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Sustaining communities

The 2010 floods continue to have a deep effect in many rural communities throughout New South Wales and the ACT.

While the need for emergency assistance continues to be important, the long-term focus must also be on sustaining communities and building hope.

• Understanding the lack of services and systems in rural areas and how that leads to significant inequality in education, health, housing, business and mental health.
• Addressing how the floods and recent drought affect farming income. Declining farm income affects community businesses and the companies that provide the goods and services farmers need. Many non-farm businesses do not have the government support that farms are given. Local government expenditure is declining. The viability of villages and towns, the number of local businesses and the ability of local government to continue to provide services is also decreasing.
• Affirming the intrinsic worth of rural people and their way of life.
• Gathering community. The Uniting Church has already begun to use the ABCD (Asset Based Community Development) approach at community gatherings. These public meetings help the community to understand their strengths, their assets, their worth, and their contribution to the state and nation.
• Working with individuals to help ensure their wellbeing and ability to plan their future; empowering them so short-term and long-term goals can be set.
• Raising awareness of health issues through workshops on self-esteem, relationships, stress management, and mental health first aid.
• Providing specialist services or training not provided by other agencies.
• Developing strategies to attract businesses back to towns.
• Helping people make hard transitions in employment or living.
• Organising cultural and social exchanges between city and country. Unless exchanges occur there will be a lower degree of understanding and appreciation of the opportunities, needs and issue. The Synod of New South Wales and the ACT’s rural mission website has information for congregations interested in twinning.
• Working with rural communities to increase their ability to manage climatic change and agricultural readjustment.
• Support and strengthen government and non-government agencies as they work with rural communities and individuals.
• As a church, being with the people where they are; not only acknowledging their problems but following Jesus’ example and bringing healing, justice and compassion.

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