Community Resilience
Strengthening Community Resilience through practical skills & planning
Capacity building - LEP23-024-006
The issue
Tenterfield Shire is one of the largest local government areas in NSW covering almost 7,200 sq Kms and supports a relatively small population, around 7,000 people. Its landscape is varied with a mix of scattered small villages, mountains and extensive rural properties. While agriculture is a major industry, residents have diverse occupations, a wide rage range of interests and availability. Targeting those interests in a timely fashion and delivering meaningful programs across such a large diverse region requires timing, careful planning and strategic local partnerships to ensure activities are relevant and well supported.
The solution
Granite Borders adopted a collaborative planning approach to address these challenges. We worked closely with community halls, local partners and volunteer organisations to identify community interests, potential venues, and a range of possible activities. Together we co-designed a series of practical, hands-on workshops that supported environmental works and aligned with local needs in respect to community resilience and well being along with targeted opportunities for natural resource management and education. Through the sharing of knowledge, experience and expertise, we have established a strong foundation for future on-ground projects, increased volunteer engagement and strengthened relationships with our partners.
The impact
The planning process has strengthened the relationship of Granite Borders Landcare with local community organisations and volunteers – ensuring a shared commitment on the delivery of our projects. Through this commitment to community engagement early in the planning process, we have got the word out quickly and increased public awareness of our future environmental and educational activities. This collaborative approach generates enthusiasm for our upcoming workshops and exposes the good work of Landcare to the larger community. This also underpins the long-term success of future projects the sustainability of Landcare across our region.
Key facts
- Collaborative planning establishes a strong foundation for future projects.
- Workshops that are co-designed will reflect local interests
- Activities planned across multiple locations will improve accessibility.
- Collaboration strengthens attendance, volunteer engagement and stakeholder relationships.