SEP06-07

Page 1

Monitor The

Your Community Newspaper ~ Roxby Downs

www.themonitor.com.au

Phone (08) 8671 2683

Fax (08) 8671 2843

Volume 4, Thursday 6th September, 2007

OUT BACK BURN OUT Written by Les Rochester

O

utback communities not covered by Local Government have strongly voiced their concerns about the sub-standard facilities provided to them and the ‘burn out’ rate of the volunteers that administer the communities. The results are contained in ‘The Community Engagement’ report just compiled by Margaret Heylen, Community Consultation Facilitator for the Outback Areas Community Development Trust. Public comment on the report will close tomorrow. The feedback will be collated with the original report and will form part of the advice to the Minister for Local Government Relations, Jennifer Rankine so that she can make a decision on any proposed changes to how the outback is governed. In June, the Minister together with the Trust, initiated a review of governance structures for local governance in the outback areas. As at the 2006 ABS Census, the outback areas population was approximately 5000 people living in about 2300 “households” in small communities and townships, and scattered across large pastoral areas.

The population data excludes the towns of Roxby Downs, Coober Pedy, and the Aboriginal lands. The review was initiated in response to the many challenges outback areas communities report they are facing, for example due to the mining and tourism boom in some areas, and dwindling populations in other areas. The key issues emerging in the outback areas relate to the minimum levels and standards of service provision, and sustainability of projects, volunteer burnout due to reliance on a few individuals, greater expectations for management, and a greater need for compliance with increasing regulatory functions. Other feedback included the limited capacity, skills, knowledge and expertise of the volunteers to perform certain functions, the unmanageable administrative burden, and training needs and planning and development issues, particularly in areas where populations are rapidly increasing. The aim of the review was to look at the formal capacity of the Trust to respond adequately to the needs of the outback areas, and to propose possible future options for updated governance arrangements for the Trust. 52 people attended a Community Forum and 79 written responses were received. Continued on Page 4

Above: Sunset over the Port Victoria Jetty on the Yorke Peninsula.

Inside today: 8 page tourism guide lift-out on South Australia’s magnificent Yorke Peninsula. See pages 11 - 18.

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SEP06-07 by The Monitor Inc - Issuu