Rural Communities Australia

  • 4 Slow community: thinking together

    4 Slow community: thinking together

    The idea of thinking together is not much in vogue at present. Thinking, if it’s done well, happens over time, and of time we don’t seem to have much to spare. The value of thinking rests on the experience that not everything is obvious and simply has to be stated, as one’s settled view; that…

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  • Evidence of return migration to regional areas

    Here is a preliminary study which indicates an interesting trend of return migration to rural areas.  The study draws on ABS 2011 statistics of in- and -out migration, cross-indexed against demographic groups.  It seems to show that there has been a net return migration among younger people, in their 20s, drawn by more affordable property,…

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  • Paying the poor a stipend

    Here’s an interesting case study from the US.  It follows a group of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, who were living below the poverty line.  A group of these families was provided with supplementary income, administered through their group and with no strings attached.

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  • Independent advocacy: talk

    Here is a presentation on a number of different aspects of independent advocacy given by David Donnison, one of the foremost international researchers, practitioners and writers in the field.  

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  • Rural sourcing: US approaches to supporting rural youth

    US country towns are nothing if not entrepreneurial in their approach to supporting their young people economically. Here is a report on a range of measures being used by local government.  These programs are being called ‘rural sourcing’. Approaches include matching graduates with rural jobs, and incentivising entrepreneurship with tax credits and office space, even…

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  • Rural Microbusiness Financing Study

    Rural Microbusiness Financing Study

      Microbusinesses are powerful, cost-effective drivers of robust and stable local economic development in rural communities. We need to know a lot more about successful models and success factors in financing rural microbusiness in Australia.  There is an urgent need for research into models of rural microbusiness financing. In this project, a study of the…

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  • Workforce Inclusion Project, Mount Gambier

    Workforce Inclusion Project, Mount Gambier

      WORKFORCE INCLUSION IN MOUNT GAMBIER: A COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH PROJECT The Challenge Mount Gambier is the second largest city in South Australia. It has a population of approximately 26,000.  Employment statistics show a clear trend to decreasing full-time employment in the region. There are two main disadvantaged groups. Disengaged youth (15-24): Over 12% are not studying,…

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