The Rural Development Centre

Projects undertaken by the Centre fall within one or more of the following themes.

Adjustment of Rural Industries

Projects within this theme relate to the social and economic aspects of changes within the industries traditionally considered to be 'rural', namely agriculture, mining, and forestry. Recent and current projects in this theme include a study of the financial and family factors which can influence the entry of people to the occupation of farming; a survey of the factors influencing management succession and inheritance on family farms; and the publication of a book, A legacy under threat, which addresses concerns about the future of family farming in Australia.

Regional Community Adjustment and Development

Projects within this theme relate to the description and analysis of the impacts of changes in a broad range of economic and social forces on rural people and communities, and the responses of rural people and places to these changes.

Recent and current projects within this theme include an audit of sources of social data on rural Australia, a review of the theory and practice of leadership development in rural communities, and an analysis of community responses to structural changes in the forest industries.

Human and Community Services in Rural Areas

Industry and community adjustment and development in rural areas sometimes result in high costs in human terms. The extent of these costs and who bears them are often not well recognised. Even without structural change, the delivery of human and community services in rural areas faces problems that are different from those operating in metropolitan areas. Projects within this theme aim to improve the understanding of these factors for access, to and delivery of, services in rural areas.

Current and recent projects in this theme include an audit of selected human services in a representative rural region, an analysis of the availability of and needs for child-care services in rural New South Wales, a pilot study of how educational opportunities for older people might be extended in rural areas using the U3A (University of the Third Age) model, and a study of the access to government services of the residents of four rural regions.

Rural Policy Development

While work undertaken in each of the other themes can contribute to the development of improved policies and programs for rural people, projects which are primarily concerned with policy development are also undertaken. These usually involve the analysis and evaluation of existing policies and programs in order to improve their outcomes in rural areas.

Current and recent examples include an analysis of the operation of the Rural TASK program (a farm labour training program) in Queensland, a study of the policies and programs for supporting the well-being of farm families experiencing adjustment stress, a study of whether the concept of social capital might provide the grounds for place-specific rural policies, and a staff member's membership of the Special Rural Task Force on the impact of the Social Security assets tests on farm families.

Publicity and Outreach

Centre staff are conscious of the need to ensure that the results of its work are effectively communicated. This is achieved in a number of ways, including the publication of reports in the Centre's own monograph series, publishing in a range of academic and popular print media, presentations to and attendance at conferences, workshops and seminars, responding to requests from electronic media, and responding to requests for information and advice from a wide range of individuals, groups, and government departments and agencies.

A comprehensive collection of research summaries and downloadable research reports is maintained on the Centre's website. In the course of conducting its research and outreach work, Centre staff come in contact with a large number of rural Australians in their own element and going about their daily lives. This keeps our work closely informed by the context and concerns of rural people.

This page created and maintained by Jean Harris
jharri2@metz.une.edu.au

Last updated on 12 December 1999.
Copyright 1995, University of New England, Armidale 2351
New South Wales, Australia.