Bridging the Gap – Strategies for renewal in rural and remote communities

The South West Regional Steering Committee consists of representatives from each regional group (east/west) and meets approximately twice per year.

This reference group has been very successful in promoting issues of common concern to Government and Departmental personnel as well as a lobbying mechanism.

Some notable successes of this Reference Group are:

• Implementation of a $50M Rural and Regional Funding Program through Community Housing Division ($7.8M was allocated to the SW Region)
• A standardised Funding Agreement for Local Authorities (Deleting the need for Mortgages)
• Improved residential design guidelines incorporating regional recommendations.

Government responses

The State Minister, in line with the Community Housing Division (now known as Housing Queensland), has assisted this organisation through the provision of funding to employ a Community Housing Resource Worker.

The role of this person is to assist organisations with the implementation of their projects, to act as liaison from the community sector to the Department, and to assist organisations with policy development and organisational management if required.

Conclusion

Rural and remote communities do face an uphill task. They are faced with the need to sustain their populations while at the same time seek opportunities for renewed business activity.

Our community is looking at a niche market in OBE (Organic Beef Exports) and additional tourism potential with the Cooper Creek. (You may have been aware of the "Keep your Cotton Picking Hands Off the Cooper" campaign) which was very successful. It will be up to each region to establish and develop these new alternatives.

Governments must support and promote (assist with funding) these alternatives, and provide infrastructure that will enable country towns to prosper and regenerate. If country Australia does disappear the burden placed on regional and metropolitan Australia will be enormous in terms of increased infrastructure like water, sewerage, roads and of course housing.