Demographic challenges in non-metropolitan Western Australia: Community development strategies in a neo-liberal economic environment

Many communities throughout nonmetropolitan Australia are experiencing change; changes in service delivery and infrastructure, changes in traditional industries and the industry mix, changes in the demographic and cultural mix of local residents and changes in local and political leadership. Some communities, particularly those in broadacre agricultural areas have experienced significant depopulation and struggle to remain viable, while others, particularly those on the coast, have experienced unprecedented population growth, creating pressure on the local economy, housing, infrastructure, long held traditions and social networks. It would appear that both types of communities often feel threatened and have grappled with change from a number of perspectives; some with more success than others. In the proposed article, the author will seek to understand why some com- munities have coped with change better than others and identify the inhibitors and facilitators enabling the optimisation of change for sustainable regional development. Related to this, is the need for greater exploration of the new styles of community leadership and strategies for continued commitment to capacity building and the creation of social capital in non metropolitan areas of Australia, particularly those experiencing change. The economic, social and environmental implications will be viewed as a set of issues that are indivisible from other policy pursuits. It is proposed that two regions will be examined, one that has been threatened by depopulation, such as the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia, and the other to be investigated will be one that has experienced significant coastal growth, such as the Capes region of South West, Western Australia. The coping mechanisms and the regional development strategies of each will be compared and contrasted. An anticipated outcome would be strategies that encourage greater collaboration between the policy makers, authorities and stakeholders, thereby enhancing the capabilities and capacities

Fly-in fly-out: The challenges of transient populations in rural landscapes

Australia has experienced a prolonged economic boom and Western Australia in particular has benefited from the growing Indian and Chinese economies and their demand for mineral resources. The renewed mining fervour in Western Australia has had far reaching impacts in rural regions. Some communities are overwhelmed by a new population connected with mining, bringing with it a range of social and economic stresses and strains that small communities in particular, are struggling to cope with. In other communities, particular those in remote areas where housing and infrastructure are not able to meet the demands of burgeoning industry, fly-in fly-out (FIFO) labour forces increasingly underpin a wide variety of industry sectors. The scale of the FIFO work force is not easy to ascertain as the Australian Census does not specifically capture this information and the fluidity of the workforce makes it difficult for local authorities to calculate the working population and its demands. With such peripatetic populations, regional authorities struggle to maintain a sense of community and infrastructure without a rate-paying resident population, while local resources are stretched and often unable to cope with the increased FIFO population using them. This chapter will discuss the population changes that are occurring in rural, regional and remote Western Australia and the opportunities and challenges these changes present

The Australian family farm: Is it soon to be an illusive myth?

This paper examines the challenges faced by Western Australian rural enterprises since 1961 and the effects of economic and demographic change on the agricultural industry over the last thirty years. Increasing capitalisation and technological advances have led to major shifts in the way the business of farming is conducted. There is evidence to suggest that these changes have contributed to an oversupply of agricultural products, the development of large-scale agri-business firms and a general depopulation of the agricultural sector. The family farm has always been considered the backbone of Australian agriculture but there is evidence to suggest that in this state the number of family farms has halved in the last 35 years. Furthermore, women are leaving that sector at twice the rate of men despite the fact that the number of women owning small businesses in the agricultural industry is increasing. This paper outlines a number of reasons for this examines the implications of these changes for the industry itself, government policy and society generally in this state

Farmer-driven innovation in agriculture: creating opportunities for sustainability

This research highlights the experiences of a selection of farmers in New South Wales in implementing innovative land management practices and processes. It shows the prevalence of independent testing and trialling, the time and resources needed to implement change, and the important ability of observing and responding to the landscape, whether this is through property redesign or management adaptations. This is no small task for farmers working at the interface of production and conservation, trying to balance the demands of both. The implementation of new practices and processes requires an ongoing process of innovation and change – something which is too often ignored when the focus is on the point of ‘adoption’. If researchers and policy makers could contribute to this effort through the creation of new opportunities, not only would an enabling environment for innovation be created, but also opportunities for sustainability. The importance of fostering ongoing innovation that enhances both agricultural productivity and sustainability cannot be overemphasised. With about seven billion people alive today, projections of population increases until approximately 2050, and growing concerns about the amount of, and quality of, land available for agriculture on earth, farmer driven innovation that promotes sustainability is crucial. This thesis is one small step in this critical endeavour

Delivering Enduring Benefits from a Gas Development: Governance and Planning Challenges in Remote Western Australia

This paper reviews the complex and multifaceted adjustment pressures being experienced by Onslow, a small, remote town in Western Australia's Pilbara, as a result of a large gas development. Some members of the community are enthusiastic about the opportunities that the gas industry will bring, although the majority are wary of the negative impacts of rapid growth and corporate dominance observed in other Pilbara towns during the mining boom. The paper reports on the strategies being utilised by the company, the different spheres of government and the local community representatives in order to come to an agreement about how to achieve enduring community value so that the aesthetic attributes of the town and quality of life in Onslow will be enhanced, while also accommodating a large constructive workforce which will leave within a short time (4 years). Using data collected about the Pilbara and the socio-economic impacts of the mining industry on other towns, the lessons learned from rapid growth elsewhere were applied in Onslow and the outcomes assessed and reported. It is evident that the community engagement strategies and the collaborative planning processes have been undermined by disconnects between commercial imperatives, governance frameworks, investment risk and timeframes

Statistical boundaries: A means by which the realities of rural decline in the Western Australian wheatbelt has been hidden

This paper will focus on a recent demographic study of the statistical subdivisions between Geraldton and Esperance and an ethnographic survey in that region, undertaken to understand the changes occurring in rural- communities. The paper will then examine the links between continuing depopulation trends and diminishing infrastructure, focusing on how these demographic changes impact on the daily lives of the Western Australian agricultural population, particularly women, and what effect these changes and government policy are having on the delivery of essential services. The overall population of the region from Geraldton south to Esperance in Western Australia, excluding the metropolitan area, has increased in the years between 1961 and 1996. The Australian Bureau of Statistics\u27 (ABS) twelve statistical divisions show fairly steady population growth and politicians and bureaucrats often cite these statistics as evidence of growth, vibrance and percipient regional planning. However, if the ABS statistical subdivisions are analysed even in a cursory manner, it is obvious that the increase in population has not been uniform. A small number of subdivisions show a significant population increase while the majority of inland subdivisions have experienced depopulation. Those divisions which are limited to agricultural production and can be defined as completely rural show a persistent decrease in population. The depopulation trend is exacerbated when the populations of regional towns in these more rural districts are excluded. For those rural dwellers living in the wheatbelt that stretches inland from Geraldton to Esperance the misinterpretation of the statistics has meant that regional issues and concerns are not properly understood by policy makers. There is a feeling that they are the \u27forgotten people\u27, less important than urban dwellers and the mining sector. Furthermore, there is evidence that shows that the rural population feels frustrated by Federal government policy because there is the presumption that the experience of rural Western Australia is necessarily the same as the ·rest of rural Australia