Cloncurry /Winton/Longreach/Blackall
Group 11 comprised people from Western Queensland and represented towns from Cloncurry to Blackall. The process we were asked to follow was to discuss the major points from the key note addresses that related to each member of the group, and come up with some actions we could take back to our communities and try to implement. The following are the major points from each of the sessions and a condensed list of actions for the group members to progress.
Session One
Key note speakers: Agnes Gannon, Bruce McCollum, and Graham Larcombe Points:
- Desire
- Leadership
Preparedness for Change:
- Are we ready, do we mow where we are at?
- Need to address the issues that exist
- Depends on where one is at, and skill level to drive change
Quality of Life
Rate & Diversity Change:
- Impacts of change and its effect on interaction within the community
- Elected leaders struggle with change
- Change and coping with it is our greatest challenge in terms of working effectively.
Time:
- Economic development is long term-
- Tread slowly until community support and ownership is established.
- Must have skill and will
Teleworking:
- potential employment in rural areas
Session Two
Key note speakers: Peter Kenyon, Brenda-Anne Norman, and Vicki Dickman Points:
Broad community involvement:
- inclusiveness
- Practical purposes
- People who have an interest will become involved.
- Need to nurture those who are interested, and market or recruit.
Possible ways:
Media
- Focus groups or key community members targeted.
- Use of Future search process to create involvement
- Activities such as mystery bus tours etc.
Leadership needs to be developed within the community -courses
Talk your town UP
- Both within and outside of your community
- Create partnerships e.g. Longreach & Winton
Retention of Youth
It Takes JOBS & LIFESTYLE to retain youth
Possible Ways:
- Rural Scholarships / Contracts
- Create pathways to return
- Sponsor young people to attend Conference in 1999
- Conflict Resolution/Management in early childhood Future Rural Leaders Course -leadership for youth,
- Focus on youth as the future developers of the community.
- Attract new people -youth exchanges city/rural
There was no workshop space dedicated to the addresses from John Wise and Chris Capel, however some of the action points raised were a result of insights gained from their presentations.
Actions
(1) Preparedness for Change
- Leadership Courses
- Future Rural Leaders Course (Youth)
- Better utilisation of Development Resources/Agencies/Dept's
- Entrepreneurial Projects
- Two Way Youth Exchange -between rural and city
- Breakdown Barriers between Town/Country, Itinerant/Local, Youth/Adults
- Business Training for Young People -lobby for provision of small business -education courses, utilise ICP A etc.
- Business Mentor Programs -involving young people, many models available-
- Skill development for InfonI1ation Technology -utilise Blackall Internet Cafe
- Celebrate ALL SUCCESSES -Talk It UP ! Positivity has a snowballing effect.
- Put Economic Development on the Community Agenda -lobby Council
(2) Ideas to Progress Teleworking
- Conduct an Audit to determine interested Teleworkers in the Region
- Create agency of teleworkers -coordinated by a designated marketing person
- Document Success stories of teleworker examples -e.g. Chris Capel
- Good phone lines essential
- A void the "'low level" teleworking
- Identify the Markets -who wants teleworkers?
Contact Names & Addresses
Marnie Alefonsio
Housing Qld
GPO Box 690 Brisbane 4001
Ph: 073225 1935 Fax: 0732276110
Helen McKerrow
3B Swan Street Mount Isa 4825;
Ph: 0747433158
helenmac@tpgi.com.au
Paul Walmsley DPI
PO Box 519
Longreach 4730
Ph: 0746584418 Fax: 0746584433
Alistair Shaw
11 Robin Road Longreach 4730 Ph: 0746580080
Tammy Myles
Shire Council -CDO PO Box 472
Longreach 4730
Ph: 07 46580058 Fax: 0746584116
Denise Nugent
PO Box 479 Winton 4735 Ph: 0746571648
Laurie Cremin Remote Area Planning & Development Board PO Box 592
Longreach 4730
Ph: 0746583301
Chris Capel
"Evesharn"
Longreach 4730
Ph: 0746589184 Fax: 0746589244
Lyn Simpson
11 Wirra Street Chapel Hill Q 4009
Ph: 0733786159 Fax: 0738641811
Kathryn Anderson
Online Services Branch
Dept Public Works & Houusing
GPO Box 123 Brisbane 4001
Ph: 07 32246179 Fax: 0732251433
andersk@ipd.pwh.qld.gov.au
Fiona Warner
PCAP
PO Box 492
Longreach 4730
Ph: 07 46581830 Fax: 0746581728
Scott Templeman
DPI
PO Box 519
Longreach 4730
Ph: 0746584401 Fax: 0746584433
Nebo/Bowen/Mirani/Mackay/Whitsunday Issues From Friday Morning Session
- Education
- Training/Skills
- Community Ownership
- Value Adding
- Diversification (Food/Hides )
- Need for co-operation/Trust
- Bring people together
- Identification of resources (people/funds/physical/ skills )
Strategies
- Learn from other communities
- Resources audit (to identify resources within the community)
- Consult the community
- Information Technology
- Infrastructure
- Audit (Telecommunications)
- Welcome
- Identify what people have in common
- Use negatives/failures as opportunity/feedback
Issues from Friday afternoon
- Importance of recognition/praise
- Difficulty of country versus city
- Need to recognise the skills of young people
- Importance of creating a positive minds et in the Community
- Need to learn from other communities
Strategies
- Actively recognise achievements that support capacity building in the Community
- Community parties/festival not for the money but for the positive mindset.
- Bring money in from the outside and maintain that money in the community.
Issues session
- Recognising Reality/Perception
- Funded Development facilitator
- Council/Community support and participation
- Community ownership .Too many meetings
- Effective delivery and marketing of community Economic Development
- Lack of immediate receipt of course material to enable effective delivery to community
- Encouraging community development with less reliance on Government Funding
- Need for self development -interpersonal relationships
Strategies
Encourage existing community groups to work co-operatively in a community economic development method.
Action Plan
- Mirani: welcome/praise
- Bowen: be inclusive of community
- Whitsunda y: consultation
- Nebo: resource audit
- Across: list of funding grants available
contact list of group 12 circulated
Actions:
- Personal contact with community
- Quick Delivery of Positive Rural Futures Report
- Presentation to Council/Organisation
- Regional Workers working with Local Groups to assist them to focus and prioritise issues
All
- Form an informal network of this group by phone/fax/email contact.
Mirani/Nebo
- Community builders program
Whitsunday
- Working with other community organisations
Attendance List
Name and organisation |
Address |
Phone/fax/email | |
Bruce Stanton |
PO Box 5754 |
Ph: |
0419 686312 |
Colleen Weick |
18 Wildlife Road |
Ph: |
07 4946 5971 |
Heather de Villiers |
155 Shute Harbour Road |
Ph/Fax: |
07 494655088 |
Wayne Bidgood |
56 Don Street |
Ph: |
0747863198 (Work) |
Ross Newell |
37 Esplanade |
Ph: |
0747852677 (Work) |
Kevin O'Reily |
PO Box 65 |
Ph: |
07 4954 3386 (Home) |
Sue White |
Cockenzie |
Ph: |
07 4950 7164 |
Dave Price |
C/- PO Box 675 |
Ph/Fax: 07 4958 4588 | |
Joy Deguara |
PO Box 262 |
Ph: |
07 4941 5222 (Work) |
Wayne Da1y |
PO Box 790 |
Ph: |
07 4951 5920 |
Capella/Clermont /Middlemount
Group 13 started the workshop process by deciding whether the participants were happy with working in the geographical area the group represented. The nine participants decided they were able to work within those limits. We then looked at the:
Issues
- Current state?
- Does everybody know where we want to be?
- What is the gap?
We started by looking at how we thought our communities felt now and what agencies/services were working towards helping our communities deal with change.
Now
- Victim mentality → pride
- Expectations
- Need to build positive aspects of change
- Fear of change eg jobs, lifestyle
- Services currently out there addressing change:
1. PCAP
2. RSW
3. CDO's
4. DPI Internet training and extension programs
5. Agro -Beef 2000
6. VISE
7. CHRRUPP -CSIRO project
8. Networking the Nation projects
9. Landcare
10. Leading Schools Program
11. Connect-Ed
12. ICPA
- Increased health services to rural areas
- Building Rural Leaders programs
- Partnerships between Shire Councils
- Shire Councils building partnerships with industry
- Councils working with communities addressing change eg Belyando .
- Meat Research Corporation projects
Negative Outcomes of Change
- Empty houses
- No rental/high rental
- Business' closing down
- School numbers down -lose teachers, limited subjects
- Banks
- Decreased health services especially visiting specialists
- Negativity/self pity
- Community groups declining -competing for members and struggling to maintain numbers for incorporation
- Devolution of responsibility for services to Local Government
- Jobs for young people
- Diversification of industry
Positive Outcomes of Change
- Strong community membership
- Pioneering spirit
- Belief in community
- Natural resource base
- Supportive State Government
- Perception that 'something needs to be done'
Strategies to Reverse the Negative Trend
1. 'Change' education
2. Communication -what kind?
3. Industry diversification
4. Involving young people
5. Better utilisation of human resources
6. Job creation -not only low skilled work
7. Develop leadership/self confidence
8. Training
9. Planning -regionally with community input
10. Teamwork
11. Identify people who want to be involved at all levels
12. Remove quick fix measures
13. Use the media to our advantage
Goals
Strong/vital Industries
- Encourage a skilled workforce
- Make available suitable infrastructure
- Reduce the cost of doing business
- Encourage local ownership
- Develop an entrepreneurial environment in the community
- Promote value adding and diversification to current industries
- Encourage community events that promote local industry
Education and Training
- Encourage DPI to maintain and expand Building Rural Leadership program
- Encourage Emerald Pastoral College to value community input
- Encourage primary and secondary schools to include a module on rural enterprises
- Encourage Education Queensland to place teachers of rural origins into rural schools (if they indicate )
- TAFE is strengthened by an increase of funding
- Review competency based standards as a means of assessing training
- CH community to undertake community-based leadership training
- Quality of Lifestyle
- Encourage community based safety programs
- Encourage services for ageing community
- Encourage co-ordination in the development of recreational facilities throughout community
- Address victim mentality
- Affordable housing and cost of living
- Empower the community to become involved in the development of transparent democratic management
Equality of Service 'Provision
- Equity of access to services provided to city and urban areas
Pride in Community
- Talk up community
- Encourage community events that celebrate communities
- Encourage better management of open spaces, parks etc
- Appreciation awards
Vision
- That the Central Highlands community has a shared vision in the development of a dynamic and sustainable community that values;
- High achievement in education and training
- Quality of lifestyle
- Strong and Vital Industry
- Equity of services and
- Pride in our community
Now having common goals and a Vision, we looked at our ideas to improve our community. We then formulated an action plan for us to go back into our communities and start the process.
Capacity Building in Our Community
- Building Rural Leaders programs
- Grassroots leaders for 'rural leaders'
- Revitalising existing groups
- Encouraging our media to focus on positives in our communities -talk up our communities
- Actions: good news columns, good citizens awards, achiever of the week.
- Encourage schools to acknowledge positives Implement positive achievement awards
- Find and work with the positive people
Actions
- Informal meeting of this group (time frame to be decided as per need) Jenny to co-ordinate.
- Vision 21 -grassroots leadership program -available 1999 -Graham.
- Revitalising community groups -near future -Lynda and CDO'S.
- Letter to Distance Ed promoting positive reinforcement of our children -Maureen.
- Promote outcomes of Positive Rural Futures conference re: achievement of kids to schools -PCAP & ICP A reps and Bev.
- Convince CO News and 4Hl that there should be a positive achievers acknowledgement - Don.
- Ask Vision 21 to invite this group to WIRE do in July/ August -Graham.
- Produce documentation of plans -Jenny.
From discussion with Paul Bell:
- Events calendar for Central Highlands
- Taskforce
- Entrepreneurialism in schools
- Realigning of resources
- This group to meet with the Emerald group within the next 3 weeks
Cook Shire workshop group participants
- Ian Adcock -Cook Shire Council
- Margie Timmermans -Student/Community member (studying community development through the arts)
- Nellie Harvey -State PCAP community representative (Northern) Kathy Stapley -Cooktown Local News
- Jeannie Brook -Health worker and counsellor specialising in rural areas.
While at the workshop our small but active group firstly identified "WHERE WE ARE NOW"
Then we worked on "WHERE WE W ANT TO BE"
Our artistic members drew up a "Hills to Climb" poster which lists all the proactive ideas we could think of, some gleaned from the speakers and other which we identified as pertinent to our community
Action Plan For Our Group
- To form a local action group to address the development of our community.
- To invite interested people to a breakfast meeting every Friday morning for 12 weeks. At the end of this time we will assess what direction to go in, ie how successful have the meetings been and whether we should continue along the same lines.
- To plan our actions carefully and slowly to have any great long term effect-
- To draft a flyer to be distributed through the mailboxes of the town to all community members to inform them of our existence and what we are about.
- To eventually apply for funding to provide community development and community leadership workshops.
- As a long term goal be able to justify the employment of a community/economic development officer for our area (shire?)
First Moves
- Meeting date 15.6.98 for above core group at Nellie's place 7.30pm.
Agenda
- View video on Beechworth bakery .
- Work on gust list for breakfast sessions -make sure as many areas as possible of the community are covered.
- To identify projects in other communities of a similar nature -successful or not. ie don't reinvent the wheel.
- Make a start on drafting the flyer to be distributed throughout the community.
