Building economic strength and sustainability
FRRR’s ability to support economic development is one of the things we are most proud of. It’s one of our distinguishing features that furthers our aims of rural, regional and remote renewal.
We support many communities that seek to strengthen or adapt their local economic drivers. After all, a sustainable community attracts resources, services and new residents. We have worked alongside some progressive communities to diversify their traditional local economy, like agriculture or mining, to focus on tourism opportunities, and other drought-impacted communities are embracing new technologies and enterprises to build financial stability.
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Firing up to generate income
In 1948 the Presbyterian missionaries established a craft room in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankanyytjatara (APY) Lands at the eastern end of the Musgrave Ranges in far north-west South Australia.
The first crafts produced were handloomed woven fabrics and hand-pulled and knotted floor rugs with a unique pattern that became known as ‘the Ernabella walka’ or ‘anapalayakuwalka’ (Ernabella's design).
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From these small beginnings, the Ernabella Arts Centre has grown to become the oldest continuously running – and one of the most successful – Indigenous arts centre in Australia.
Ernabella is perhaps best known for its ceramics, with many artists’ works featuring in shops and galleries across Australia, and in collections both here and overseas. Today, the Centre supports more than 100 artists and generates vital income for the community, which has very few local employment opportunities.
The ceramic artists include a core group of 25 young Aboriginal mothers. Unfortunately, they were unable to operate at capacity and did not have room for new members due to a faulty kiln. With the support of the Bertalli Family Foundation, FRRR’s Small Grants for Rural Communities program provided a grant of $4,640 that enabled a second kiln to be brought back into use.
Hannah Kothe, on behalf of Tjunkay Tapaya of Ernabella Arts, explains that its repair has been even more successful than they imagined.
“We had predicted and hoped for an increase of 45-50 percent within the first year, and an additional 50 percent by the second year, but amazingly this was achieved within the first year.
The flow on effect was an increase in art centre sales of 16 percent within the first year. This in turn returned $78,000 back to the 100+ artists of Ernabella Arts, many of whom are struggling single mothers who live below the poverty line.”
Focusing on our environment matters
The Falls Creek community in north eastern Victoria is economically dependent on tourism. Home to roughly 300 permanent residents, the township comes alive during the snow season, providing a huge economic boost for the community. But in the summer, it is a different story.
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The Falls Creek community understood that to achieve greater economic sustainability they needed to integrate, enhance and promote attractions that will encourage visitors all year round; not just during the winter.
The team at the Falls Creek Historical Society proposed the development of a digital guide exploring Falls Creek to encourage year-round tourism. They received a $3,000 Small Grants for Rural Communities grant, funded by the William Buckland Foundation, and used the local talent at Falls Creek Primary School to be the recorded guides.
The outcome of this is an incredible resource for locals and visitors to download online that showcases the region’s unique attractions and rich history that can be explored all year round.
Local change-makers graduate
An amazing group of up-and-coming entrepreneurs graduated from the Social Change 101 program in December 2017. With funding from the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund, FRRR engaged Sue Gold & Associates (who managed and delivered the 2017 programs under an auspice agreement with Mansfield Adult and Community Education). They were commissioned to deliver the Social Change 101 program in regions impacted by the 2009 Victorian bushfires.
Over five months, participants from the Mitchell and Murrindindi areas built the skills, knowledge, confidence and networks they needed to create credible business plans to guide the start-up or growth of their social enterprises. We look forward to hearing about the progress of their projects, which range from tool libraries to tiny houses.
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