Living Towns is currently conducting a Living Communities pilot in the Western Australian Wheatbelt town of Goomalling, 140km north east of Perth. You can examine the economic data collected by Living Communities Goomalling here.

Goomalling is a small town of 500 with another 500 people in the shire. Its primarily a broadacre cropping district with wheat, canola and other grains the primary source of income. It was chosen as our first pilot because of its size, location and the positive attitude of the town and its people towards innovation.

The purpose of the pilot is;

• to test the assumptions we have made about local economies and how they function best
• to apply overseas local economic models to an Australian rural context
• to promote the concept of local economic development as a necessary partner to regional economic development
• to continue to refine our model so it can be applied to other regional Australian towns.

This pilot has been supported financially by Australian philanthropist Dick Smith and his company Dick Smith Foods, the Shire of Goomalling and Goomalling and Districts Community Bank Branch of Bendigo Bank.

Community Cinema and Market Garden

Although the pilot’s main tool for discovering opportunities for local entrepreneurs, (an economic audit), is still in reporting phase, the community has already achieved much in the several months since the launch.  Two initiatives that are making significant progress are the Community Cinema, which was launched on October 16 and the planning stages of a Community Market Garden that will make a significant contribution to the local economy by supplying local residents and businesses with fresh affordable produce and also providing a point of interest for visitors and tourists. The shire’s support for the garden by offering land close to the town means that the garden may be operational within 6-8 months.

If you are interested in following the developments of the pilot please visit our Facebook page; Living Communities Goomalling

This project has been specifically supported by;