Small town renewal: overview and case studies: a report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation

Although long term economic, technological and social factors have resulted in the decline of many small inland towns in Australia, other such towns have successfully implemented a range of survival and revival strategies. This has resulted in positive outcomes for residents in terms of quality of life and economic opportunities. This publication is designed to assist others to learn from the experiences of fourteen of these towns, each of which has a population of less than 3,000 people. While these towns vary among themselves in history and geography, there are some recurring elements in the processes of their social and economic revitalisation. As well as examining these particular processes, this publication provides information on a wide range of resources that are available to assist rural communities in developing strategies appropriate to their own situations.