Samantha O’Toole is anxiously awaiting the 2021 census data to be released mid-year.
Acutely aware that population figures underpin financial support for services such as health and education, the Balonne Shire mayor has taken a “holistic approach” to ensuring its growth.
Digital connectivity, exclusion fencing, agtech/innovation, the Country Universities Centre and, crucially, a mentoring program have been among initiatives implemented.
While anecdotally Cr O’Toole can see a population upswing through bustling streets and swelling school numbers, she is looking forward to receiving the official data in June.
“Going back four to five years, the council picked some key projects that we felt were going to be instrumental in changing the projection of our future,” she said.
“The digital connectivity project was essential because we wanted farmers and businesses to have access to high-speed internet.
“Exclusion fencing allowed a return to small stocking and commerciability for some of the producers.
“And, the mentoring program allowed people to adapt but also to look at what are their future opportunities?
“In combination, it has all had a very positive impact for our growers, graziers and producers.”
Balonne Shire chief executive officer Matthew Magin said the mentoring program had been instrumental in improving the region’s economic and social development.
Now in its fourth year, Mr Magin said its aims had shifted over time to reflect the seasonal conditions.
In 2019, through the “worst year of drought in some people’s living memory”, the focus was on diversification through crop varieties, improving water efficiencies and sustainability.
“Farmers were in survival mode,” Mr Magin said.
But, since rain arrived on Australia Day 2020 – with average falls recorded since – the shire has returned to its agricultural prime, which changed the direction of the mentoring program.
Commercialisation, new technologies, succession planning and value-adding became the focus of the 53 participants in 2021, 25 of whom were from the agricultural/ agritourism and horticultural sector.
“An example of value-adding came from one of Australia’s largest garlic farms, which also grows onions and broccoli on their mixed-farming enterprise.
“Last year they came up with the idea of marketing a 100 percent Australian dried garlic product.
“So, it’s really about, what were those opportunities that businesses could see going forward and how we support them through the mentoring program to capitalise on those.
“When you think that 80pc of our economy is agriculture the flow-on effect to the town is this … if the farms are doing well, in theory, everyone else in the community is going to do well.”
In all, 21 participants are confirmed for this year’s program and Cr O’Toole expects the focus to shift once more, with a specialist agricultural advisory project manager engaged.
“If it continues to rain through 2022, now is a great time to consolidate,” she said.
“There is an opportunity to go to the next level or hand over to the kids or to diversify, which you probably have the capital to do at the moment.
“So, it’s a very interesting time to be starting this round because businesses are of a much different mindset than they were last round or even the round before.
“I guess when you’re in survival mode, you’re not necessarily thinking about five years down the track, you’re thinking about the next six months.
“I think that’s where things are going to be a little bit different now. There is that longer term plan. The overall aim though is to ensure people are in a position to make the best decisions.”
Cr O’Toole said the mentoring program had been the shire’s shining light, with many councils querying their secret to success.
“When you think cumulatively over the four rounds of the number of businesses we have been able to assist, I think it’s really fantastic,” she said.
“And, when you look at other government projects, this is not a huge financial injection into Balonne, but the return on investment for the State and federal governments has been massive.
“And, I’m not saying we have the right, complete formula but we’ve been pretty good at it the past couple of years.”
