Change has always been a fact of life, but in recent times the experience of change has not been a happy one for many rural regions in Australia, with many suffering significant social, economic and environmental decline. However, a growing number of communities are taking an active stance to address change and embrace new opportunities through initiating community-led collaborative decision-making processes that seek to form a broadly shared vision for the future and plan and implement activities and projects to make that vision a reality. Valley Vision is one such participative community development process based in the Derwent Valley and Central Highlands region of Tasmania which began in May 1999. This presentation will outline observations of the Valley Vision process made during a Masters research project.

The poster will outline the processes planned to engage the community, develop a vision, take stock of the regions assets, strengths and problems, generate ideas and develop action plans. It will then show both successes and difficulties faced in the implementation of this plan both at the macro level and at the micro level - within the committee formed to coordinate the process. Valley Vision’s achievements to date and lessons that can be transferred to other communities will be outlined.

A growing number of communities are taking an active stance to address change and embrace new opportunities through initiating community-led collaborative development processes which seek to form a broadly shared vision for the future and plan and implement projects to make that vision a reality. Valley Vision is one such participative community development process based in the depressed, semi-rural and rural region of the Derwent Valley and Central Highlands in Tasmania, Australia. It seeks to empower and revitalise the regions community and economy, through finding a healthy balance between economic, social and environmental development. A research project has been examining the dynamics of this process since its inception in May 1999.

In its first year and a half, Valley Vision has experienced both successes and failures, with the concept of community-led economic revitalisation proving difficult to put into practice. This paper will present some of the causes behind these difficulties, such as limited time and resources, failure to devote sufficient attention to details of process, and political and social barriers to regional cooperation. The paper will then discuss implications of lessons learnt in the Derwent Valley for other regions, and for the formulation of policies and processes to stimulate healthy local development in Australia and elsewhere.

The phrase "Think Globally, Act Locally" sums up the recognition that large scale social, ecological and economic processes have their roots in, and must be addressed by, actions at the individual and local level. Therefore, finding effective ways to facilitate personal and community change in the country towns and regions of Australia is one critical element in addressing the multiple problems facing regional Australia today.

In April 1999, a diverse group of community members from the Derwent Valley region of Tasmania began a process aimed at collaboratively engaging their local community to direct development in a way that will balance economic, social and environmental considerations. They set out to 1. develop a shared vision among the community, 2. compile a regional profile documenting the regions biophysical, social and economic assets, needs and problems, and 3. arrive at mutually agreed project action plans that utilise these assets to help realise the vision, after rigorously assessing the short and long-term consequences of project ideas.

A research project has been examining the dynamics of this process since its beginning. This paper will report on how the process has unfolded, and outline its successes and failures to date. The implications of the lessons learnt in the Derwent Valley for other regions and for the formulation of policies and processes to stimulate healthy regional development in Australia will also be discussed.