DOCUMENT RESUME ED 458 055 RC 023 124 AUTHOR Kenyon, Peter, Ed.; Black, Alan, Ed. TITLE Small Town Renewal: Overview and Case Studies. INSTITUTION Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Barton (Australia). REPORT NO RIRDC-01/043 ISBN ISBN-0-642-58265-3 ISSN ISSN-1440-6845 PUB DATE 2001-06-00 NOTE 101p.; In conjunction with Jim Cavaye, John Duff, Michael O'Meara, and Peter Palmer. For related manual, see RC 023 157 AVAILABLE FROM For full text: http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HCC/01-043.pdf. PUB TYPE Reports Research (143) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS 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 IDENTIFIERS Australia; Capacity Building; Community Viability ABSTRACT 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. RURAL INDUSTRIES RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Small Town Renewal Overview and Case Studies AT#town I? 44n 74 411,011 44r U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION 40 CENTER (ERIC) -01- C"r(isdocument has been reproduced as tire 'Of received from the person or oganzahon originating it. 0 Mmor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opomons stated in 1Ns docu- ment do not necessarily representoffioal A report for the Rural Industries Research OERI Position or POIrCY. and Development Corporation by Peter Kenyon and Alan Black (editors) in conjunction with Jim Cavaye, John Duff, Michael O'Meara and Peter Palmer "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY June 2001 muk.fraui RIRDC Publication No 01/043 R5OrN RIRDC Project No ECU-6A TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." BEST COPYAVAILABLE © 2001 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 0 642 58265 3 ISSN 1440-6845 Small Town Renewal Publication No. 01/43 Project No. ECU 6A The views expressed and the conclusions reached in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of persons consulted. RIRDC shall not be responsible in any way whatsoever to any person who relies in whole or in part on the contents of this report. The contents do not necessarily take into account all 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 the Corporation is clearly acknowledged. For any other enquiries concerning reproduction, contact the Publications Manager on phone 02 6272 3186. Project Manager Principal Researcher Professor Alan Black Mr. Peter Kenyon Centre for Social Research Centre for Small Town Development Edith Cowan University PO Box 90 Joondalup WA 6027 Palmyra WA 6957 Phone: (08) 9400 5844 Phone: (08) 9438 3904 Fax: (08) 9400 5866 Fax: (08) 9438 3905 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] RIRDC Contact Details Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Level 1, AMA House 42 Macquarie Street BARTON ACT 2600 PO Box 4776 KINGSTON ACT 2604 Phone: 02 6272 4539 Fax: 02 6272 5877 Email: [email protected]. Website: http://www.rirdc.gov.au Published in June 2001 Printed by Union Offset, Canberra ii 3 Foreword Although long-term economic, technological and social factors have resulted in the decline ofmany small inland towns in Australia, other such towns have successfully implemented a range of survival and revival strategies. This has resulted in positive outcomes for residents in terms of quality of life and 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 themselves in history and geography, there are some recurring elements in the processes of their social and economic revitalisation. As well as examining these particular processes, this kit provides information on a wide range of resources that are available to assist rural communities in developing strategies appropriate 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 of our Human Capital, Communications and Information Systems Program, which includes investigations on rural social issues and issues relating to rural communities both in towns and on farms. Most of our publications are available for viewing, downloading or purchasing online throughour website: downloads at www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/Index.htm purchases at www.rirdc.gov.au/eshop Peter Core Managing Director Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation iii 4 Acknowledgments The authors acknowledge the assistance, hospitality and time devoted to this project by people of the case study communities. Thanks are also expressed to persons associated with various government and private agencies who provided information or commented on drafts of this publication. Thanks, too, to the Bureau of Rural Sciences, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia, for making available Maps 1, 2 and 3 from the publication Country Matters, Social Atlas of Rural and Regional Australia (1999). iv 5 Contents FOREWORD 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 25 A. Balingup, Western Australia 27 B. Beechworth, Victoria 31 C. Boonah, Queensland 34 D. Burra, South Australia 40 E. Coolah, New South Wales 43 F. Deloraine, Tasmania 47 G. 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 or you can sit back 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 are willing to give of their time and energy to make things happen. It means believing in yourself and your organisation. It means putting aside individual differences to work together for the good of the community. It means working together to decide what you want for the future and then working together to make it happen. You can do it. People are doing it.' (Jack McCall, 'Small Town Survival Manual' 1988:14) 'Nowadays towns are really not so different from businesses, 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 picture is now very uneven. The successful towns are likely to be driven by people who are passionate and creative, who see and opportunity 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 Regional Economics, quoted in Derriman 1999:1) vi 7 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Small town Australia is certainly at a crossroads. Many small inland and remote rural communities continue to haemorrhage in terms of population and business loss. This decline is not new, but has intensified over the last two decades. Mean age continues to rise, while the 15-24 age group contracts dramatically. Such a situation is not uniquely Australian. Similarities can be seen in the rural communities of midwest USA, New Zealand and South Africa. Declining demographics are often the product of opted not to merely cope with a declining quality history and geography, and the stress and of life, but to adapt, embrace change and begin uncertainty of volatile world commodity to prosper. They have begun to build resilient' markets, particularly within communities characteristics and to plan and implement a traditionally based on mining, fishing and range of rural survival and revival strategies. traditional agriculture. In addition, there are This has resulted in positive outcomes for other external pressures affecting the stability of residents in terms of quality of life and economic small rural community life: growing opportunities.