Maintaining strong community networks is vital for the future viability of rural communities.

Years of drought and other economic and social pressures have taken a huge toll on many traditional rural community networks such as Village Hall Committees, Progress Associations, CWA branches, Rural Bush Fire Brigades and Landcare groups.

Since July 2007, Liverpool Plains Land Management has been running a special federally-funded Community Capacity Building Project, aimed at providing assistance to reinvigorate community groups in the Liverpool Plains, Gunnedah and Tamworth local government areas.

With the project due to wrap up before the end of this year, now is a good time to reflect on the project, its achievements and what areas still need attention.

Like all good ideas this project started with discontent. A gathering of farmers in Gunnedah in 2006 expressed disappointment at the “decaying” state of their small rural communities and some villages. Volunteer fatigue was spoken about and “some sort of help was needed.”

For a Natural Resource Management organisation like LPLM, applying for funding from the Federal Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affair, was an unusual move, but it worked.

“Bringing Namoi Rural Communities Together for Capacity Building and Support” has been a grass roots community development project.

The key issues for the project were:

• Overcoming public cynicism and apathy
• Widespread social disconnectedness
• The tyranny of distance – servicing a widely spread and isolated targeted clientele.
• Getting locals together to talk about their common issues.
• Explaining the concept of capacity building and its effectiveness in addressing social disconnectedness

While a “One Size Fits All” approach was never going to work for this project, the running of a reasonably simple “community assets, issues and strategies” identification session was effective with most participating community groups.

More often than not, isolation and lack of regular social activities was identified as an issue and the obvious solution was to hold a “Uniting the Community” gathering and survey community interest in future activities.

These “Uniting the Community” gatherings have ranged from, after school cricket matches in places like Blackville, to the ‘North of the Namoi’ astronomy night at Gunnedah, community barbecues at Warrah Creek, Marys Mount and Gowrie and just this week a community dinner at Bendemeer.

Other activities have included the planning and staging of “Healthy Farms, Healthy Farmers” forums, Mental Health, and Loss and Grief awareness evenings and environmental forums.

The results have exceeded perhaps all expectations:

• More than a dozen Landcare Groups have been supported and a couple of CEA branches and other groups have also received assistance.
• Several isolated communities have been re-invigorated and taken greater ownership of local issues, reforming progress associations etc.
• Landcare has been revitalised in the Catchment – the project facilitated the formation of the new Tamworth Urban Landcare Group and initiated and supported other Landcare activities.
• The holistic needs of landholders and rural residents have been recognised and given consideration, and mental health has been put on the same agenda as farming practices and drought preparedness education.
• Collaborations between non government agencies and government bodies has resulted in the provision of more community-focussed services.

The project has achieved a great deal and there are tangible improvements for many community groups. A two-year project was perhaps insufficient to meet the demands of the whole targeted
region.

With six months left in the life of the official project, there has been a change in staffing. The project’s original co-ordinator, Carolyn Bridge, has left to take up a position locally in community services in Gunnedah, and her role will be filled by LPLM’s Landcare Co-ordinator, Rachel Hill.

Rachel will be continuing the work of the project, concentrating on Landcare and community groups throughout the region. For any queries about the project, please contact Rachel Hill (LPLM) on: 6741 8316.