Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Claim the Date: Sustaining Rural Communities Conference 2011

Claim the Date for the 2011 Sustaining Rural Communities Conference.

22nd and 23rd March 2011 at the Crossing Theatre, Narrabri

Further information will be available shortly.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The Sustainability of Australia's Country Towns

The Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities is holding their conference in Bendigo on the 30th September and 1st October.  You might like to read more about it by clicking on the link above.

SEGRA Sustainable Economic Growth For Regional Australia

This years conference is to be held in Townsville.  There are some good speakers.  You can read more about the conference by clicking the link above.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Training for Specific Needs

State, territory, and Australian governments offer assistance to help all Australians access vocational education and training (VET).

These include programs to support:
people with a disability
mature-aged learners
people from rural communities
Indigenous people
people from non-english speaking backgrounds.

Programs and assistance vary from state to state. To find out more about the funding and support programs described below, contact the training authority in your state or territory.

This site might be of interest to emplyees and employers in rural communities as to what incentives are available for them on both sides of the aprenticeships and traineeships.

Inspiring Communities Website

Although this site is based in New Zealand you may like to take a look, it has some items we discussed at the conference on it.

"Inspiring Communities supports communities of place to achieve their vision and goals by:

* Promoting the power of working together across sectorsalt
* Supporting leadership and learning for community-led development
* Linking people, projects and places
* Developing and sharing resources, tools and new knowledge
* Being a catalyst for change in communities of place"

Click on the above link and see what you can find.

How to get your community walking

This is a website to get Victoria Walking.  Some great ideas on it.  It reads

"Encouraging walking is a great way to change your neighbourhood for the better.  When you walk, you meet your neighbours, get healthy, save money and save the planet.  We've found the best, most practical tools to help promote walking so take a stroll around the site."

"Victoria Walks has all the tools, information and support you need to make your neighbourhood safer and more walk-friendly."

Click on the link above to get some ideas for your community.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Order SRC Conference Audio on Line

Click on the title to order a Computer /MP3 car stereo compatible CD of the Sustaining Rural Communities Conference. (no charge)

Monday, June 21, 2010

Pigs Will Fly - the can do community blog

The opening sentence on this great website for information relating to Communities.  Worth a look.
"We’d love you to join our conversation about sustainable living, where we share the successes and pitfalls faced by grassroots small business, volunteers and community groups around Australia".

The MAD (Make a Difference) Project

Connecting people who want to make a difference with those who already are!
This is an exciting community initiative by Arcadia in Maleny, Queensland. They through a newsletter and regular breakfasts link people who want to make a difference with those who do. Click here for more details.
Their collection of archived newsletters give you an impressive range of initiatives that they have enacted.  Click here for the Newsletter Archive. Click here for an example of Arcadia’s newspaper columns about “Stop Complaining”- the wonderful story of Rev William Bowen who challenged his congregation to go 21 days without complaining model that could work in any community!!
There is some interesting information here that I think other communities could easily implement.

Cow Parade Margaret River - Artistic idea for your community

The world’s most famous public art event, CowParade, is coming to Margaret River in 2010 and there is only a few more weeks left to view the herd! Don't miss your opportunity to see the beautiful bovines on parade before 27th June 2010!
It is a free event for art, charity and fun!
Click above to read more or post a comment.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Changing Lifestyle Expectations

'Changing lifestyle expectations' is the result of three key changes in our population and communities: .......... Read More

Although you have to subscribe to see the images it is worth a read below the headings.

Rural communities and changing lifestyle expectations

Affluence and gentrification in urban communities

Oh how I wish to live it up by the sea!

Helping rural Australia get the most out of mobile workers

One of the by-products of globalisation is an increasingly mobile and transitory workforce, but what does this mean for rural Australia, and how can rural communities make better use of the highly skilled people moving through their towns?

Read more on the research being done by RIRDC by clicking the above link and the results on case studies.  Interesting read on how to keep them in your community once they are there and how to make them feel they are local. 

The myth of how long before you are local in a community comes to my mind when I read each case study. 
Is there a short or a long period or is it a settling in period? 
Does the myth exist?
Does it depend on the community/town? 
Or does it depend on the people who move to a community?

Would like to hear your comments.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Bank of Ideas Website - Ideas for Communities

This is a website that has lots of different ideas about what can be achieved in a community.  You might like to take a look and get some ideas for your community.

Story on the Wilcannia Community and its revival

It is cold and wet in Wilcannia. Wind is blowing through town as about 20 locals gather around a park bench on the Barrier Highway to sign time sheets proving they have worked the hours to earn a government allowance.

Click above to learn about the drive through gallery being constructed by the local indigenous people of the Wilcannia community and how it is creating a revival in the town.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Rural Women's Coalition looking for stories on Communities

The National Rural Women’s Coalition recently embarked on a project to collect  stories of communities able to effect change in the quest to become sustainable. We now are pleased to publish  the first of these on our website.   It is hoped that through the sharing of these accounts of resilience, hope and survival, others will be inspired and motivated to make improvements or use these ideas in their own community.  
to read these and other stories click the above link 

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Agrifood Skills Australia Newsletter

During the conference we heard about this pilot group Make it Work established by Agri Food Skills Australia.  I thought you might be interested to read the latest Newsletter from AgriFood Skills Australia which includes an article on the Cross industry trainee ships.

Newsletter ----  AgriFood Skills Australia has established a pilot program at Narrabri in north west NSW that is based on a 'whole-of-community approach' to the attraction and retention of a skilled workforce. Click here to read more

Friday, June 4, 2010

Community Action Fund 2010 Burseries

Great News!   Get in Quick though!  $1,000 up for grabs
 
Application Forms for the Community Action Fund 2010 that from the Sustaining Rural Communities Conference have been sent out today to those who registered or attended the Conference.
 
Please note that there will be ten bursaries only and so it will be on a first in first served basis.
 
If you would like a copy of the form. email me kate.schwager@cottoncrc.org.au

Thursday, June 3, 2010

National Rural Health Alliance

The E Newsletter was sent to me from this site.  It has alot of interesting information on it regarding Rural Health and some of the items relate to our discussions at the Sustaining Rural Communities Conference I thought I should share it with you.  The site is well worth a visit if you are into Health.