Many rural towns around Australia are in rapid decline. However, Peter Howarth is not about letting his town of Nundle go down the same path. Speaking at the General Assembly, Peter Howarth, a member of the Nundle community, outlined his experiences in helping to make a small rural town sustainable.
Prior to moving to Nundle, Peter and his family had lived in Sydney. However a change in lifestyle and pace, as well as the contemplation of semi retirement brought Peter and his wife to Nundle.
Nundle is located on the western fall of the Great Dividing Range, 50 kilometres south east of Tamworth. The town has a population of 250 people. It relies heavily on sheep and cattle grazing.
Nundle was the typical rural town in decline. The monopolies of the larger business, as well as the lure of the larger cities and towns led to a decline in population with the closure of small town businesses and essential services.
“I became interested in trying to improve the prosperity of Nundle,” Peter Howarth said. “Our property and marketing experience indicated this could be done by purchasing the properties and business which were for sale. Nundle Council has been very supportive and became more so after we pointed out that the town needed to do something to ensure the retention of essential services.
“The decline in a town’s viability is like cancer. Because it happens over a long period of time, the community tends not to be aware of it. The town gets weaker as you lose the businesses, services, community groups and people, all of which makes up a healthy, prosperous town. It is also important to recognise that it’s not usually one big industry or tourist attraction which is going to make a prosperous town, it’s lots of little things and different people that make the ‘whole’ function successfully.”
With their new purchases, Peter and his wife recognised the need to not only refurbish the buildings but to create businesses and activities which would attract people to Nundle. These projects gave the community confidence that it needed for the town to become sustainable again. Projects include the Nundle Woollen Mill, Cha Cha Cha licensed restaurant and Nundle Country Café, just to name a few.
“All of these things are impacting positively on the major goal to create jobs and attract tourists so that consumer spending and population growth returns and our essential services and businesses are maintained,” Peter said. “The common message is to plan, be creative, give the community ownership and do something. Remember there are three types of communities: ones that make things happen, ones that watch things happen and ones that wonder what happened.”
