Economic Problems and Development Strategies in Australian Country Towns

Abstract

While the most commonly held image of country towns may be that evoked by Kenneth Slessor's portrayal of them, rural Australia today is characterized by a wide diversity of settlements, each differentiated in terms of its population size, geographical location, economic function, level of prosperity, and the extent and nature of its problems. In considering the wellbeing of rural centres, it is neither possible nor desirable to separate the economic from the sociodemographic, political, and geographical components. A clear interdependence exists between them. Moreover, the symbiosis of farms and country centres dictates that any commentary on the economic problems of country towns must be in the context of the broader issue of rural Australia. Thus, any definition or diagnosis which attempts to segment the nature of the economic problems in country towns is inappropriate. Resultant policy and planning responses will be limited and/or ineffective in their impact.