile commodityprices.
Deloraine has responded to these challengeswith a variety of community inspired initiatives.In the words of their Mayor, Councillor Hall - 'itis a classic case of how a community ofjust over2,000 people, faced with the same problems asmost other rural centres, a rural depression, theclosure of small traditional industries and joblosses decided that the best way of solving theproblem was self help. This positive attitudemakes the town a model for the rest of thecountry'.
Their achievements include:
Utilisation of the Tidy Towns program as acatalyst in development. It commenced withthe program in 1979 and in 1992, 1993 and1995 won the State Award, the only
47
Tasmanian community to win the Awardthree times with three different judges;
a Introduction of the annual Tasmanian CraftFair in 1981 as a response to the divisionswithin the community. It began with 30 stallholders, and has now grown to involve over200 craftspeople at 15 venues and theattendance of over 30,000 patrons. It isreputed to be the largest craft fair in theSouthern Hemisphere, and the recipient ofmany Tasmanian tourism awards. The eventnow stimulates over $1 million into the localeconomy and generates over $100,000 profitper annum which is distributed tocommunity organisations. Most of all, ithas given the community a sense of prideand organisational confidence, and hascontributed to many new settlers beingattracted to the district's strong art, craft andcommunity focus;
Operation since 1987 of the model UnitedNations Assembly which involves annually104 students representing 54 countries from38 Tasmanian schools;
Organisation of a party of celebration in1990 in response to the Highway bypass,and subsequently a range of communityactions related to signage, town entrancestatements and attractive roundabouts tocounter vehicle and visitor loss; thecommunity raised $20,000 in two days toerect new signage;
Formation of the Meander Valley EnterpriseCentre in 1991 as a vehicle for the provisionof a variety of supports for local business
51 BEST COPY AVAILABLE
development and work training programs;
Instigation of a variety of communitybeautification and park projects. Oneexample, Rotary Park, has won the 'BestOutdoor Recreational Facility' in theNational Heart Foundations LocalGovernment Healthy Hearts Award.Council's Townscape Rate IncentiveScheme has encouraged local residents toimprove and preserve their buildings;
Inception of the Deloraine recycling andland fill site managed by Tasmanian TrashTransformers which now employs 10people, provides consultation around thestate and is regularly cited as a model forrural waste management in Australia. One ofits creators is the recipient of the 'YoungAchiever of the Year Award' and theprogram has won a State landcare award;
Creation in 1995 of the Yarns 'Artwork inSilk' project, a magnificent portrayal of theMeander Valley on a 57 square metrehanging. Recipient of another State awardproject, it involved 300 local peoplecontributing 10,000 voluntary hours.Besides being a major community project ittaught many new skills to local residents. Itis now a major tourist attraction, open to thepublic through the efforts of 40 volunteers;
Development of Giant Steps, another localinitiative that has achieved national andinternational prominence. Through acommittee of parents and communitysupporters who refused to accept the lack ofservices for children with autism spectrumdisorder, Giant Steps was created. It ismodelled on a Canadian program, andinvolves the operation of the Giant StepsTasmanian Education and TherapeuticCentre. It caters for 15 children includingchildren from four families who haverelocated from interstate to attend thisschool;
Instigation of a wide range of tourisminitiatives. This was rewarded in 1997 withthe award as Tasmania's Premier TourismTown.
And to the above list can be added a widevariety of initiatives related to youthdevelopment, hospital services, education,telecommunications, drama, arts child care andspecial event management.
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Locals clearly articulate the reasons for theirsuccess and the above achievements. Theyconsider the following essential ingredients:
Presence of a strong sense of belief,expectation and optimism. Thecommunity has continually generated andimplemented ideas, each endeavour feedingon previous success. Locals fondly call it'the Spirit of Deloraine, a state of mindwhere people believe that they can achieveanything and change the world for thebetter'. (McBain, 2000:2).
Tolerance of difference. Deloraine is verytolerant of newcomers to the community.McBain (2000) again summarises thisattitude well - 'there is now a camaraderieand admiration of individual skills and acelebration of differences and a willingnessto co-exist. All of these people have retainedtheir distinctive culture, they have adopted abroad self educational attitude and there isan air of tolerance in the community that isnot common in the world' (McBain, 2000:2).
Ability to network. Deloraine sees its size(2,100 people in townsite, 5,500 in district)as ideal for a community to be able tonetwork, and achieve maximumparticipation.
Strong focus on young men and women.Young people are highly valued in thecommunity, as is illustrated by the directfocus on youth events (eg, UN ModelAssembly, Youth Drama Festival), youthinfrastructure (eg, Youth and CommunityCentre), youth policy development (eg,Council has a specific strategic youthplanning goal with performance targets,formulation of a Young People's Strategy),and youth and education program initiatives,(eg, Fast Track Life Education Project).
Leadership role of local government.Council has always maintained a strongcatalytic and facilitative role in community.Their early employment of a CommunityDevelopment Officer, Glenn Christie was asignificant factor in the awareness ofcommunity need and the initiation of a widerange of endeavours. The provisionannually of $45,000 through community andspecial event grants has also played acatalytic role. Council undertakes a twelve
52
monthly resident opinion survey, whichbecomes a major performance indicator.
Celebration and fun. Deloraine is acommunity with a tradition of celebration.There is a strong belief that project supportis created and sustained when fun is a keyingredient. For example, on the seventhbirthday of Trash Transformers theorganisers wanted to say thanks to thecommunity and organised a major party atthe rubbish tip, and unveiled theircommissioned 'Tales of the Tip' sculpture.
The spirit and enterprise of Deloraine is wellcaptured by the following quotations.
'We are a bunch of pragmatists. We grab anidea and just run with it. No one is afraid offailure, and each endeavour feeds onprevious success' (Glenn Christie,Community Development Officer, MeanderValley Council);
'The spirit of Deloraine is a state of mindwhere people believe that they can achieveanything and change the world for thebetter' (Michael McBain, Coordinator,Deloraine On-Line Project);
'The level of support required for a projectlike Giant Steps would not have been foundelsewhere. There is a sense here that it isjust going to work' (Mick Clark, BoardMember, Giant Steps);
Deloraine is not a community that iscontent to sit back, complain about its lot inlife, and call on others to help it develop andgrow. It is a community that shows the wayand meets any challenges head on and turnsthese into an opportunity' (David Pyke,Executive Officer, Meander ValleyCouncil);
'Deloraine is a strong community. Perhapswhat we have done with 'Yarns' is create aphysical, tangible result that can remind usof our ability to function as a healthy,creative community despite, or because ofour individual differences' (Niecy Van derElst-Brown, Artist Director, Yarns).
For further information contact:
David Pyke, Executive Officer GovernanceMeander Valley Council Phone (03) 6393 5316
email: david.pykemvc.tas.gov.au
Glenn Christie, Community DevelopmentOfficer,
Meander Valley CouncilPhone (03) 6362 3222
Website - www.deloraine.tco.asn.au
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53
G. Donald, Victoria
Donald (population 1800, district population3200) is located on the edge of the VictorianWimmera region in north western Victoria,250km from Melbourne. Donald is essentiallya rural service centre to a predominantlycereal/grazing agricultural region.
Like most dry farming regions, Donaldstruggled during the 1980s with lowcommodity prices exacerbated by droughtsand mice plagues.
The local employment and economic situationwas compounded by the closure of the DonaldMeatworks (1980) with 60 families losing theirlivelihood. Also, historically Donald was a'railway town', but through railwayrationalisation, almost all rail jobs (50 jobs) weretransferred to larger centres. Other StateGovernment agencies such as Lands Departmentand Vic Roads also withdrew their services andjobs. Consequently, Donald faced the prospectof a declining and ageing population.
The trigger in terms of town response to thedecline occurred in April 1985 when a publicmeeting was convened by the local shire to forma development group. The committee had threebasic objectives:
1. To safeguard the businesses and servicesalready in the town and district.
2. To develop new businesses and servicesin the area.
3. To investigate and utilise the variousgovernment funded programs to achieve1 and 2.
The committee comprised shire councillors andrepresentatives from the Chamber of Commerce,Victorian Farmers Federation, governmentdepartments and the community. The committeealso appointed an honorary promotions officer,local business person, Graeme Harris.
Early initiatives included the following:Opening of a housing estate to attract newhome buyers to the town - $2,000 prize was
50
given to the first person to build a houseusing local contractors.
Upgrading of aerodrome to accompany theAir Ambulance ($19,500 was raised in thecommunity within 3 months).
Commencement of an industrial estate in10 years, 20 business sites have beenoccupied.
Attraction of a shirt making enterpriseFairmark Company from Melbourne - whichnow occupies a refurbished church(purchased by the community with fundsearmarked for new council offices), and nowemploys 25 people.
Attraction of a variety of businessesincluding a men's barbershop, andconfectionary distributor.
Support for the establishment of the PeaGrowers Cooperative in Donald which todayinvolves 400 growers and has a turnover of$26 million and 14 employees.
Relocation of a fibreglass factory fromMelbourne. Eight Donald people made ithappen through contributing $5,000 each.
Support for local initiatives to enhancehousing, ambulance station and nursinghome facilities, all of which involvedsubstantial local financial subscriptions.
In 1989 the Victorian state governmentintroduced the Rural Enterprise Victoria Scheme(REV) which allowed small countrycommunities to employ facilitators to developand commercialise business ideas. Donald
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combined with several towns around them toform the Mid West Economic DevelopmentCommittee, and employed Graeme Harris astheir full time Facilitator. Graeme's role did notchange significantly, except the area beingcovered increased.
The Donald Development Committee evolvedinto the Donald 2000 Committee in 1995following council amalgamations. The localdevelopment groups have always had two simplegoals to measure their success people and jobs.Between 1985-95 population decline has beenreversed. In terms of jobs, the group has helped23 new businesses involving 100 jobs (Cahill,1995:103).
In recent years Donald had continued to receivestate and national media profile for itsinnovativeness in attracting people, business andjobs. Examples have included:
Major Christmas shopping promotionswhich have resulted in substantial localshopping during a key retail period lastyear fifty Donald traders contributed $300each to assemble a total prize of $10,000worth of goods from participatingbusinesses. It was estimated it played amajor motivating role in gaining andretaining $14 million in retail sales in a threemonth period.
Following the success earlier in the year toattract an upholsterer and motor trimmer totown, Donald 2000 Committee engaged in amedia campaign focusing on the quality ofcountry living and opportunity, involvingnewspapers, radio and television to attractskilled tradespeople to the town. Since July2000, over 400 enquires from skilledtradespeople and others wanting to relocateto the Donald District have been made. Anattraction package consisting of $800 inrelocation assistance, and six months freefactory/shop rental has resulted in enquiriesfrom a wide range of skilled people,including white goods mechanics, dieselmechanics, psychotherapists, glaziers and aFrench polisher. To gain support, interestedtradespeople are required to submit aproposal to the town. In two months, 34people have already moved into Donald, fivenew businesses opened up and the PrimarySchool numbers were up by six.
A campaign to have ANZ Bank reverse theirdecision to turn their branch into a subagency. Donald 2000 Committee mobiliseda campaign of negotiation and intensivemedia support, including a street rallyinvolving 500 locals. The Bank reversed itsdecision. Donald 2000 Committee PresidentKerry Vogel summarised the impact 'theANZ bank admitted that they had neverencountered a community as strong willedand united as Donald. We are the only townthat has achieved such a result and all dueto community spirit'.
UPHOLSTERER - NEEDEDBrilliant business opportunity.
In a quality Country Town.
Donald 2000 Development Group hasidentified a business opportunityfor a skilled upholsterer to operate abusiness.Incentives available.* Free rental premises for a period;* Relocation costs and some set up costs
are to be paid;* Assistance with housing location.
Special Building Incentive Package. Thelocal shire has an incentive package tostimulate the building industry any newbuilding is entitled to a three year rate freepackage if built by a contractor and twoyears if owner built. The Donald 2000group also recently had a competitionoffering $1,500 for the next family housebuilt to lock up stage in the townsite.
Key ingredients to the success of Donald'srevitalisation identified by local people include:
Wake up calls. With the systematic closureof services and job loss, the town opted foran 'I am going to take charge and takeresponsibility for the future' attitude.Previous Shire Secretary, Tom Bowlessummarised it well 'the philosophy has tobe, that if you don't do something, its allgoing to disappear'. In the words of
55
Graeme Harris - 'fear of losing our townspurred us on'.
Motivated and entrepreneurialleadership. Donald has always beenfortunate in having individuals passionateabout Donald and its future, and determinedto make positive changes. They havecombined to establish local developmentcommittees and generate the localentrepreneurial support necessary fordevelopment projects. Their role was welldescribed by Graeme Harris 'these peoplecan see opportunities for growth within theircommunities, are optimistic, talk and consultwith people for ideas, work with those ideas,make new people welcome in the communityand support existing enterprises morally,whilst seeking financial support '.
Local investment. Donald has a longtradition of local people responding to theopportunity to invest in local businessinitiatives, and contribute to the creation ofnew civic infrastructure. For example,Kooka's Country Cookies was established in1992 when five local people invested $5,000each to support the dreams of anunemployed pastry cook. Today it employs25 people, has an annual turnover of$1.5million and is currently undertaking an$850,000 building extension.
Donald has also utilised public appealsresulting in a sealed airstrip, lights at theaerodrome, ambulance centre and sportingstadium. A nursing home and hospitalredevelopments generated $1.75million.
Donald also holds regular fund raising eventsfor Donald 2000 projects A CommunityVariety Concert and recording of a musicalcassette are examples.
Identifying weakness/gaps in the localeconomy. The Donald DevelopmentGroups have always been proactive inidentifying economic leakage and businessopportunities. Their 2000 campaignfocusing on skilled trades and professions isan illustration of their approach.
Role of local government. The old DonaldShire very much saw their role as facilitativerather than regulative. They wereinstrumental in establishing a localdevelopment group as well as seeking waysto contribute actively in development
51
projects - grants, rate holidays, in kindcontributions like earth works etc. The newamalgamated Shire of Buloke has continuedthis tradition, as well as ensuring there isprofessional staff attuned to the developmentfocus - including a very proactive Managerfor Business and Community Developmentas well as staff trained to expedite planningand design issues and offer financial advice.
Strong housing development policy.Donald has always had incentives to buildnew housing. Besides recognising the valueof high quality and expanding communityhousing stock, the community recognisedthe employment value in house building andhaving a strong building industry in thetown. One of Graeme Harris' favouritequotes is 'did you know that building ahouse involves 25 different trades?' .
Similarly there has been a strong focus onaged accommodation - it keeps people intown and also releases homes for youngerpeople.
Willingness to take risk and endurefailure. Donald over the years hassupported an impressive range ofentrepreneurial initiatives. Not all theseprojects-have succeeded. Some businesseshave failed, 'but it is a measure of thepositive attitude of the community thatfailures are accepted and forgotten and"let's get on with some other opportunity"'(Cahill, 1995:102)
Media support. The local newspaper, TheBuloke Times has always played a positiveand supportive role to Donald initiatives. Ithas contributed greatly to enhancingcommunity interest, awareness and the senseof excitement about what is happening inDonald. Donald has also been very active inutilising the outside media to broadcast theirinitiatives. A recent example was theirtradesperson attraction campaign - all statenewspapers and the ABC Today Tonightwere utilised effectively to broadcast themessage. These media opportunities,together with the campaign results creatednew momentum and excitement in the town.In the words of Kerry Vogel - 'it gave thetown lift. The place is buzzing and it has ledto a range of new community initiatives'.
Generation of new ideas. This ideageneration process is a very importantelement. This is captured well by Cahill
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(1995:101) -'the success of such an actionorientated group is largely dependent on acontinual flow of new ideas andopportunities. The members of the DonaldDevelopment Committee travel far and wideto examine new opportunities or talk to newbusiness people. The facilitator and someCouncil employees spend a lot of timeinvestigating possible business opportunitiesthat could be attracted to the area. Localbusiness people have also developed theattitude of keeping an ear and eye open fornew businesses '.
Finally the following quotes capture the essenceof the Donald story -
'The case study of the Donald DevelopmentCommittee is a great example of what can beachieved when an active community group,together with a progressive, forwardthinking local Council, combines tostimulate and initiate community self helpprojects. In this case, there have been keypeople who are in both groups and hencehave been able to use their positions andinfluence to get projects underway' (GregCahill, Social Researcher).
,'We find it all very exciting - it gives you somany stories to write. You can feel in this
town the excitement and interest. People aresuddenly coming up with suggestions, left,right and centre' (Robin Letts, Editor, TheBuloke Times).
'The survival of our town is due to thepeople with their motto - "Never Say Die".They are progressive, forward thinkers whonever let an opportunity pass. Theirinitiative, positive attitude and unitedcommunity spirit have been an excellentfoundation to build the survival and successofthis small rural township' (GraemeHarris).
For further information contact:
Kerry Vogel,ChairpersonDonald 2000
Phone (03) 5497 1821
Graeme Harris,Manager
Business & Community DevelopmentShire of Buloke
Phone (03) 5497 1300
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H. Gulargambone,New South Wales
Gulargambone is a small rural village(town population 500, district population1,000) within the Shire of Coonamble,central west, New South Wales. It is located115 kms north of Dubbo on the CastlereaghHighway, midway between Gilgandra andCoonamble, in the western foothills of theWarrumbungle Mountains.
Through to the 1960s, Gulargambone was athriving rural service community with a fullcomplement of businesses and recreationalservices, including two banks, three generalstores, a baker, two butchers and two stockagents. Like many small communities, thecontraction of services began slowly in the1970s, but by the late 1990s the speed of changeaccelerated greatly, and the community was leftwithout a bank, accountant, doctor, chemist andeven a newsagent.
_ Most recently, a series of events created 'crunchtime' for the community, namely:
announcement of the intended closure of the
last financial institution in the town;
the future of the post office became
doubtful;
financial failure of the local stock andstation agency with significant financial lossfor local investors;
announcement by the State Government ofthe downgrading of the local hospital to aprimary care station and the closure of longterm stay bed arrangements.
These events acted as the catalyst that broughtpeople together to plan and act for a positivefuture. Gulargambone residents decided tobecome architects of their own destiny.
For a number of years, Gulargambone hadoperated a local Development Committee whichhad instigated a series of small achievements.The seed for significant action occurred in
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September 1999, when the owner of the localcafe heard on a radio talk back show about anew federal government initiative - the RuralTransaction Centre (RTC) programme - andpassed on this information to the DevelopmentCommittee. They recruited others and the newaction group quickly discovered that theprogramme represented an invaluable lifeline -the mechanism to reclaim the services they as acommunity had lost.
By February 2000, a community meeting of 320people endorsed unanimously the developmentalwork of the committee to proceed with anapplication to create the Gulargambone RuralTransaction Centre.
The RTC program initially provided $10,000 forthe preparation of a business plan, and then$200,000 to support the creation of a communityowned business. The Gulargambone RTCopened in May 2000 and currently operates:
a licenced post office,
a Reliance Credit Union,
a Centrelink agency,
a Medicare Easyclaim,
a gift shop/postshop,
an internet centre (with four terminals),
a signpost for ATO BAS,
a giropost facility,
a fax and photocopying service,
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a courier service to Coonamble for
drycleaning, lotto, RTA, prescriptions and
photographic processing.
The Gulargambone community embraced theRTC as illustrated by the establishment of 185local banking accounts within four months andextensive local usage of its range of services.Gulargambone also achieved national fame bybeing the first town to establish a communityowned Post Office.
This rapid service transformation processachieved in Gulargambone, and its impact on thecommunity, is well summarised by four keyplayers:
'An opportunity was given by a government,embraced by an individual, adopted by acommittee and supported by a community'(Sandra Kelly, Secretary, GulargamboneRTC Committee);
'In my lifetime, RTC is the best initiative Ihave ever seen for small towns. For a longtime Gulargambone was on a slide andfeeling hopeless. RTC provided us with alifeline. it provided a mechanism andresources for us to make things happen'(John Giblin, Chair, Gulargambone RTCCommittee);
The Gulargambone community wasstruggling, but has a great fighting spirit.They got behind this RTC idea, and havereally embraced it' (Kellie Shiels, Manager,Gulargambone RTC);
The RTC initiative was a huge visualsuccess, which created new services, jobs,confidence and above all restated the beliefthat Gulargambone was a great place andworth fighting for' (Ken Graham, RTCCommittee Member and local shireCouncillor).
The creation of the Gulargambone RTC was justthe start for a range of other significantcommunity building initiatives in year 2000,including:
formation of Gulargambone Health ServicesCommittee in response to State Governmentannouncements about hospital closure.Their efforts over eight months not onlysaved the hospital, but led to a governmentannouncement of a major local health
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service expansion through the creation of amultipurpose facility with additional beds;
a 'support local businesses' strategy throughthe Business of the Month initiative and theintroduction of a 'Gulargambone Dollars'shop local campaign;
a 'Gulargambone in Focus' activityinvolving local residents identifying the'best', 'unique', and most 'challenging'features of the community;
the securing of $35,000 from Networkingthe Nation to establish an internet room atthe RTC;
the planning by the Gulargambone Day CareSub Committee for the creation of a day carefacility to be possibly located in the old postoffice residence;
the establishment of the 'GulargamboneFlying Ahead' project aiming at makingGulargambone a greater place to live andwork. Already funding from the New SouthWales Department of State and RegionalDevelopment has been secured to helpundertake a community strategic planningprocess;
the establishment of the Gulargambone 2001Easter Reunion Committee which hassecured $10,000 in funding from the NewSouth Wales Department of State andRegional Development for eventcoordination and the theming of the town;
instigation of the Christmas Lights project,hopeful of making Gulargambone the'Brightest Little Town in Australia'.
Locals and outside supporters have identified thefollowing factors critical in 'making thingshappen' in Gulargambone:
Passionate leadership. This ingredient iswell summarised by Sandra Kelly - 'findpassionate people to form the committee.You will need passionate professionals,passionate tradesmen, passionate retirees,passionate sportsmen, passionate youngmums, passionate farmers etc. As long astheir first name is spelt P.A.S.S.I.O.N. countthem in! !' (Kelly 2000:6). The RTCplanning exercise also enabled the infusionof new leaders, each of whom brought intheir specific networks.
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Sense of pride of place. Locals are proudof being from Gulargambone. Again thewords of Sandra Kelly - 'I am here becauseI choose to be, I believe in Gulargambone,its people and its place in the world. I ampart of the new generation that believe thatGulargambone hasn't had its heyday, itshaving one. As a mother of 4, and a partnerin a mixed farming business, my involvementin this project comes straight from my heartand I believe that is the essential ingredientin community development. Everyone of usstriving to make our home town a betterplace to live, must have that PASSION to besuccessful. We must believe in ourselvesand our communities, follow our dreams andshare our ideas. I believe in Gulargambone,and feel comfortable singing its praisesnationwide', (Kelly, 2000:2).
That sense of pride is also reflected in thewillingness of local people to invest in theircommunity. The RTC has attractedwidespread community support in terms ofbank deposits and service use. Several localfamilies have shown long term commitmentto the community by investing in localinfrastructure and new business initiativesincluding a café, concrete batching plant andEnglish language school.
Community ownership. That 'deep senseof community ownership' are the words ofLen Dowling (Director, Rural TransactionCentres, Federal Department of Transportand Regional Services) to summarise hisassessment of Gulargambone's success.That ownership is reflected in the high levelsof active community participation whetherin public meetings (350 at February 2000meeting), bank account membership andaction group membership. The communityownership in Gulargambone is enhanced bythe strong operational belief that whenmaking decisions, as many people aspossible need to be consulted andconsidered. The RTC is a communityenterprise with all district residents beingdefined as shareholders and any profitsdirected to community needs by majorityvote.
Broad based community involvement.Community meetings and action groupmembership has reflected the wide spectrumof the community. Participation by the localAboriginal community is a model for other
55
communities. Aboriginal participation onboth the RTC and Health ServicesCommittee has been very active andsignificant, eg, when local Aboriginal peoplestated they wanted Aboriginal health fundsto go into the new community multipurposehealth facility instead of a separate healthinitiative, there was a significant change ingovernment attitude toward Gulargambone.
Opportunism. 'Opportunities often don'tcome twice' and 'it won't just happen, wehave to make it happen' are popular phrasesin Gulargambone. Community memberssaw the unique funding opportunity of theRTC program, and within a remarkablyshort period were personally presenting theirapplication to politicians and bureaucrats inCanberra.
Use of the media. The media has played akey role in raising the profile ofGulargambone and its achievements, bothwithin and outside the community. Mediacontacts have been cultivated, and a regularpress release fax stream created. Nationaland international exposure through severaltelevision programs and print media havebeen invaluable both in terms of maintainingcommunity pride and outside awareness.
Use of outside technical and fundingresources. RTC funding support hasencouraged the community to utilise otherfunding sources, eg, recent approval of$16,000 from the New South WalesGovernment Townlife Developmentprogram for special event coordination and astrategic planning exercise.
Support from local member ofparliament. Local member and DeputyPrime Minister, John Anderson, has taken astrong personal interest in Gulargambone,and he and his electorate staff have activelyparticipated in, and supported a variety ofproject developments. In the words of KenGraham, local Councillor 'the political andpractical support of our local member hasbeen vital to our successes. JohnAnderson's contribution is simply brilliant'.
Supportive local government. TheCoonamble Shire Council endorsed andassisted with the original application,provided bridging finance for the deposit topurchase the post office and depositedcouncil funds within the new bank. The
6 0
active participation of the Mayor,Councillors and technical staff has beeninvaluable.
Professionalism. Gulargambone has beendetermined to ensure the highestprofessional standards in terms of customerservice, staffing and image in all theirbusiness dealings. This has obviouslycontributed to the continuing high levels ofboth local and outside support. Desire bycommittee members for continuingmanagement training and support alsoreflects an awareness of the immensity ofthe task and uncertainty that still lies ahead,and the need for their own personal andcollective professional growth and support.
Fun and positiveness. Communityleadership recognises the importance ofensuring enjoyment, fun, celebration and afocus on the positive are regular ingredientsto counter burnout, staleness and that everpresent rural capacity for cynicism andnegativity.
Finally, some comments from Gulargambonelocals:
'Revival is about partnership betweenindividuals, communities and government.As a community we should actively searchfor, encourage and support individuals whocan work as a team for the benefit of thecommunity as a whole' (Sandra Kelly);
'At the end of the year, we should reflect onhow things were in the beginning. We wereall a bit sceptical about what the future heldfor the delivery of essential services in our
little town. At this time it is very importantto recognise that services and businessescan stabilise and indeed improve if we allwork together, support each other, thinklaterally, and concentrate on our strengthsas a community. We should all be veryproud' (Gulargambone RTC Committee,Christmas Newsletter, 2000).
'It is all about convincing locals that wehave a future - then Gulargambone will havea future' (Ken Graham)
Perhaps in conclusion the famous GeorgeBernard Shaw quote displayed in the localKitchen Fare Café/Restaurant espouses the spiritof the community - 'You see things and you saywhy? But I dream things that never were: and Isay 'why not?'
narrow is a picturesque small town located on thebanks of the Glenelg River within the Shire of WestWimmera, northwest Victoria. Harrow has thedistinction of being the oldest inland town in the stateof Victoria. Once a thriving settlement with twohotels, three general stores, shoemaker, flourmills,Chinese market gardens and a brickworks, todayHarrow is home to only 90 residents.
The rural recessions during the last two decades wereparticularly hard on this community and led to outmigration of people and businesses, leaving Harrowsmall and isolated.
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In 1996, when the pastoral nun became the latestservice to leave the town, the community startedto think 'outside the box' in terms of initiativesto bring outside dollars into the community. Ledby the young and dynamic publican of the localHermitage Hotel, Angela Newton, the town hasbuilt upon their unique history and heritagestreetscape, and created a unique weekly specialevent - the Harrow Sound and Light Show. Thetownsite of Harrow becomes the backdrop for amagnificent show, and sees up to 100 visitorseach week. This event is the result of 50 localresident volunteers. The impact economicallyand in terms of enhanced community pride andconfidence has been phenomenal.
Eve Lamb, correspondent with The Standardnewspaper (19.08.2000) has captured the impactwell - 'Something profound is happening in thesleepy river red gum hollow Harrow and it's gotthose further south sitting up and taking notice.At the historic Hermitage Hotel established in1846 in the little western Victorian town, aclever plot has set tongues wagging and walletsflapping, quietly producing a local economicrevolution.
It's a plot that has taken a swag of locals, kiltedthem out in the garb of the colourful characterswho peopled Harrow way back and let themloose to live it up with a gaggle of happy visitorscreating one big party.
It's a party that has been happening everySaturday night now for the past four years - and
57
Friday nights as well during October toDecember.It's Harrow's nocturnal Sound and Light Showand it has been an indisputable success whichappears to have significantly affected the tinytown's economic prospects for the better.'
In the words of Angela Newton, - 'Harrow wasdown to being a two keg a week place, andstruggling ... it needed an outside income ... welooked within and identified our assets - locationto other tourism product, its history as the oldestinland town in Victoria, and a cemetery full ofgreat stories. With these assets we have scripteda story based on the town's heritage andfolklore, and the rest is definitely history ..' .
That was four years ago, and the initiative hasgone from strength to strength. The Sound andLight Show is a community owned venture (TheHarrow Promotion and Development Group)with all proceeds going directly back to thebusinesses and organisations within the town.Over the last 12 months, ticket sales alone haveexceeded $200,000, let alone the outsideexpenditure that is being spent onaccommodation, food and local tourismproducts.
Each show evening involves on average 100visitors in summer and 70 in winter. Theyarrive at the town's Hermitage Hotel around7.30pm. During a hearty 19th century styledinner in a fabulous setting, visitors begin toencounter yesteryear's resident bushrangers,
6 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE
explorers, doctor, wenches and undertaker whocome alive again as up to 60 locals assume thepersona and custom of their favourite historiccharacters. In the words of Angela Newton -'We plucked the characters out of the graveyard.It's very liberating - if you can imagine the sortof stuff we can get away with because you areanother character. We have so much fun withthe audience that it's embarrassing' (Lamb,2000:4). The show is a clever mix of comedy,mayhem, mystery and fun that not onlyentertains, but educates the thousands of visitorseach year about Harrow.
The show is a 'theatre on the move'. Followingthe meal guests are ushered through a variety ofmuseum and tourist attractions in the mainstreet, before boarding a coach for a sound andlight experience through the darkened streets andinto Harrow's historic past. Simply using carbatteries and fires, the most humble heritageassets come alive. After a variety of audienceparticipating street experiences, the show endsback in the hotel with a funeral, wake, singingand dancing. The quality of the evening'sentertainment, and its inspiration to other smallcommunities was evaluated well by a group ofWestern Australian participants on a Victoriansmall towns study tour, who ranked it as the bestinitiative they had viewed in a week of projectsite visits.
New business outcomes include a full timetraditional blacksmith, two new bed andbreakfast operations, new pizza and pastaweekend business, and marked increases in theoccupation rates at the camping ground.Employment growth includes a new apprenticeat the garage and a significant rise in casualemployment opportunities.
Social outcomes include the enhanced pride, selfesteem and confidence of local people, as well asthe renewed mateship and sense of communitythat has emerged. Young people in particular,now find the community much more interesting,and it has allowed their active participation.Older members of the show cast report a markedimprovement in their quality of life, while manyfamilies attest to the positive impact of the showby allowing them to play together. Harrow istruly a party town on weekends. The cast havelearnt new skills in communication,organisation, presentation, marketing and publicrelations. Currently, the Harrow Promotion and
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Development Group are working with both localand State governments to develop stage two ofthe town's rebirth, namely an 'AboriginalCricketing Interpretative Centre'. This $400,000initiative is based on the life of Johnny Mullagh,the famous Aboriginal cricketer who touredEngland in 1868 with the first internationalAustralian cricket team, and who came fromHarrow. He played professional cricket with theMelbourne Cricket Club, and how lies buriedwith his bat and stumps in the Harrow Cemetery.
Locals identify the following factors ascontributing to the creation of their success:
Economic necessity. The town was hurtingeconomically, and Angela Newton statessimply that the motivating factor behind theconcept was very simple -'poverty - webadly needed an outside cashflow and theeconomic benefit has been phenomenal'.
Importance of success. The enthusiasm ofvisitors, the economic impact on localbusinesses and new business start ups haveall combined to give local people a sense ofconfidence in their ability to make adifference.
The fun ingredient. Besides the tangibleeconomic returns, the show is sustained bythe enthusiasm of local people. To maintainover 50% active resident participation over 4years is outstanding. It is explained in thewords of the local garage operator, BernieKelly - 'some people ask how do you keepall of the volunteers interested, and I tellthem i f you look at them you notice they arehaving more fun than the visitors' (Lamb,2000:5).
Asset led development. The initiativespursued by local people are firmly based onthe simplicity of the asset base of the town -heritage streetscape, historic folklore,famous sons and daughters, nearby tourismattractions, (eg, Coonawarra Vineyards,Grampians, Great Ocean Road) and the factthat 150,000 people live within two hoursdrive.
Outside technical assistance. The HarrowLight and Sound show is very much aproduct of the vivid imagination anddetermination of local people. The onlytangible outside assistance was via a$20,000 grant from Business Victoria todevelop a business plan. In the words of
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Angela Newton - 'the plan showed us wherewe are, where we can go and how we canget there. The ideas for the future are downon paper and not just in one or two people'sheads. It has given Harrow people theconfidence to further develop their ideas'.
The impact and achievements of the HarrowLight and Sound Show upon the town of Harroware captured well by the following quotes.
'It certainly is quite humbling at times to seewhat a small community can do for itselfwhen the going gets tough... Harrow hasbecome a benchmark for rural development.It has been a really great lesson for othercommunities. If a town like Harrow with apopulation of just 90 can do this, anyone cando anything. I'm not saying other townsshould have a sound and light show, butevery town has its unique assets todevelop... I am a firm believer that people inthe bush today must shake off this 'victimattitude' that they so fondly hide behind.There is very little that guts and hard workcan't accomplish. It is time for smallcommunities to realise that their destiny andthat of their children lies within themselves.Instead of dwelling on what can't be donetake a look at what must be done, and stoplooking towards local and State Governmentto come to the rescue' (Angela Newton,publican, Hermitage Hotel, Harrow);
'This pro active group have clearly shownwhat a small band of people can achieve ina small community such as Harrow, theyhave led by example, and their success canbe measured by the results they haveachieved over the past few years. As apromotional group they are playing a majorrole in the development of tourism in theNorth West Grampians Region, and wecongratulate them on their achievementsand thank them for their contribution to thisregion. If all communities in this region had
the same dedication and ambition that hasbeen shown by the Harrow Promotion andDevelopment Group, and achieved the sameresults, we would undoubtedly have theleading tourism region in Australia'(Dennis Witmitz, Executive Officer,Horsham and District CommerceAssociation);
'I am 15 years old and a very proudvolunteer of the "Harrow By Night SightAnd Sound Show". I have been a volunteersince I was 12. The show has given me theconfidence to face an audience of people, topublic speak and the ability to mix with avariety of people and cultures. I have alsolearnt a lot about the history of my town andthe type of people who existed in the 1800s.The cast of the light and sound show have avery strong bond We all support each otherin our character roles as well as in ourpersonal lives. The "Harrow By NightSound And Light Show" has bought thepeople of Harrow together and to show thatHarrow does exist and what a great town itis' (Alicia Zwar, local young person);
'It has bought us together as a community.I'm still here, I wouldn't be otherwise. It'smade the difference between staying andgoing. The whole town was going downhillotherwise'. (Bernie Kelly, local car museumoperator).
For further information contact:
Angela NewtonCoordinator
Harrow Promotion and Development GroupPhone: 03 5588 1208
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J. Hyden,Western Australia
Ilyden is located within the Shire ofKondinin, approximately 320 kms east ofPerth. It is the location of the internationaltourist icon called Wave Rock. Hyden ishome to 400 ratepayers and a community ofinterest of 800 people, who through a rangeof innovative actions are determined to makeits town entrance sign ring true - 'Bush Living at Its Best'.
Two national correspondents summarise well thestate and spirit of Hyden. Asa Wahlquist(1999a) Australian Newspaper writer stated -'out near the rabbit prooffence is the smallwheatbelt town of Hyden, .... the bank opens oneday a week, there is no full time police service,nor a high school. It is the sort of town thatdemographers expect to die. The locals haveother ideas'. Jane Sandilands (1997:5) authorfor the National Community Link Magazine hasmade this statement - 'Today, Hyden describesitself as 'thriving', with 99 per cent of its adultpopulation employed largely by privately ownedsmall businesses. It has three football teams,two netball teams and a tennis club with amembership of 120. It has facilities that are theenvy of much larger towns, a 60 bed motel andconvention centre, a communications hub in itsTelecentre, and the prospect of an airfield toland 737 aircraft. Almost all the people ofHyden are involved in one or more volunteerorganisations or activities.'
At the recent national Regional AustraliaSummit, Hyden was the only town case studyinvited to present. For the last three years,Hyden has been recognised for its achievementsas a community by being a finalist in WesternAustralia's 'Most Enterprising RuralCommunity Award' (Progress Rural WA).President of their Progress Association, JaneMouritz, was recognised in 2000 as the WesternAustralian Royal AgriculturalSociety/Countryman Rural Achiever of the Yearfor her leadership in Hyden's revitalisation.Hyden is probably the most talked about smalltown in Australia.
The vision statement of Hyden captures theattitude and spirit behind their success - 'to
nurture local leadership, teamwork, positivevision and initiative to improve communityresources and facilities for all communityresidents, and, to work cooperatively withdetermination and hard work to ensure thatexisting and new rural based businesses, tourismand agriculture are modern and productive, andwill have a thriving and sustainable long termfuture within Hyden's vibrant and forwardlooking community' .
The following examples of initiatives of theHyden community over the last four years areillustrative of the 'can do' spirit of thecommunity:
Publication of both weekly and monthlynewsletters as free information resources tokeep their community fully informed.
Creation of 'Help Hyden Prosper' campaignto encourage local support for the 46 smallbusinesses in Hyden to cope with theworsening local credit squeeze and thenegative effects of GST.
Formation of the Hyden BusinessDevelopment Company involving 23shareholders who have invested $10,000each to establish new business andemployment opportunities - currently theyhave built two commercial premises and ahouse and have supported an autoelectrician, a plumber, a metal fabricator andtheir families to establish themselves inHyden; the group has also accessed threephase power for Hyden's light industrialarea and are now extending the metalfabricator's premises and supporting thebusiness manager in his deal with aCanadian tillage machinery company tomake Hyden the national assembly and
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distribution base for imported equipment.
Construction of the Hyden Resource andTelecentre comprising a school library, townlibrary, telecentre, community art room,newspaper offices and public meetingrooms. Recently the building was doubledin size.
Establishment of a local beef producersmarketing cooperative under the banner ofWave Rock Prime Beef - a quality driveninitiative aimed at making Hyden the 'BeefCapital of the Wheatbelt' and maintainingtop prices.
Construction of an innovative 'bush'shopping centre. This is a $600,000 localinvestment initiative which has created 6new speciality shops, a post office and twobank premises.
Progress towards the creation of a HydenCommunity Bank funded by localshareholders.
Erection of the Hyden Progress YoungSingles accommodation - 10 modern rentalunits targeting young people and theirspecific needs.
Construction of a retirement village, andprogress towards the establishment of asenior's recreation centre.
Employment of a Community ResourceCoordinator to encourage and support bothyoung people and senior citizens toparticipate more fully within the community.
Expansion of local tourism infrastructurewith the construction of a lake side resortand a regional airport facility.
The ingredients identified by locals to accountfor the vibrance of Hyden include the following:
Existence of an appropriate developmentvehicle. The Hyden Progress Associationsince 1947 has provided leadership for bothcommunity and economic development, andis described by its current President as anorganisation 'driven by the community, forthe community' . It and the Hyden SportsCouncil have long been viewed ascommunity management forums, meetingregularly and encouraging local discussionon all issues affecting Hyden's communityand its future.
Organisation of regular communityplanning and dialogue events. Since 1992,
these interactive sessions have givencommunity members an opportunity to shareand prioritise future action. Initiatives suchas the young singles accommodation, HydenResource and Telecentre, Hyden BushBakehouse and the Hyden BusinessDevelopment Company are examples ofprojects first raised as a community planninginitiative. Also as community controversyhas arisen (eg, conflicts over recentshopping centre development and location ofyouth centre), the Progress Association hasshown leadership by convening communitymeetings to resolve the differences.Similarly, the Progress Association hasorganised events like the recent Hyden HairRaiser that enabled 86 local people to sharein a weekend of fun, communication,negotiation, leadership, adventure activities,problem solving and team building. In thewords of Jane Mouritz 'the weekend aimedat nurturing community spirit and alsorewarded the many local volunteers whowork so hard and so often for Hyden andsurrounding towns' .
Utilisation of local advantages. Therecognition by local farmers in the 1960s ofthe uniqueness and attractive capacity ofWave Rock, led to the development of oneof the state's tourism icons. Its tourismappeal is a result of locals recognising itsvalue and investing in the infrastructurenecessary to become a national andinternational destination.
Willingness to invest in local initiatives.So much has been achieved locally becausecommunity members have been prepared tocommit their own financial resources. In themid 1960s, the tourism industry (now amulti million dollar industry employing over60 people) was established by a group oflocal farmers willing to invest indiversification via tourism by contributingseventy pounds each. The HydenDevelopment Company was made possibleby a $10,000 contribution by each of 23local farmers, and the new $600,000shopping centre and the lakeside resort arebeing funded by local investors.
Smart use of outside resources. Hyden hasdeveloped a reputation for being fully awareof possible outside resources - financial andtechnical. Examples include their creativeuse of the Rural Community program (for
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Community Resource Officer), the SmallTown Economic Program (for communityplanning and establishment of the HydenBusiness Development Company) and theMinistry of Housing (young singlesaccommodation). The recent $150,000extension to their Telecentre was a result offunding from the Lotteries COmmission,Shire of Kondinin and Agriculture WA. Inparticular, their linkage to the technical andfunding support of the State Department ofCommerce and Trade has been invaluable inboth identifying and developingopportunities.
Strong support for local businesses. 'HelpHyden Prosper' campaign is typical of thefocus placed on supporting existingbusinesses, and facilitating new businesslife. In the 18 months to July 1998, recordsshow that Hyden established 13 newbusinesses and saw 17 existing businessesexpand.
Warm welcome to newcomers. Thefriendliness of this community to newresidents and businesses is reflected in such'initiatives as new resident 'welcomebaskets', celebration dinners for newresidents and provision of certificates ofappreciation to all new businesses.
Focus on young people. Hyden hasconsistently sought to create a 'youthful'community by focussing on the issues thatwill attract and retain young people -employment, recreation, participation andhousing have all been priorities. This isreflected in recent initiatives like theconstruction of the Youth Centre,employment of a Community ResourceOfficer, organisation of an annualcelebratory event for rural youth called'Hyden's Harvest Bash', creation of qualitysporting facilities, maintenance of a youthfriendly hotel and the focus on youthemployment initiatives. Approximately onethird of all new businesses establishedduring 1998-1999 are operated by youngpeople, under 30 years old. Theirdetermination to maintain connection withtheir young people who depart thecommunity for secondary and tertiaryeducation is reflected in a variety ofinitiatives, including the automatic weeklyemailing of their newspapers to everystudent studying away.
Finally, the renowned Hyden 'energy andattitude' is acknowledged as vital inkeeping this small rural community movingforwards, utilising team work andresourcefulness to make things happendespite difficult economic times. Hydenpeople are interested in progress and themaintenance of a high quality of life, andrealise that as a community they need to becontinually opportunist in providing thesocial and economic environment requiredto keep people living and working inwheatbelt Western Australia.
The spirit of Hyden is captured by the followingquotes:
'There 's a saying that has kept the HydenProgress Association going for at least 50years - f you do nothing, nothing willhappen. If you do something, somethingmight happen': (Jane Sandilands, 1997:6)
'It's what you do for nothing that makes thedifference' (Sheenagh Collins, Wave RockHotel/Motel)
'Always momentum - things are happeningall the time. It's what makes it so exciting tolive here' (Marie Di Russo, ChairpersonTelecentre)
'We will not compromise because we liveout on the rabbit prooffence' (SheenaghCollins, developer, local shopping centre)
We celebrate regularly - we always have abottle of champagne ready to pop' (JaneMouritz, President, Hyden ProgressAssociation)
'Hyden is a classic example of a ruralcommunity that has grabbed an opportunityand used it to the hilt'. (Harry Butler,Environmentalist)
Hyden views itself as a 'Self Help Town' whosepeople and enterprises continue to lobby, tochallenge and introduce new energy and ideasinto the social, community, business andeconomic infrastructure. Locally it is referred toas 'opportunity readiness!
The community of Ku lin is located 283kms east of Perth.
The Shire of Ku lin, covering nearlyeight thousand kilometres, has a totalpopulation of 1,100 with 300 beingresident within the townsite of Ku lin.
Greg Had low, CEO Ku lin Council (left) andGraeme Robertson, Chair,
Community Bank celebrate the opening of the town's own bank.
The transformation they have seen in theircommunity has been captured by Peacock,(1998:41) - 'Five years ago, Ku lin was a town introuble. Like many others, the small communityin the south eastern Wheatbelt was feeling therecessionary squeeze. Combined with lowcommodity prices and the withdrawal of servicesto regional centres, it was make or break timefor Kulin folk They decided to make it, and inthe process have transformed their town from anondescript dot on the map to the home of theKulin Bush Races'. The transformation and theirnew found confidence and pride is epitomisedwell in their chosen logo - 'The Capital of theWheatbelt'.
In 1994, concerned by the ebb and flow ofbusinesses and population in their community, aFutures Workshop was held with the theme -'Where is Kulin Going? Don't put your futurein the hands of others - take control of your owndestiny!'. Facilitated and organised by the Shireof Kulin, Eastern Districts Business EnterpriseCentre, Wheatbelt Development Commissionand the I.D.E.A.S. group, the event attractedfifty residents. The event focused on their visionfor Kulin, and actions to achieve that vision. Itsimply had participants examine four keyquestions:
- Who are we?
- What have we got?
- What do we want?
- How do we get it?
The overall conclusion by participants at theevent was the need to raise the profile of Kulinwith the twin aims of attracting more people tothe community as settlers and visitors, andgiving local people a renewed sense ofownership and pride in their community. Theevent was highly successful, and resulted in aseries of prioritised areas for action.
It also motivated local people to becomeinvolved in implementing specific initiatives. Aseries of subgroups with convenors wasestablished, and an umbrella group - TheCultivating Kulin Committee - was created.
The community has established the followingvision statement - 'To sustain and improve thelocal community through positive opportunitiesfor business and quality of life. The communitymust lead activities, which will develop andincrease the profile of Kuhn and attract peopleto the district. The community must embraceinitiatives to preserve existing businesses andservices in the district. The community mustremain proactive and consider all new ideas andinitiatives'.
Achievements since that Conununity Futuresevent six years ago have been many andcontinuous:
Formation of The Kulin Cultivatornewspaper as an effective means of intracommunity communication.Design of initiatives to enhance the identityof Kulin, including Captain Kulin as a
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community mascot - a life like grain ofwheat promoting Ku lin. Captain Ku lin andthe 'Capital of the Wheatbelt' captions nowappear in entrance signs, brochures, numberplates, clothing etc.'
Introduction of the Kulin Bush Race event in1995 as their major event attraction. Thishas grown from strength to strength both interms of visitor numbers, and the relatedevents and attractions within the community.The event is now an icon event, and WesternAustralia's version of the Birdsville Races.Kulin Bush Races is now a weekend eventinvolving gymkhana, art and craft show,food hall, wine bar, kids activity tent, sheep,camel and dog racing, two up, cow pat lotto,MacDonald's Farm, and the Great AussieRevival Breakfast. The event has been afinalist in the Western Australia TourismAwards for the past four years andrepresents the only Accredited TourismEvent in Western Australia.
Creation of the Tin Horse Highway -farmers and townspeople have designed tinhorses to adorn the entrances to Kulin andparticularly the road to the Kulin BushRaces. Their vision is to develop the Tin
. Horse Highway as an alternative route to thetourist icon, Wave Rock.
Implementation of a town beautificationstrategy which has seen considerable mainstreet improvements including new publicamenities and a flow on effect to shopfrontand private garden improvements.
Instigation of an accommodation strategywhich has seen the building of new housesand retirement units as a means of retainingretiring locals, attracting back ex-residentsand enticing new residents. Theintroduction of a $20 per town block schemehas seen the attraction of 38 new residents infour years. The introduction of singles andbackpacker accommodation at the caravanpark has increased accommodation options.
The opening of the Kulin Community Bank- following the closure of the last bank inKulin in 1998, residents pledged funds toenable West Australia's first communitybank to be formed in October 1999. Thebank establishment is typical of how projectshappen in Kulin - in a hectic 15 week periodfollowing the decision to own and operatetheir own bank, an interim Board of
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Directors received the required communitypledges for $270,000, hired staff, leasedpremises and issued a prospectus!.
The establishment of a Multi Purpose HealthService incorporating the first tele healthunit in the state.
The adoption of business developmentprograms like Business Retention andExpansion and Aussie Host to enhance localbusiness performance. Kulin has pioneeredsuch initiatives in wheatbelt WesternAustralia.
Operation of a fundraising initiative to
purchase a community bus.
Establishment of a Telecentre and library
through conversion of the Community
Centre.
Development of a new recreation centre.
Establishment of a personalised advertisingcampaign to encourage parents to send theirstudents to the local high school.
Focus on enhancing options for local youngpeople through the purchase of a water slide(identified by young people as their toppriority), expansion of local schoolcurriculum to incorporate more additionalYear 11 and 12 subjects, introduction ofopportunities for leadership experiences andthe creation of the Kulin Kids Klub.
Appointment of a Community InformationOfficer to establish guidelines and plans ondevelopment opportunities in Kulin and theregion, and ensure that residents are awareof services available.
The above achievements during the last six yearshave certainly created a most positive legacy forKulin, including:
stabilisation of the town's populationa proactive self help tradition
strong support for local businesses
enhanced state and national profile
greater community pride and confidence
increased numbers of visitors and visitorexpenditure
improved levels of community participationand access to decision making
local control of banking facilities
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generation of considerable financialresources
full range of health and community services
The ingredients identified by locals that havemade this transformation possible include:
A sense of necessity. The Kuhn communityrecognised that it could not sit back andhope circumstances would improve. Theyrecognised the need to be proactive. Theyalso recognised that they were not agovernment service centre, so they needed tobe creative in terms of employment andbusiness development.
A facilitative local government. KuhnCouncil has provided the necessaryleadership and a willingness to take risksboth at councillor and staff levels.
Presence of local leadership and acommitment to leadership renewal. Kulinhas been fortunate in having an evergrowing number of people willing tobecome involved with communityresponsibility. As a town they haveregularly committed themselves toleadership development events andopportunities.
Community pride and excitement. Kulinresidents feel a strong sense of pride aboutKulin's past and contemporaryachievements. The Kulin Bush Race eventand the 'Tin Horse Highway' are keysources of pride, and excitement. Theexcitement is a strong sense of motivationfor people wanting to be part of what ishappening. The significant donations fromlocals (eg, the donation from the FreebairreEstate and its $1 million legacy) is alsoillustrative of the willingness of locals togive back to their community and theenhancement of community facilities.
Commitment to planning processes. Kulinhas become committed to the planningprocess. Community planning events, sportand recreation needs study and the recentfive year plan by the Council areillustrations of this commitment to process.
Inclusive community experiences. Levelsof social capital are strong in Kulin. This isillustrated in numerous ways. Firstly, there isa stiong bond between 'townies' and farmersabout their common future, and the need for
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a strong town service centre (not necessarilythe norm in rural Australia). Secondly thereis a strong commitment to partnership,especially between local council and thecommunity. Finally, the high levels ofvolunteer involvement enable thefunctioning of initiatives like The KulinCultivator and the Kulin Bush Races. Thehigh levels of participation are partlyexplained by the sense of excitement andachievement created through the success oftheir numerous initiatives.
Willingness to invest local resources. Thecreation of Western Australia's firstcommunity bank was made possible simplybecause of the money and time contributionthat locals were prepared to give. A strong'self help' spirit permeates the community.
Commitment to local businessdevelopment. Kulin has recognised theneed to retain and strengthen their localbusiness community. The creation of aCommunity Bank was partly motivated bytheir recognition that without a local bankingfacility, there would be considerable leakageof local dollars to the new banking town. Akey driving force behind the Kulin BushRace event is the knowledge of theeconomic spin off it provides to localbusiness. Commitment to participation inprograms like Aussie Host and BusinessRetention and Expansion are furtherexamples of the focus on the need to retainand grow local business.
The spirit of Kulin and its level of achievementare best summarised by the words of localpeople:
'Besides my family and farm, Kulin is themost important thing in my life, and there isa lot of Kuhn people with the same feeling.Our aim is to get everyone feeling that way,and then we will be unstoppable'. (GraemeRobertson, Chair, Community Bank)
'To not do anything is to go backwards andthat is not an option' (Graeme Robertson,Chair, Community Bank)
'Almost a century later we can still go to theBush Races at Kulin once a year thanks tothe vision, the energy and the contributionsof almost every member of the entirecommunity. If you raise an arm there's ajob for you in what has turned out to be
69
Ku lin 's biggest ever community effort, whichhappened to come along when the shiredesperately needed a lift in morale. Ratherthan welcoming new enterprises theproposal for a trial country race meetingwas the shot in the arm everyone needed.And, with a push here, and a nudge there itfinally came to pass'. (Stan Gervas, Townhistorian, 1999)
To us Kulin is "the capital of thewheatbelt", and we must keep working toimprove our businesses and amenities, firstly
for ourselves, but also to encourage othersto visit us'. (Wendy Gangell, president,Cultivating Kulin Committee)
'Small towns must have a sense of pride.Kulin has and this shows through in times of
hardship and prosperity'. (Greg Hadlow,CEO, Shire of Kuhn)
For further information contact:
Graeme RobertsonChairman, Kulin Bush Races and Kuhn
Mitchell (population 1,200), theprincipal town of the Shire of Booringa,is situated on the Warrego Highway, 560kilometres west of Brisbane. Over thelast two decades, as an agriculturalservice centre in a traditional cattle andsheep district subject to long periods ofdrought, the community has seen thedecline in government services, businesslife and population (especially youngpeople).
Shire of Booringa - population Census figures
1986 1991 1996
Total population 2,297 2,151 1,934
15-19 years old 7.7% 6.7% 4.6%
20-24 years old 8.8% 7.7% 6.9%
25-29 years old 8.7% 8.4% 7.4%
However, the community has developed anational reputation for its revitalisation efforts,as evidenced by its selection as a highlightedcase study during the Regional Australia Summit(October 1999). It has been very creative in itsefforts to diversify its local economy, especiallythough tourism and value adding enterprises, andpromote a more positive future for its young
men and women through a comprehensive youthdevelopment strategy.
The Chief Executive Officer of the BooringaShire Council, Jeff Watson used the followingtwo diagrams at the Regional Australia Summitto capture the challenges faced by thecommunity, and the response required.
I'llAtbdrawalof Services
toms Faced
AlienationDecline in rural I
profitability
Loss of confidence cycle )
lAtk at oppoitude) IAe. PrN,
Loss of pognsladonasp, Young Pavia
(roslon of-Local(colloid( Copodla
...),
[Writs* Witiothroundet 14i, kis
-Rundown-ofkivastrnaat Capital
68
71
Broakin_ o Downward 5,
I Changing Community RttitudesIt""Ark.,
Robuildino community confide co )
(Watson, 2000:1,2)
Important milestones in Mitchell's revitalisationprocess include the following:
1990 - closure of Court House and railwayemployment reductions;
1991 - formation of the Booringa ActionGroup (BAG) as a vehicle for localdevelopment. BAG was one outcome of oneof the first Future Search Workshops inQueensland conducted by Doug Martin ofthe State Department of Business, Industryand Regional Development. The FutureSearch Conference was the first of a numberof such community planning events heldduring the 1990s in Mitchell;
1994 - construction of the Mitchell RSL andCombined Sports Club as a premier sportingfacility;
1995 - employment of Sue Middleton as thefirst full time development officer who gavemomentum to community economicdevelopment;
1996 - the Kenniff Courthouse wasredeveloped as a tourism centre;
1997 - foundation of a CommunityReference Group, and
foundation of the Booringa Shire YouthCouncil;
1998 - employment of Brian Arnold asManager, Entrepreneurial Marketing
69
Services who immediately developed aproactive entrepreneurial approach todevelopment. 1998 also saw furtherinitiatives in tourism with the opening of anextended Caravan Park and Great ArtesianSpa;
1999 - further development of the Spa into aresort concept and a major youthemployment program, and the establishmentof several new enterprises with councilfinancial support;
2000 - launching of another youth enterpriseproject - a river boat cruise.
A number of the key initiatives need elaborating:
Business attraction - ideas for new industryare sourced and researched, and if viable, theManager of Entrepreneurial MarketingServices simply cold calls businesses andexplains the benefits of locating, re-locatingor expanding to Mitchell. Such an approachis being used to attract a business producingproducts from cypress pine waste. Thisbusiness will eventually employ over 30people.
Community economic development - overthe years, idea generation workshops haveled to a number of local success initiatives -the Manager, Entrepreneurial MarketingServices also researches opportunities and
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promotes them to the community.
Tourism development - the community hascontinuously worked on enhancing its rangeof tourism products and appeal especially asthe gateway to the outback. Initiatives haveincluded a tourist information centre in theold Courthouse, art gallery, cinema, museumand library complex; horse drawn wagontours; television marketing campaign; MajorMitchell River Cruises, Fountain of YouthTrek and development of the Major MitchellCaravan Park which entrepreneuriallymarkets itself with two free nightsaccommodation. The biggest attraction intown is the Great Artesian Spa complexwhich consists of a hot water and still waterpool, fitness centre, internet café (the'Health Byte Cafe), massage services, retailstore, beauty therapist and sporting hireservice (bicycles, golf clubs).
The Spa is the largest open air spa inAustralia, and the source of numerousawards over the last year - QueenslandTourist and Travel Corporation, Tidy TownAward for the Best New Tourist Attraction,the Outback Queensland Tourism AuthorityAward for Significant Regional Attractionand a high recommendation in theQueensland Healthy Hearts LocalGovernment Awards.Value adding initiatives. Their Manager,Entrepreneurial Marketing Services has beenresponsible for creating/conjuring ideas forproducts or service that value add to localassets, and help enhance the profile of thetown, eg, Great Artesian Bottled Water(from the water that dripped off thedinosaurs back% Fossil Ale, marketing oflocal arts and crafts on the interne, AustraliaOutback Bush Pig etc.
Booringa Shire Youth Council - the missionstatement of this group summarises itscomprehensive role - `to provide a higherquality of life for young people and topromote a more positive image of youngpeople in the Booringa Shire. In doing so,the Booringa Shire Youth Council willendeavour to provide leadershiP, guidance,positive experiences and opportunities aswell as encouraging greater communityparticipation'.
The achievements emanating from the Mitchellcommunity's efforts are obvious, and well
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summarised by their Council CEO -
'exponential growth in tourism;
marked rise in the community's expectation
of success;
substantial strengthening of the local
business base;
substantial diminishing of the effects of rural
decline on our community'.
(Watson, 2000:4)
Locals would identify the following as importantelements within their revitalisation story -
Wake up call. In 1990, the distressemanating from the closure of theCourthouse, reduction in railwayemployment and loss of power maintenanceworkers was compounded by theQueensland Deputy Premier appearing intown and mouthing the following message -'the sooner you move to the nearby regionalcentre of Roma the better you will be.Within 10 years you will not be here'. In thewords of one local - 'after 30 years of beingkicked and having things taken away, wedecided it was time to fight back and makethings happen ourselves'.
Community planning events and outsidefacilitation. The events of 1990 led directlyto the interest in holding a communityplanning workshop, and the first 'FutureSearch Workshop' in Queensland was heldin Mitchell in 1991. Besides generating arange of ideas, the event also motivatedpeople to take responsibility for their ownfuture and get involved in the town. In thewords of one organiser 'this was the firsttime people thought about what was positiveabout Mitchell'. It also led to the creation ofthe Booringa Action Group. Since 1991there have been a number of communityplanning events. As one local councillor putit - 'we sensed a continuous challenge tocome up with new ideas' . The importanceof having outside skilled facilitators hasbeen identified as vital to encouraging broadbased participation and consensus decisionmaking.
Council leadership and professional staff.Leadership by council in terms of economicdevelopment has been vital. 'Council has a
73
progressive image and have shown they arewilling to take some risks' (Manager,Entrepreneurial Marketing Services).Council have demonstrated theircommitment to the economic revitalisationthrough their regular investment, eg,expended $60,000 on television marketing,$500,000 on developing the Caravan Park,$200,000 equity in the bottled water plant.Also there is strong recognition of theleadership role of Council CEO, JeffWatson, and his local connection - 'having aCEO born and bred in the district helps alot'.
The council has also been prepared to beinnovative in terms of staff appointments.When local initiatives did not take offinitially, there was recognition of the needfor a 'professional pair of arms and legs' andthe Shire of Booringa was one of the firstcouncils to employ an EconomicDevelopment Officer. This move hasreturned over $750,000 in outside fundingalone. The Shire Council has also appointeda Manager of Entrepreneurial Marketing, aclear commitment to the council's proactiveapproach to business development.
Booringa Action Group. This localdevelopment group has played an importantrole. It has given local people an ideageneration forum and local government asounding board for feedback and a means toaccess community based fimding.
Business development focus. Thecommunity has continually engaged ininitiatives that seek to attract, develop andretain local business. The motivation behindtheir tourist initiatives is to hold visitors aslong as possible within the community,recognising that this must be good forexpenditure on local products and services.Their support for Young AchievementAustralia programs at the local school levelemanates from a belief that the 'only way todevelop rural communities like Mitchell isby developing entrepreneurs' (Manager,Entrepreneurial Marketing Services).
Tourism focus. Given Mitchell's location,natural advantages and the growing
popularity of the outback, tourism was anobvious industry sector to develop. Mitchellin fact has become a tourist destination andresort. The spa complex has had a dramaticeffect and certainly has 'put the town on themap' (local business person). The two freenights at the caravan park 'sounds corny, butboy, it has worked - it also has put us on themap. It certainly locks people into the town,and we business people are seeing thepositive effects' (local business person).
Youth focus. The community has been verysupportive of their council's numerousefforts to enhance employment and socialopportunities for young people -appointment of a youth worker,establishment of a youth council, creation of11 trainee positions within councilworkforce... The spa complex has played avital role giving young people a sense ofpride about the quality of their facilities andenabling them to feel there are meaningfulemployment and training options within thetown. The spa also generates 25employment positions.
Finally, some comments by locals on theMitchell process:
'No one was going to make it happen unlesswe wanted it to happen' (Rob Cornish,President, Booringa Action Group);
'We should all realise now, that nogovernment is going to come galloping in ona white charger to save the bush. Hardwork, positive attitudes, sound businessskills, and innovation are the only means bywhich that can be achieved' (Jeff Watson,CEO, Shire of Booringa);
For further information contact:
Jeff Watson, Chief Executive OfficerShire of Booringa
Phone: 07 4623 1133
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7 4
M. Oat lands, Tasmania
Oatlands (population 500) retains thecharacter of a nineteenth century town.Oat lands has the largest collection ofcolonial sandstone buildings in a villagesituation in Australia. Its main streetincludes 87 historic buildings. Located onthe shores of Lake Dulverston, Oat lands dueto its central location between Hobart andLaunceston was once considered as thefuture capital of Tasmania.
Throughout most of the twentieth century,Oatlands was a prosperous rural service centre,and its business community benefited greatlyfrom passing traffic due to its central HighwayOne location. However, the town sufferedsignificant business and population decline dueto the dual impact of rural recession(compounded by devastating drought) and thehighway bypass implemented in 1989.
The community has struggled for the last tenyears, but a strong community commitment to..creating a positive future for their young menand women has helped spawn two initiativeswhich have given the community purpose andconfidence.
Firstly, a vehicle for local action was created in1994, initially called the Southern MidlandsInitiatives for Local Enterprise (SMILE). Itcame into being following a series of regionalhealth forums involving young people whoidentified community priorities in terms oftraining, entertainment and transport. A FutureDirections Conference sponsored by the StateGovernment employment agency helped furtherexplore these community priorities. In thewords of one founding member of the SMILE -'we wanted this town to be able to provide somesort of a future for its youth, and we realisedpretty early on that the only way of doing thatwas to have a viable community' (Fletcher:1997).
In 1998, the name was changed to MidlandsInitiatives for Local Employment (MILE).MILE became an incorporated body, and with anannual grant of $15,000 from the SouthernMidlands Council employed an administrative
72
officer to identify and secure outside funding.MILE from the start never saw itself as thedestination for funds, or owner of projects, butas a facilitating vehicle. MILE's realachievement was to educate the communityabout the potential of outside funding. MILE inits first three years helped facilitate over$320,000 in outside funding which enabled avariety of local initiatives to emerge and develop- including Cullington Mill restoration, thecreation of a clothing bargain centre,construction of local web page, establishment ofan online centre and funding for a suicideprevention program. MILE has attempted to be avehicle for change rather than assumingresponsibility for change.
The initiative that has had the biggest immediateand positive impact on the community (and willprovide the basis for ongoing communityenhancement) is the creation of the CentralTasmanian Community College. Located in theOld School House, this project was initiated inlate 1999 through funding available from theSkill Centre Program and Rural CommunitiesProgram. The college has proved a mostpractical town response to creating the necessaryenvironment required to retain and inspire youngpeople, and giving the community neweducational opportunities. The outcome hasbeen a project that has now attracted nationalinterest in terms of replication.
The driving force behind the new College is thelocal school and its Principal, Keith Wenn, whobelieves that all curriculum must be 'personally,socially and economically significant' InWenn's words - 'I believe we have a role to playin both the future economic viability of the
7 5
student and the society of which that student is amember. Our curriculum then should bereflective of this.' The Oatlands School has beennationally recognised for its curriculum andteaching approaches, and for its contribution inhelping the wider community shape a new ruralfuture. The creation of the College is a naturalextension of this philosophy.
In just 12 months, the Community College,through the energy and commitment of itsCollege Manager, Sally Isles, has instigated thefollowing:
provision of over 160 short coursesincluding a variety of accredited courses thatenable local people to improve theiremployment prospects and/or formalise theirqualifications;
instigation of specific 'Farms in Adversity'courses and support as a response to thelocal devastating drought conditions;
creation of a Rural Industrial Centre whichnow provides training for the largest numberof wool classing students in Tasmania aswell as a wide range of farmer specificlearnings;
coordination of a Health Expo whichattracted a wide range of interactive displaysand health providers;
creation of a conference and meeting venueable to provide seating for 150 people,catering, video conferencing, computernetwork training room, interactive TeamBoard, internet access and a wide range ofthe latest technology. Given Oatlandslocation, this is proving a great attraction,with two to three conferences per week nowbeing held. In the words of Sally Isles,College Manager. - 'people are just blownaway by the technology we have in this townand centre'. The conference centre isbringing people to the town, creatingadditional local business through cateringand the positive and immeasurable socialintangibles like local young people seeingnew people coming into their town;
instigation of a Mentor program wherebylocal young people (years 9-12) trained inweb page design (with internationalaccreditation) are mentoring new computeroperators and local business people in webdesign;
provision of video conferencing facilities.Its varied use has ranged from prisonersbeing able to communicate with theirchildren who live elsewhere to the localkindergarten going to the Melbourne Zoo, towine tasting, all via video conferencing;
provision of career counselling inconjunction with Launceston Collegeutilising an online program;
development of relevant VocationalEducation and Training (VET) programs forlocal young people. The CommunityCollege has been able to offer a fascinatingrange of VET subjects relevant to labourmarket opportunity in the local and regionaleconomy, including IT, community service,agriculture, horticulture and retail. In 2000,the program attracted 33 students. Theprogram has established itself as a viablealternative to young people needing to leavethe community to seek further education.
A key element of the VET program has beentheir active design and implementation by youngpeople of projects to enhance the localcommunity. Initiatives have included therevitalisation of the swimming pool with a hugemural, design and planting of new gardens andorganisation of a band night 'Youth Voice'. Allprojects begin with the compilation of a businessplan. Such initiatives contribute greatly to theenhanced profile of young people in thecommunity.
The school has also been innovative in otherareas to ensure that the community's youngpeople are relevant to their region's economyand labour market. Two years ago the Schoolestablished a significant Aquaculture Educationproject. With the active support of thecommunity, farmers and commercial operators,this project continues to evolve in terms ofcurriculum experiences and state-of-the-artfacilities. The curriculum now involves thescience of water testing, biology data analysisand such activities as fish smoking, fly tying, flyfishing and small boat safety courses. TheAquaculture Centre was also the source of anational first in 1998 - the nations first industrybased tourism course for grades 9/10, withstudents acting as guides at the centre.
Other school initiatives that are not only creatingnew pathways for young people, but also serving
as community resources are the Agriculture andResearch Centre and a community sports andrecreation program.Success factors identified by locals and outsidepartners include:
Commitment to young men and women.The underlying motivation for much that hashappened in Oat lands is youth related. Thecommunity has consistently responded to theneed to create a youthful environment whereyoung people perceive opportunities for apositive future.
In the words of Principal Keith Wenn - 'wewere not addressing the social and economicaspects of education. Students were going tocolleges in Hobart - the option of living andstudying in their own rural communitywasn't available. So we decided that wewere really lessening the possibility of ouryoung people choosing the option of rural
We knew we had to offer a high quality16 year plus programme. We actually put abenchmark on it - "at least as good as urbancentres, preferably better":
Awareness and utilisation of outsidefunding. Over the last six years, thecommunity has been successful inidentifying and securing significant projectfunding. The commitment of funding by thelocal council for an administrative assistantto focus on grant identification has certainlybeen returned to the community tenfold.
Embracing of technological change. Byembracing the best in technology, Oatlandsdemonstrates how a small town can placeitself within a global and labour marketrelevant context. Through the creation of asuperior IT centre including the use of videoconferencing and the latest technology,Oatlands has created a smorgasbord ofeducational opportunity, enhanced themarketing opportunities for local businessesand is now exploring its application toheritage tourism. The technology on offerthrough its conference facilities is a keyattraction for the increasing number ofgroups using the town as a meeting place.The technology available to VET students isamongst the best on offer in the State, andcontributes greatly to the growing interestamong young people to stay in Oatlands toundertake vocational education.
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Partnership. The role of local council as apartner with local groups like MILE and theCommunity College has been of immensebenefit. Its link to commercial organisationslike CopyVision has proved invaluable.CopyVision, a leading national organisationin technology has seen the potential ofOatlands as a national demonstration centre,and has been most generous in technologyprovision and mentoring. Finally as part ofthe Department of Education's Rural SkillCentre Program, Oatlands has become partof a state network of centres able to take aone stop shop approach to VocationalEducation On Line. The support of theDepartment's Rural Retention DevelopmentOfficer, Stuart Harvey, has been mostsignificant.
Leadership. Oatlands has been fortunate tohave local people both capable and preparedto provide the time, vision and energy tomake things happen. Currently theleadership coming from the education sectorplays an invaluable role - 'having driverslike Sally and Keith is a real attraction tocompanies like us becoming sponsors ' (RodButler, CopyVision). The college managerfulfils the role of a 'learning facilitator' forboth young people and the widercommunity.
Business approach. The College has beengiven an establishment grant, but is expectedto operate as a business and generate its ownincome. It's creation of a commercialconference centre and its participation incompetitive tendering for ecotourismtraining reflects this focus, and will helpensure sustainability of the project.
The following quotations from partners in theprocess further help explain the Oatlands story:
'We are often asked why are we involvedwith Oatlands? Well, firstly it's the peoplewho are driving the initiatives, secondly thetown's potential and thirdly the community'spassion to provide a positive future for theiryoung people' (Rod Butler, Director,CopyVision).
'Our initiatives have attracted wide interestfrom rural communities in NSW, Victoria,South Australia and across Tasmania. Weare perceived as innovative and modifringthe culture of our community. We want ourcommunity to foster the development of
77
young people as they are our future. Theonline learning programs, wool classing,aquaculture and information technologyprojects are providing exciting options foryouth and the community. The conferencefacilities are bringing corporate customersinto our town and in turn provide revenueand employment prospects' (Sally Isles,College Manager).
'Oatlands is a shining light. Gives me abuzz every time I visit the College. Ideas arecontinually being generated, and the level ofcommitment of its leadership is quiteexceptional. The initiatives to involve thelocal community are a great model for othercommunities ' (Stuart Harvey, VocationalEducation and Training DevelopmentOfficer, Department of Education).
'We as a community have still got a longway to go. But what we have is a communitywhich is rising from the stult6ing effects ofongoing rural recession and rising from theapathy of powerlessness so that we nowhave a new beginning' (Keith Wenn, SchoolPrincipal).
For further information contact:
Sally Isles, College ManagerThe Central Tasmanian Community College
Tumby Bay is acommunity of 1,100 peoplesituated on the EyrePeninsula, 600km by roadfrom Adelaide. The TumbyBay District Council was proclaimed a municipality in 1906, and for much of the twentiethcentury, the townsite of Tumby Bay developed as a service centre for dryland farming.
The 1950s, in particular, saw the district andtown prosper with agricultural prices at apremium. A feeling of euphoria and confidencein the future resulted in significant communityand civic development.
However, changing world commodity prices,natural disasters including drought, flood andmouse plagues, cut back in government spendingand high interest rates combined to have a majornegative impact on confidence and economic
. fortunes. On 9 March 1991, the state newspaper,The Advertiser, published a story with the title'A Town Waiting to Die'. The story commencedwith the words Tumby Bay is a town on thebrink of disaster '. The story was one of despair.Local residents were quoted with suchstatements as 'there is no glimmer of hope forthem (businesses), no optimism... It's like abushfire out of control', and `I'm nearly 58 and Idon't want to be here', 'there are only three orfour businesses in town who are doing anygood', and 'there is just no enthusiasm left'.
Such a story acted as a trigger for communityresponse. In the words of the Tumby BayDistrict Community Support and Action Group(1993:11) 'It was like a bomb shell ... the eventwas the catalyst we needed to becomeresponsible in our plight'. It prompted a groupof concerned residents, supported by the localcouncil to hold a public meeting on a Sunday.All church services were re-scheduled, pubsclosed, and throughout the day 345 peopleshared their views, and planned to arrest thedecline of their community.
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That event was about ten years ago. Today,Tumby Bay is the third fastest growing ruraltown in South Australia, and currently landblocks are selling for as high as $71,000. Thisyear, $2 million of new housing is underconstruction.
That Sunday meeting was a classic communityplanning event. Participants were divided into12 groups and generated ideas to respond tospecific issues. Building on three themes -economic self sufficiency, social cohesion andpolitical responsibility, a vision for the futurewas created around the following commitments:
maintaining population and economicviability;
sustaining viable primary industry;
support for local businesses;
district promotion through tourism andindustry;
meaningful education that fills local needs;
active community commitment and pride inunity;
respect for our environment;
enhance value of family unit;
improved comprehensive communityservice;
improved quality of life and morals;more local input into government.
Twelve months later the Tumby Bay DistrictSupport and Action Group that evolved from themeeting reported 'It was on June Td, 1991, theday after the opening rains that 345 of us
BEST COPY AVAILABLE79
gathered for our community meeting. That wasthe day we really talked to each other. It wasthe day we dreamed dreams about our future. Itwas the day we stoutly declared that we were nota dying district, but a district with a future thatwould call the nation to attention. Well ithappened! People all over Australia now knowTumby Bay. They know us because of thecommunity meeting and the depth and breadth ofideas it generated ...' .
A wide range of initiatives have flowed to createtoday's vibrant community, including:
Instigation of beautification projects andstreetscaping - shops and private residenceshave been repainted, overhead electric wiresremoved, new streetscaping within thecommercial district and new woodenstaircases constructed to connect with thebeaches. The project involved six stages.
Introduction of new information technologyopportunities - in 1996 Tumby Bayinstigated an Information Technology Centre(Telecentre) as a telecommunication focalpoint for the community. It has created neweducational, business and socialopportunities for residents through theachievement of its four objectives, namely:
to provide local people access toInformation Technology in their owncommunity in a public space,
to offer different levels of training andeducation in computer operations andother topics where necessary to enableskill development for increased jobopportunities or business development,
to promote the use of informationtechnology and assist people to arresttheir fears,
to realise opportunities for economic andcommunity development.
The telecentre is self funded and employstwo staff. It provides an extensive range offacilities and a Point of Presence enablingcheap internet access. The Telecentre wonthe Innovation Award in Local Governmentin 1998, and accessed over $300,000 fromthe outside community in a two year period.
Development of a marina - the Tumby BayMarina is a $3.3m tidal marina developmentinvolving 63 housing blocks and twocommercial sites. Despite prices averaging$70,000, 60% of the blocks have been sold.
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It reflects the boom happening in localhousing.
Focus on retiree attraction - building on thecommunity's natural beauty, fishing andboating advantages and enhanced housingand business infrastructure, Tumby Bay hasachieved incredible population growth(2.4% growth over the last year) especiallythrough the targeting of retirees.
Local residents and outside commentators haveidentified the following as key elements to therevitalisation of Tumby Bay:
a Catalyst of negative publicity. Locals referto the infamous Advertiser story 'A TownWaiting to Die' as a 'bombshell' event.'Nothing has smacked us in the face like this
since they threatened to take away our jetty'(Tumby Bay District Support and ActionGroup, 1993:11). The article generated thestrong community response to enableprogress to begin. It motivated residents toattend the 'Save Tumby Bay' meeting, andget involved. An Australasian Post article(1997) captured the experience well in theirheadline The town that cried enough isenough. The people of a place on the brinkof collapse banded together - and stitched ittogether again'.
Attitude and regained pride. The words ofthe town's Community Development Officercapture the attitude of many locals - `Ifyoulove your community it is so easy - you can'tjust sit there and let things fall away'. Alsofollowing the early success withbeautification and streetscaping, localsbegan to see positive change, and began to'talk up the community'. In the words of thecurrent Council Chairman 'The revival ofTumby Bay was a matter of attitude. Weregained community pride. The gradualbeautification of the town, the upgrading ofthe streets, changed people's attitudes'(Jory, 2000).
Smart use of outside media exposure.Tumby Bay has a history of utilising theState and national media effectively. Forexample, to raise funds for townbeautification, the local council decided todonate a block of land for a national raffle.Response was poor ($100 worth of tickets infour weeks), until a story appeared in TheAdvertiser saying land was available atTumby Bay for $5 a block - the price of a
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raffle ticket. The organiser was swampedwith inquiries from across the country. TheAustralasian Post magazine and televisioncrews converged and reported on the town.Within nine weeks $23,000 was raised.
Employment of a communitydevelopment officer. Local identity JanenePiip was employed early in the process toprovide the 'arms and legs' for initiatives.Her infectious enthusiasm matched bystrong community skills has given thecommunity a twenty four hour a day localchampion always 'opportunity ready'. Oneother key function has been theidentification and procurement of outsidetechnical and financial assistance. In 1998,$291,000 was accessed in grants for 13different projects, and in 1999 over$230,000 was secured for six projects.
Focus on telecommunications. As acommunity, Tumby Bay recognised earlythe importance of investing intelecommunications infrastructure andprograms to encourage communityupskilling. Their Telecentre, Point ofPresence and extensive range of communitytraining programs have placed Tumby Baywithin a global context. With over 100 webpages, Tumby Bay now boasts the mostcomprehensive website of any smallAustralian town.
Creation of a local development vehicle.Through the planning initiatives, the TumbyBay Districts Community Support andAction group was created to provide a localdevelopment and coordination vehicle. Itwas crucial in getting things happening, andmobilising the broad based communitysupport. Today the vehicle for action is theCommunity Development Boardrepresenting council, school and thecommunity.
Partnership between Council, communityand the private sector. Initially, Councildid not see the value of communityparticipation and a focus on economicdevelopment. That has now changed andtheir partnership with the community and theprivate sector has become a powerfuldevelopment force. Council has seen itselfas facilitative rather than regulative. The$3.3m marina is a joint initiative betweenthe Tumby Bay District Council and privatedevelopers. The Community Development
Board represents a unique partnershipbetween the District Council, communityand the Tumby Area School.
Outside recognition. Recognition from thewider community through media interest andthe achievement of national awards has builtconfidence and determination. In the wordsof their Development Officer, Janene Piip,'after we won the Local Government
Innovation Award in 1997, I thought that wecan do anything!' During March 2000, theState Working Towns Annual two dayconference was staged in Tumby Bayproviding an opportunity to show off thecommunity to over 100 community leadersfrom around the state.
Strong support for local business.Especially through the resources andprograms of the Telecentre, a wide range ofinitiatives are regularly conducted to helpbuild both local farm and farm businesses.Activities include regular businessdevelopment workshops and business audits,such as an audit of 20 local businesses inrelation to e-commerce activities todetermine the usage and understanding of ITby local businesses.
The following quotations help explain thepositive change that has occurred in Tumby Bay:
o The miracle of Tumby Bay is a nationalcase study in persistence, courage andvision. It is the story of a community whichdecided to take responsibility for its plightrather than become victim to it' (Rex Jory,Correspondent, The Advertiser).
'We decided we had to do something ... wenot only provided answers for ourselves, butbecame a model for other struggling towns... we all become complacent when thingsare going well. You tend to slip into thatcomfort zone until the next hard crunchcomes. Looking back, though, you can see ithas created more community cohesion andprovided the basis for a really good mutualapproach to our problems. There's also arealisation now that i f you want to dosomething you have to do it yourself Youcan't wait for someone to.help you out. Thecommunity has to back itself and then put inthe effort' (James Bawden, local businessperson, quoted in Aussie Post).
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In the communities of the Tumby Baydistrict, we decided that our future wouldnot be dictated merely by global markets orinterest rates or political opportunism. Ourfathers forged these communities out ofnothing. Surely, we have not surrenderedour powers of self determination to theextent that we can no longer be involved inthe future of our own district. What we havetaken is a small (but we think, significant)step for humanity, for our own self esteemand self determination. It is therefore, agiant leap' (Tumby Bay District Supportand Action Group, 1993:1).
`The biggest success that people point to isthe change of attitude within the community.Today there is a feeling that their destinydoes largely lie in their own hands and notin someone else's' (Greg Cahill, researcher,1995:93).
'Our history over the last 10 years hasshown that success breeds success. Todaywe believe that anything is possible. Theculture of Tumby Bay today is that peoplecan do all sorts of things' (Janene Piip,Development Officer).
For further information contact:
Janene PiipCommunity Development Officer
Tumby Bay Community Development Board
Phone: 08 8688 2828Website: www.tumbybay.aust.com
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