The changing nature of rural communities: policy-driven landuse change and the sustainability of rural communities

Changes in land use across rural Australia have significant implications for rural communities, socially, economically, and environmentally. Some of the changes are driven by explicit Government policies which have the potential to change landscapes, alter local and regional economies and change social dynamics. This fact sheet provides an overview of the objectives and outcomes of a research project which examined the potential impact on rural communities of policy-driven land use changes and developed a framework for Government to use to avoid contributing to the further decline of rural communities. Case studies of the Adjungbilly community near Gundagai NSW and a rural community within the Bourke district of western New South Wales compared and contrasted the diverse management approaches adopted during the introduction of land use changes.