Bridging the Gap – Strategies for renewal in rural and remote communities

This population has also included the towns’ senior citizens that have been forced to move to larger cities because of a complete lack of suitable housing. As the decline in country towns has occurred the standard of housing has also declined significantly because of the ever-increasing disparity between the cost of construction and the resale (market) value of the house.

The need for housing

Given the market failure in country towns, the aging stock and the growing disparity between the cost of new housing and the actual market value, the provision of good standard appropriate accommodation is a difficult problem.

The effects of the lack of suitable and appropriate housing are: -

• A drift by people to bigger population centres
• Senior citizens forced to move to appropriate housing in larger regional centres
• An inability by employees to employ additional staff because of a lack of housing

In the small country towns there are few, if any, Community Organisations that are interested and well enough resourced to apply for, and manage, community housing. This leaves Councils faced with the decision to stand by and watch the continuing decline of their towns or become involved in the provision of suitable housing.

While public housing may be seen as the solution to the above, public housing design guidelines have not catered for local conditions ( eg. need for extended eaves, air conditioning etc ) and with management situated in centres over 700 kms away, long periods of vacancy occur as well as problems with abandonment and damage to property.

In the past provision of housing has been instituted on a purely cost effectiveness basis and until recently (the last 3-5 years) was mainly accented towards regional and metropolitan areas.

Recently this position has changed to provide housing more on a needs basis and to provide housing which is appropriate to meet the identified need.

Formation of a Regional Steering Committee and Elsewhere Housing Group

In 1991, four shires based in the south- west Queensland region formed what is known today as the Elsewhere Housing Group. (The name elsewhere, came from the weather person on the TV who, when detailing the weather would address the Darling Downs and Elsewhere regions. No doubt we are the elsewhere region.)

This group meets every three months and is attached to a similar meeting held in the south-west region also known as the SWRED (South West Regional Economic Development Board).

This organisation has further developed to include another three shires, and is now known as the Western region.

An Eastern region has recently been established incorporating a further six local authority regions, which meets three times per year.