Who can help

Help building stong local communities

A range of organisations can help you and your community.

• Your local government is a very good starting point. Many councils have Community Development Officers who can help you organise and access resources.
• The Queensland Department of Communities has offices across regional Queensland with staff able to advise and assist.
• Your regional Area Consultative Committee can provide advice and help you link with federal government support.

Some useful websites are:
communitybuilders.nsw
Our Community
A Commonwealth portal to a range of services and information
Strengthening Communities SA

There are good examples of Australian rural communities improving their situation in the following publications:

• A Kit for Small Town Renewal by Peter Kenyon and Allan Black in conjunction with Jim Cavaye, John Duff, Michael O’Meara, and Peter Palmer. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, 2001.
• Building Sustainable Communities – A Resource Kit (2002) Office of Regional Development, Government of South Australia. GPO Box 2862 Adelaide SA 5001

Economic help

• Local governments often have economic development staff who can assist in planning and implementing economic development strategies.
• The Queensland Department of State Development has funding programs and staff to foster business development and economic improvement in rural Queensland
• Your regional Area Consultative Committee can provide advice and help you link with federal government support
• Most regions in Queensland have local economic development corporations, such as the Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation, the Central Highlands Development Corporation, or Gulf Savannah Development that can assist.
• Commerce Queensland has regional branches that provide training, assist economic development and represent business.

Connecting with community and government help

• Most larger local governments have community development or economic development staff. You could look at community development plans on your council’s website or phone your council’s community development officer.
• Your regional Department of Communities office can assist you in involving local residents.
• The Department of Housing’s Community Renewal program operates in selected communities, including urban areas in southeast and regional Queensland and one remote Indigenous community.
• A range of community involvement resources and ‘toolkits’ are available. Some key ones are:
  • The Effective Engagement Toolkit was developed by the Victorian Department of Sustainability and the Environment.
  • The International Association of Public Participation – Australasia
  • communitybuilders.nsw
  • The Community Development Toolbox (PDF, 581KB) is an online support tool for communities to survey needs and plan community development.