Y20 Wheatbelt Summit Report
Copies of this report are
www.rdawheatbelt.com.au
available
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download
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Wheatbelt
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If you would like more informaon about the Y20 Wheatbelt Summit or this report please contact RDA
Wheatbelt’s Administraon Office on [email protected] or Phone (08) 9575 1888.
Acknowledgments
RDA Wheatbelt would like to sincerely thank the following people for their parcipaon in the Y20
Wheatbelt Summit:
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x
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The Honourable Mia Davies MLA, Minister for Water; Forestry, Deputy Leader of the Naonal
Party of Australia (WA) and Member for the Central Wheatbelt.
Jenni Collard, Execuve Director, Business and Social Development, Department of Regional
Development
Wendy Newman, Chief Execuve Officer, Wheatbelt Development Commission
Paul Rosair, Leader in regional development policy and acon
Tiffany Davey, Y20 Wheatbelt Summit delegate
Event Sponsors
RDA Wheatbelt devised the Y20 Wheatbelt Summit concept and was responsible for the organisaon of
the event with support from an event coordinator. RDA Wheatbelt was the primary funder of the event.
RDA Wheatbelt would like to thank and acknowledge the event’s support sponsors:
x
x
The Department of Regional Development
Hot FM 105.1, RadioWest AM 918 Narrogin and RadioWest AM 1098 Merredin
Disclaimer
This report was prepared by RDA Wheatbelt Inc. in conjuncon with event coordinator, Jodie Mortadza
of Consult Innovate Create.
Please note that the views, opinions and perspecves presented in this document do not necessarily
represent the views of the Australian Government, its officers, employees or agents. Any representaon,
statement or opinion expressed or implied is made in good faith and on the basis that the commiee,
Government, its employees and agents are not liable for any damage or loss whatsoever which may
occur as a result of acon taken or not taken, as the case may be, in respect of any representaon,
statement, opinion or advice referred to herein. Professional advice should be obtained before applying
the informaon contained in this document to parcular circumstances.
Delegate discussion may have been edited within the document to focus on key points. Whilst care was
taken to understand and respect the context, this may have been interpreted differently to what was
intended.
Contents
Acknowledgements and Sponsors
Execuve Summary
Vision 2034
Conference Background
Program Overview
Session Highlights
Growth and Jobs Creaon
Sustainable Development
My Wonderful Wheatbelt
Vision for the Wheatbelt 2034
Overview of Key Themes & Alignment with
Regional Planning
Recommendaons
Delegates
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
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36
Execuve Summary
On 10 July 2014, 32 young leaders represenng communies from across the Wheatbelt,
convened at the Joondalup Resort for the inaugural Y20 Wheatbelt Summit.
The conference was organised and funded by Regional Development Australia (RDA) Wheatbelt
Inc. The primary aim in undertaking this iniave was to provide an opportunity to hear from this
cohort of young leaders, on how they view current and emerging issues impacng on the region
and what soluons could be considered to help overcome these barriers.
The Y20 Wheatbelt Summit was held in early July to coincide with the Y20 Australia Summit, on
which it had been modelled. The two main themes of for the event – Growth and Jobs Creaon
and Sustainable Development – corresponded with the themes that were adopted for the Y20
Australia Summit but the focus of these topics was tailored to suit the Wheatbelt context.
The Y20 Wheatbelt Summit program included a mix of informaon giving and informaon
extracng exercises. Inspiraonal key note speeches were given from a former Australian rules
footballer, a Wheatbelt young person and the Summit Patron, the Honourable Mia Davies. A
hypothecal acvity, group discussions and an arsc visioning exercise provided the opportunity
for delegates to provide their valuable input into important regionally focussed discussions.
Networking and informaon sharing was encouraged through the interacve program and
through the Summit dinner, which ended the event.
The insights provided by the Y20 Wheatbelt delegates throughout the day, show that not only are
young people in the region aware of the issues/barriers impeding growth in the region but they
also have informed opinions about how we can make the Wheatbelt a beer place to live, work
and invest now and into the future.
Priories
Below is a summary of the priority areas of focus for a sustainable and well provisioned Wheatbelt, idenfied by delegates:
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Health: Improve access to local medical services including GP’s and specialist health
professionals.
Educaon: Improve the quality of locally based educaon, increase course opons (and
accessibility) and consider educaon as an industry growth opportunity.
Youth Engagement: There needs to be a greater recepvity and commitment to engage
young people in decision making in addion to proacvely providing opportunies to share
their perspecves and ideas.
Employment: Reducing barriers to accessing employment and raising awareness of
regional opportunies, is important to retaining young people.
Industry: Explore, diversify and grow a range of feasible industries consistent with the
region’s assets.
Transport: Ulise the exisng rail network to increase freight movements and improve
public transport systems between the region and the metro area.
Responsible Growth: Growing the populaon is important but it should not come at the
expense of the valued lifestyle in the region.
Vision 2034
A strong associaon with and connectedness to the region was evident amongst the delegates.
But what will this region look like in 20 years’ me? Delegates said that in their ideal, the
Wheatbelt will have:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
More social and community opportunies catering for a diverse range of interests
A high standard of educaon available within the region
Diverse and excing employment opportunies
Improved health services coupled with healthier communies
Greater usage of renewable energy sources
Improved transport opons for freight and passenger use
A diverse and strong agricultural industry
Conference Background
Raonale
The Y20 Wheatbelt Summit was modelled on the Youth 20 (Y20) iniave, which is the official
youth engagement group of the G20. The Y20 provides a plaorm for young people among G20
members to communicate with world leaders about the issues that are important to young
people - both raising concerns and proposing soluons. More importantly it provides a
framework for G20 youth to take ownership of the soluons they generate with the most recent
held in Brisbane, July 2014. RDA Wheatbelt’s intenon was to replicate this with the Y20
Wheatbelt Summit at a local level.
The Summit was held on Thursday 10 July 2014, during the mid-year school holidays. In addion
to planning around seasonal work and study commitments this meframe was selected to
coincide with the Australian Y20 Summit, which took place in Sydney from 12 to 15 July 2014.
Objecves
The primary objecves of the Y20 Wheatbelt summit were:
x
x
x
x
x
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To gain the perspecve of a different cohort (i.e. young people) to that which is normally
consulted, with regard to how we can resolve current and emerging issues/barriers
impeding the social and economic development of the Wheatbelt region
To explore what opportunies exist for our region now and 10 to 20 years in to the future,
from the perspecve of those who will likely benefit from and/or be the insgators of such
opportunies
To produce a graphic representaon of young people’s vision for the Wheatbelt in 2034,
which will serve as a visual reminder of what they aspire to achieve
To seek input as to how young people can be more effecvely and willingly engaged to
make the Wheatbelt a beer place to live and work
To provide an opportunity for young people to network and make valuable connecons
To produce a resource (the Summit report) for consideraon in future planning for the
region
Summit Themes
The Y20 Wheatbelt Summit was designed to explore soluons to current and emerging issues/
barriers, opportunies for growth and an aspiraonal Vision for the region.
The Summit adopted two of the Y20 Australia themes - ‘Growth and Jobs Creaon’ and
‘Sustainable Development’. The theme of growth and jobs creaon focused on economic
opportunies for the Wheatbelt and explored barriers and soluons to accessing quality
employment and educaon in the region. The sustainable development theme focused on how
the right level of service and amenity could be provided to Wheatbelt communies in a
responsible and sustainable way.
Giving Young People a Voice
To encourage ‘outside of the box’ thinking a hypothecal
acvity started the proceedings of the day, which was designed
to encourage the parcipants to think about economic
opportunity unrelated to agriculture as this is sll predominantly what people think of when they consider industry in the
Wheatbelt.
Summit Patron
The Honourable Mia Davies MLA, Minister for Water, Forestry;
Deputy Leader of the Naonal Party of Australia (WA); and
member for the Central Wheatbelt accepted the role of the
Y20 Wheatbelt Summit Patron. Ms Davies was an obvious
choice owing to her widely recognised, down to earth
approach and as a young person who had grown up in the
Wheatbelt region and achieved great success.
Parcipants
The Y20 Wheatbelt Summit delegates were selected through a
nominaon process. Nominees had to be aged between 15 and
19 years at the me of the event and reside in the Wheatbelt
region (this includes young people who board away during the
school/University terms). They also needed to have acvely
demonstrated leadership skills; contributed to their
community (e.g. through a contribuon toward environmental
iniaves, events, volunteering or advocacy); and/or be
commied to personal endeavors (e.g. educaon, sports, arts,
dance etc.).
Nominaon packs were promoted across the Wheatbelt
through Local Governments, Schools, various youth stakeholders, e-newsleers, regional papers and radio. Nominees could
self-nominate or be nominated by someone else. The
nominaon process required responses to a number of
quesons including the nominee’s interest/passion in the
Wheatbelt region and what they would potenally gain from
aending the event.
The caliber of the nominees was of an exceponally high
standard. In total 32 nominees were invited to parcipate in
Y20 Wheatbelt and all accepted.
“Alternave farming is a real industry opportunity. Narrogin is already
the biggest shiitake mushroom grower in the southern hemisphere”
Program Overview
The Y20 Wheatbelt Summit program was designed to allow for maximum engagement with the
delegates in discussing potenal soluons to issues impacng on the region and to accommodate
valuable networking and interacon amongst the parcipants and invited guests.
Input gained through the interacve sessions, which was the primary focus for the event, is provided in the “Session Highlights” secon of this report.
Other acvies included in the program and which will not be further elaborated on included:
Welcome to Country Ceremony: Presented by Ingrid Cumming from Kart Koort Wiern. Ingrid
started the day with a movang and engaging ceremony that included a Noongar song of which
the delegates provided the background beat. Ingrid informed the delegates of the meaning
behind the ceremony and shared her family connecon to the Joondalup area and Wheatbelt
region.
RDA Wheatbelt’s Chair opening address: Chairperson, Graham Cooper welcomed the delegates
from across the Wheatbelt acknowledging the importance of their contribuon to the event.
Graham provided informaon about Regional Development Australia (RDA) and how RDA
Wheatbelt valued the input of young people into regional planning, recognising this was oen
overlooked by regional stakeholders.
Keynote Presentaon by Andrew Embley, former West Coast Eagles star: Andrew shared his journey of success as an elite athlete. He discussed the importance of team work, having a vision
(both personally and professionally), as well as working hard and staying commied to achieve
goals. He talked about the challenges he had experienced and how he overcome these and the
mentors that had supported his journey and made a difference. Andrew also provided insight into
his new career direcons and goals; recognising that he would connue to many more excing
challenges aer rering from the world of professional football.
Being Heard and Making a Difference as a Wheatbelt Young person: Tiffany, a 17 year old Y20
Wheatbelt Summit delegate from Konnogorring near Wongan Hills, shared her perspecves on
the hardships being faced by farming families in the Wheatbelt. Tiffany explained her own
family’s personal challenges and how they rallied together to move forward. She also spoke of
her high level goals relang to consumer awareness and how they can make beer informed
choices to support the agriculture industry.
Keynote Presentaon by Y20 Wheatbelt Summit Patron, Honourable Mia Davies MLA: Mia spoke
candidly about her experiences growing up in the Wheatbelt, the life choices she made as a
young person and her rise in polics as a young leader. Mia also shared the challenges that came
with each new opportunity, the steps she took to overcome these and how they also helped her
grow as a person and leader.
“If there was no wheat then it couldn’t be called the
Wheatbelt … it would just be the Belt”
Arst, Campbell Whyte: Campbell’s role for the day was to capture various moments and
delegate contribuons through visual art. Campbell joined in group sessions and sketched some
of the delegates and their ideas. Campbell’s primary task for the day was to produce the
“Visioning the Wheatbelt 2034” artwork.
Can of Worms Panel Session: A panel of regional experts were invited to parcipate in a panel discussion, addressing quesons provided by delegates. The panel members were the Y20 Wheatbelt Summit Patron Honourable Mia Davies, MLA; Jenni Collard, Execuve Director
Business
and Social Development, Department of Regional Development; Paul Rosair,
experienced
leader in regional development policy and acon; and Wendy Newman, Chief
Execuve
Officer, Wheatbelt Development Commission. The primary aim of this session was to provide an
opportunity for delegates to ask and receive answers to, pernent quesons of key regional
stakeholders/leaders of the Wheatbelt region.
Session Highlights
The following secon provides a summary of each session and includes select verbam
comments to capture the candid feedback provided by delegates. If you are interested in reading
addional comments from delegates provided during each session please refer to Appendix B.
Hypothecal Acvity – “A Wheatbelt with no Wheat”
Five delegates volunteered to parcipate in a Hypothecal Acvity exploring a future Wheatbelt
with no agricultural industry. Delegates were asked to consider what industry would exist, where
people would work and most importantly, if they would sll want to live in a “Wheatbelt with no
Wheat”. The detailed script for this acvity is provided in Appendix A.
Aims
To explore and idenfy alternave industries and employment opportunies for the Wheatbelt
outside of the agriculture industry.
Summary:
Inially the concept of a Wheatbelt with no agriculture industry was hard for delegates to accept.
Once ideas started to flow, however, the industry opportunies were idenfied freely. Concepts
building on the regions assets such as eco and adventure tourism, alternave energy generaon,
manufacturing/fabricaon, alternave/specialist agriculture (e.g. growing Shiitake mushrooms in
Narrogin) and expansions in to new mining acvity (e.g. salt and uranium) were all suggested as
potenal industry opportunies for the Wheatbelt.
Delegates acknowledged that employment opportunies are essenal to aract young people
back to the region or keep them in the region. Employment growth opportunies idenfied by
delegates were aligned with future and exisng industry opportunity.
A strong associaon with and connectedness to the agricultural industry of the Wheatbelt was
clearly evident amongst the delegates. The open spaces and lifestyle afforded to people who live
in the Wheatbelt is highly valued and whilst it was acknowledged that populaon growth is
necessary to ensure the survival of the region, this growth needs to be balanced with retaining
the natural environment and lifestyle advantages of the region.
1)
2)
“The space and the environment is what makes the Wheatbelt
great and if this is lost it would not be an appealing place to live”
Growth and Jobs Creaon
This session saw delegates being assigned to groups to workshop six quesons relang to growth
and jobs creaon in the region.
Aims
To idenfy economic opportunies for the Wheatbelt and explore barriers and soluons to
accessing quality employment and educaon in the region.
Summary
1)
If a lack of employment opportunies is a deterrent to living in the Wheatbelt, what can be
done to change this?
The emergence of new and more diverse industry in the Wheatbelt was viewed as the
primary opportunity to improve access to employment opportunies in the region.
Adopng technology to enable different ways of working and being educated was also
viewed as a viable opportunity to enable people who are isolated and/or have family or
other consideraons that prevent them from working in more tradional ways, to
parcipate in the workforce.
Public transport was noted as a barrier to people; (a) working in a community outside of
their place of residence and who do not have access to alternave means of transport and;
(b) to those living in the region and commung to Perth for work. The lack of suitable
housing was also noted as a barrier to people wanng to live and work in the region as
current accommodaon stock does not cater to various living requirements.
Incenves for people who are trained/educated outside of the region to work in the
Wheatbelt post compleon of their qualificaon and an awareness raising campaign highlighng the benefits of living and working in the region, where cited as opportunies to
encourage more people to access employment in the Wheatbelt.
2)
If a lack of educaon opportunies is a downfall of living in the Wheatbelt, what can be
done to change this?
Increasing the quality, diversity and accessibility to course content within Wheatbelt
schools is an evident need from the perspecve of the Y20 Wheatbelt delegates. Providing
opportunies for on the job learning through school based traineeships and apprenceships appears to be an aracve opon but there is an apparent lack of willingness
amongst local businesses to parcipate in these schemes.
The costs of parcipang in post-compulsory educaon is a concern for Wheatbelt young
people, who not only have to cover tuion costs but also addional living costs associated
with moving away from home if the course they are undertaking is not available within the
region. Opportunies to access funding support was given as a potenal soluon to this
challenge, parcularly if the course relates to a field of study where workforce shortages
exist or are expected to occur in the region in future.
“We need more people to come so that our towns are thriving but there
needs to be a balance because we don’t want it to become too urbanised”
3)
How can we ulise young people as valuable human
capital in the Wheatbelt?
There was a sense amongst delegates that they are not
given an opportunity to have input or make a difference
to their communies because Local Governments were
not inclusive or encouraging of young people. Youth
Advisory Councils or other mechanisms aimed at
specifically engaging with young people in Wheatbelt
communies was suggested as one way to beer ulise
the talents and alternave views of young people.
Providing greater access to mentoring opportunies for
young people in the region was seen as desirable.
4)
Aside from agriculture, what industries do you think
should be invested in, in the Wheatbelt and why?
This queson expanded on the discussions held during
the earlier hypothecal acvity and idenfied many of
the same industry opportunies. Specifically, delegates
idenfied opportunies such as salt mining, eco and
adventure tourism, transport and rail (for freight and
passengers), carbon farming and manufacturing/
fabricaon were all suggested as real industry
opportunies for the Wheatbelt. Technology
advancements were seen to be an enabler of new
industry development in the region as barriers
associated with distance to markets are significantly
reduced.
5)
How can the Wheatbelt access and benefit from emerging global markets?
Delegates acknowledged that high producon costs in
Australia and challenges around export, parcularly in
the livestock industry, are potenal barriers to accessing global markets. Niche and high quality products
would help to overcome these barriers as internaonal
consumers would be willing to pay a higher price for a
premium product. Broadening posive internaonal
relaons and markeng the Wheatbelt to internaonal
investors were seen to be avenues to improving access
to global markets. Hosng community events/field days
specifically targeng internaonal markets and
introducing exchange programs to enable internaonal
customers to learn about the region and the products it
offers, were suggesons on how to improve access and
to benefit from emerging global markets.
“Provide public transport as this is a barrier and if overcome could mean
people would stay in the Wheatbelt and work in the metropolitan region”
6)
What can be done to encourage people to relocate to the Wheatbelt?
The lack of employment opportunies was cited as a primary deterrent to moving to or
staying in the Wheatbelt. Improving access to more diverse employment opportunies either within the region or through improved transport to allow commung to Perth or other
areas was felt to be a logical soluon to aracng people to the region.
It was felt that improving telecommunicaons across the region to enable access to alternave employment and educaonal opons as well as improving social amenity in the region would be a possible soluon to this challenge. The provision of beer health services
across the region was also felt to be a soluon as this was currently felt to be a deterrent to
people moving to the Wheatbelt.
Delegates felt that more effort needs to be dedicated to beer promong the region to
change percepons/stereotypes and encourage more people to move to the area. School
excursions for city based young people to experience the region, targeted community
events and acvies for people outside of the region and terary student work placements
in the region were all suggested as avenues to beer promote the Wheatbelt and change
percepons.
Sustainable Development
For the purposes of this session delegates assigned themselves to groups to discuss soluons to
challenges in six key areas – Health and Well-being, Educaon, Social Amenity, Workforce
Development, Environment and Industry. Delegates were then asked to priorise the soluons
and to determine how they would allocate funding within the region to enable these soluons to
be implemented. Two funding opons were presented – provide all 43 Wheatbelt Local
Governments with a small amount of money to implement a local soluon or provide a larger sum
of money to a small number of Local Governments, where the highest need had been idenfied or
greatest reach could be achieved.
Aims
To explore how the right level of service and amenity can be provided to Wheatbelt communies
and ensure that this is done in both a responsible and sustainable way.
Summary
1)
Social Amenity
The heritage of Wheatbelt communies was a focus for this group, with opportunies to celebrate the history of the region through more community events and stac displays, considered a
priority. Providing more cultural and arsc pursuits for young people such as dance and drama
programs along with more funding to sport and recreaon facilies were also discussed as priories in terms of providing the right level of social amenity in the region. It was recognised by this
group that passionate people are usually the driving force behind establishing any new programs
or opportunies in Wheatbelt communies.
‘The Wheatbelt needs to have a bigger emphasis on sports, music and arts in schools. Not
many opons to parcipate in art or music. We need to encourage arts/cultural
involvement in young people!’
‘To get things started in a community you need someone willing to get it going and have the
passion to keep at it; we need passionate people to drive communies’
“Local businesses need to increase opportunies for traineeships,
apprenceships and work experience”
The group focusing on social amenity felt that in allocang funding to the region to address social
amenity challenges, each Local Government should be given an equal share rather than invesng
in bigger/beer facilies in a few locaons. This was viewed as the “fair thing to do” and the delegates suggested that a bit of seed funding would be sufficient to get something started, which
through fundraising or access to other grants/funding, could enable quality facilies/programmes
in all communies rather than just the bigger regional centres.
2)
Educaon
This group felt that access to University level educaon within the region was essenal.
Incenves whereby a student’s educaon would be paid for (or subsidised) if they commied to a
certain length work placement within the region post-compleon would encourage people who
have to leave the region for educaon to come back. This group also felt that to improve the
number and quality of teachers in the Wheatbelt, offering aracve packages/incenves should
be explored in addion to compulsory country placements for all graduate teachers.
In funding educaonal improvements in the region, this group felt that an equal allocaon of
funds to all Wheatbelt communies was desirable as channelling money in to improving schools
in regional centres only, le smaller communies behind.
‘The cost of the educaon is not the main issue here. It is the relocang and boarding that costs big
money.’
‘They could have specialist teachers who can deliver specialist subjects who tour the schools and
teach in 5 schools once per week so that small schools can have the subject selecon of bigger
schools. ‘
‘We have to move for schooling and adjust to a new lifestyle. Why would we put ourselves through
that twice to readjust back to the life we had and move back to the Wheatbelt? If you want to keep
us here educaon is where you need to start. Opons here will mean we stay here. ‘
‘SIDE is not a good delivery method of learning. It is isolated and physically demanding. I have never seen any of my teachers. They check in once a week by phone’.
3)
Workforce Development
To tackle workforce development challenges in the region this group felt that a community skills
audit was necessary to determine what qualificaons/skills already exist in the region and to then
compare this to what job vacancies exist. This would allow for training/development offered in
the region to correlate with demand and/or for industry to be developed that aligns with the
skills set available in the region.
Scholarships for apprenceships/traineeships, supported work placement programs for new
refugees and their families, the provision of adequate housing and access to support to aain
drivers licenses and other ckets (e.g. fork li) were also discussed as opons to overcome
workforce development challenges in the region.
“To get things started in a community you need someone willing to get it going and
have the passion to keep at it; we need passionate people to drive communies”
This group again felt that an equal distribuon of funding across all 43 Local Government’s as opposed to focusing greater amounts of funding on iniaves addressing areas of higher need/
impact was the best method of allocang resources to address workforce challenges.
“Support work placement program (such as MADEC) which links new refugees (and families)
to agricultural jobs as well as increases the populaon of regional towns”
4)
Industry
Renewable energy, Wheatbelt based manufacturing industry and an expanded rail network for
freight and passenger movements were viewed by this group as the primary Industry development
opportunies for the region. Connuing to grow the agricultural industry was also seen to be important.
Unlike the previous three groups, this group determined that a funding model that saw a larger
sum of money go toward a smaller number of communies/iniaves would be far beer value
for money as it is not possible to adequately support 43 smaller facons.
‘The fact that coal makes so much money shouldn’t be an excuse not to develop renewable
energy’.
‘Stop moving manufacturing overseas and use our space to develop a strong manufacturing
industry – more export less import’
5)
Health & Well-being
This group felt that more doctors and specialists medical praconers are needed across the
Wheatbelt. Introducing free exercise classes to tackle obesity and unhealthy lifestyle choices was
seen as a prevenve measure that could be taken to reduce the prevalence of health related
issues in the region. Building the skills and awareness of residents in areas such as first aid and
mental health were addional preventave health measures considered. It was suggested that
free first aid courses should be on offer in all schools.
This group felt that all 43 Local Governments should receive equal amounts of funding for health
related intervenons to help smaller communies grow rather than having everything concentrated in regional centres.
‘More doctors in small communies will reduce the amount of travel and risky transfers. A
doctor in a community can make a huge difference, helping a number of people and being
available for emergencies’
‘Increase prices on fast food to stop people eang badly and reduce obesity levels’
“The cost of the educaon is not the main issue here. It is the relocang
and boarding that costs big money.”
6)
Environment
This group explored the potenal of renewable energy generaon
(wind and solar) and felt that this was currently an underulised
resource in the region, which could be advanced for economic as
well as environmental benefit. Incenves for farmers to seek more
sustainable pracces and revegetaon of unused land, through a
buy back scheme from farmers where suggested as potenal soluons to improving environmental sustainability in the region.
This group discussed the two proposed funding allocaon models
and felt that providing a larger sum of money to a small number of
projects/communies would be preferable as it would allow larger
scale iniaves to be implemented which would have flow on impacts to smaller communies.
‘Environmental issues include salinity and the compacon
from animals making the soil become unusable’
‘Design 4WD tracks to deter 4WD tourists and enthusiasts
from destroying the bushland’
‘Farmers to use a machine that shows how much they are
contribung to saving the environment, likely to use (more
precauon).’
‘Tourism opportunity could be to visit environmental staons and small scale environment farms’
Song wrien by one group
of Y20 delegates:
Chorus:
Bloom where you’re planted,
don’t take it for granted. If
you don’t love where you
live, live where you love.
Verse 1:
Making the most out of a
lile. Cause in the Wheatbelt
lile is huge. Look out for
your neighbours as they are
in the same boat as you.
My Wonderful Wheatbelt
Delegates were divided into six groups where they were asked to
discuss what they thought was great about living, working and doing business in the Wheatbelt and express their views using one of
three creave mediums; Song, Podcast or Film Adversement.
Aims
To explore and promote (through a creave medium) what is great
about living, working and doing business in the Wheatbelt.
Summary
Through the various mediums, delegates idenfied the many and
varied things that they love above the Wheatbelt. Desirable traits
of individual communies were highlighted (e.g. food
fesval in
Toodyay, wale fesval in Dalwallinu and the moto track in Goomalling) but the most commonly cited aspects of the Wheatbelt
that the delegates love were the lifestyle, clean air, open spaces,
beauful landscapes and the sense of community.
“An asset of the Wheatbelt is affordable space and therefore moving manufacturing
and fabricaon industries to the region could have mutual benefits”
Vision for the Wheatbelt 2034
Delegates were asked to individually idenfy their vision for the Wheatbelt in 20 years’ me and
share this with the group. As the delegates described what their ideal Wheatbelt would look like in
2034, a local Perth arst sketched images to provide a visual representaon of their vision.
Aim
To idenfy a vision for the Wheatbelt in 2034.
Summary
Delegates said that their ideal Wheatbelt would have:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
More social and community opportunies catering for a diverse range of interests.
A high standard of educaon available within the region.
Diverse and excing employment opportunies.
Improved health services coupled with healthier communies.
Greater usage of renewable energy sources.
Improved transport opons for freight and passenger use.
A diverse and strong agricultural industry.
‘A Wheatbelt where you don’t
have to move away to get a
quality educaon’
‘Beer transport between the
region and the city’
‘Different and more career pathways (including training schools)’
‘Renewable energy and return,
e.g. more solar panels on house
roofs’
‘Wheatbelt embraces and offers
more opportunies in music, dradanceofand
(including
“Anma,asset
thearts
Wheatbelt
live music)’
is affordable space and therefore moving manufacturing
and fabricaon industries to the region could have mutual benefits”
Overview of Key Themes &
Alignment with Regional Planning
The following secon provides an overview of the key themes idenfied through the Y20
Wheatbelt Summit and highlights synergies with exisng regional plans including RDA
Wheatbelt’s Regional Plan 2013-18 and the Wheatbelt Development Commissions, Wheatbelt
Blueprint 2014-2050.
The key themes have been broken down in to four categories:
x
x
x
x
Industry Growth & Jobs Creaon
Social Amenity
Environmental Sustainability
Regional Markeng & Promoon
Industry Growth and Jobs Creaon
Y20 Summit Feedback - Key Consideraons
Employment: Employment opportunies (including job creaon) to support and retain young people is essenal and is also
important for the growth of the region more generally.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Improve telecommunicaons technology (reliability, speed and consistency) to enable alternave employment
opportunies (e.g. work from home model, regional employment hubs, etc.).
Retain young people in the region by encouraging and supporng businesses to increase employment opportunies
aimed at young people including traineeships, apprenceships and work experience.
Facilitate access to employment opportunies for young Wheatbelt people by lowering job entry requirements and
accommodang on the job learning instead.
Workforce Development: Need to address some of the constraints to workforce development including housing availability,
skills shortages and the affordability of and access to training/development opportunies.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Appropriate housing opons are crucial to aracng and retaining skilled labour and enabling populaon growth
throughout the Wheatbelt region.
Need to provide affordable and accessible training/development opportunies within and across the region to build
the skills and capacity of exisng residents.
Undertake a local/ regional skills audit to highlight skills gaps and industry growth opportunies.
Relocate asylum seekers and aract refugees to the Wheatbelt region to boost economy, populaon and labour force.
Industry: Explore, diversify and grow a diverse range of feasible industries based on the region’s assets.
Ÿ
Develop industries compable with the regions’ assets (e.g. space, natural resources, and land affordability).
Ÿ
Focus on developing an educaon industry within the region to grow the quality, accessibility and affordability of
course opons for those seeking further educaon (targeted at students from the City and Country).
Agriculture: Connue to build on the regions agricultural industry by idenfying diversificaon opportunies and addressing
current challenges facing the sector.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Explore and support diversificaon of alternave farming/agriculture products and methods.
Promote the region by building posive relaonships and experiences with internaonal investors and global consumers.
Agricultural industry to have greater access to government financial support during downturns in the sector.
Transport: Opmising on exisng railway system to increase freight and passenger transportaon.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Improve public transport to the City to allow people to live in the country and have city-based employment opons.
Greater ulisaon of the exisng rail system to improve grain transport efficiency and reduce number of large trucks
on roads.
Growth: Grow regional centres and services but not at the expense of the valued landscape and lifestyle the region provides.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Grow and develop regional centres to cater for all needs within the region.
Consider and plan for balanced growth of the region to allow adaptaon to change and implement feasible urbanisaon of areas.
RDA Wheatbelt Regional Plan
2013 - 2018
Regional Projects/Priories for Acon
Priories for Acon:
Investment/Growth:
Drive strategic investment in the region to support social and
economic growth.
Transport:
Provide leadership and advocacy for investment in strategic
transport infrastructure.
Technology:
Implement the Wheatbelt Digital Acon Plan.
Priority Project: Wheatbelt Sub-Regional Economic Development Strategy’s
Benefits: The economic planning process will idenfy an investment focus for each sub-region within the Wheatbelt that
builds on the comparave advantages and natural assets of
the area
Priority Project: Wheatbelt Food Plan
Benefits: Idenfy Wheatbelt opportunies to contribute toward the food producon and supply goals idenfied in the
Naonal Food Plan. This Plan would also outline alternave
business models (including corporazaon) to idenfy sustainable and resilient farm pracces
Priority Project: Implementaon of the Wheatbelt Workforce Development Plan
Benefits: This Plan was developed with the primary aim of
building, aracng and retaining a skilled workforce to meet
the economic needs of the Wheatbelt region. The acons
idenfied will address local workforce development
challenges.
WDC Wheatbelt Blueprint
2014 - 2050
Regional Projects
1.0 Vibrant Economy:
1.1 Diverse and innovave business and industry - growing
global market share. Focus: Emerging Industries; Transforming Agriculture; and Digitally and Asia-ready
1.2 Skilled workers - aracted and retained to meet the
needs of the Region and the State. Focus: Workforce
aracon; Cross Industry Employment
1.3 Key strategic infrastructure - idenfied and invested in.
Focus: Access to Markets – Transport, Digital capacity;
Land Assembly (including water, power and sewerage);
and Housing
2.0 Clever People:
2.1 Innovaon - enhances economic outcomes. Focus: Innovave Networks; and Building Research and Development
Capacity
Social Amenity
Y20 Summit Feedback - Key Consideraons
Health: Improved local health services including more doctors, specialised medical professionals and building community
knowledge/skills/awareness in health.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Need to increase the number of doctors (and other medical praconers), specialised health care professionals and
health care educaon/awareness across the region as current service provision is not meeng demand.
Students who have completed their medical degree should be encouraged to complete their work experience/
placement in the Wheatbelt region with incenves for those who stay for a certain length of me (e.g. three years
plus will have HECS-HELP debt paid for by Government).
Improve the general health and well-being (including mental health) of Wheatbelt residents by introducing preventave strategies to reduce the occurrence of obesity, alcohol/drugs misuse and harmful behaviours.
Educaon: Improve the quality of educaon at a local level, increase course opons (and access) and grow educaon
resources in the region so that being educated in the Wheatbelt is desired over external (i.e. boarding) schooling.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ulise improved technology to increase accessibility to educaonal opons in the region.
Significantly improve the quality of educaon opons (at all levels) available within the Wheatbelt with the aim to:
Ÿ Retain students who would otherwise choose to aend boarding school or leave the region with their families
to access educaon.
Ÿ Build greater capacity of the exisng and future populaon of the region.
Ÿ Have the Wheatbelt region known for high quality educaon and training opportunies.
Improve access to higher educaon (parcularly University level) within the Wheatbelt.
Students who have completed their teaching degree should be encouraged to complete their work experience/
placement in the Wheatbelt region with incenves for those who stay for a certain length of me (e.g. three years
plus will have HECS-HELP debt paid for by Government) and/or relocate their family with intent to stay for this me
period.
Reduce TAFE and University fees for regional students who would otherwise be unable to aend due to costs.
Increase the entry level for teaching degrees to ensure higher presge and standard of students/future teachers in the
industry.
Increase opportunies for free or low cost training to those who can’t pay for an educaon in areas in which skills
shortages have been idenfied.
Community: Provide greater access to a range of social interests including cultural, arsc and sporng pursuits.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Important for communies to have a connected culture by having social opportunies for all ages and interests.
Increase access and opportunies for people of all ages to develop skills, engage and enjoy arts, music and/or theatre/
drama.
In addion to improving sporng facilies improve opons for affordable sports and sporng equipment to those who
would not otherwise have the opportunity to parcipate.
Youth Engagement: There needs to be a greater recepvity and commitment to engage young people in decision making and
to provide opportunies to share their perspecves and ideas.
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Young people should be engaged in local and regional planning acvity.
Local Governments are encouraged to be much more approachable; to hear the voice of young people and be openminded to their perspecves and ideas; and to be responsive in growing their leadership skills.
More Local Government funded and valued youth groups (e.g. Youth Advisory Councils) are needed.
RDA Wheatbelt Regional Plan
2013 - 2018
Regional Projects/Priories for Acon
Priories for Acon:
Youth and Children’s Services:
Provide leadership in efforts to improve children’s and youth
services in the region.
Social Amenity:
Invesgate “renew” iniaves to reinvigorate empty spaces
and enhance cultural and arsc opportunies in the region.
Priority Project: Wheatbelt Sport & Recreaon Plan
Benefits: Strategic investment in infrastructure, through the
idenficaon of priority projects at a regional and
sub-regional level will ensure that Wheatbelt residents have
access to high quality sport and recreaonal facilies and
services
WDC Wheatbelt Blueprint
2014 - 2050
Regional Projects
2.0 Clever People:
2.1 Innovaon - enhances social outcomes. Focus: Innovave
Networks; and Building Research and Development
Capacity
2.2 Leadership - harnesses diverse capacity that delivers
benefit at a local, sub-regional and regional level. Focus:
Innovave Governance; Leadership and Civic Engagement and Volunteers
2.3: Educaon and lifelong learning - drives producvity and
thus economic growth Focus: Parcipaon and Achievement; Pathways to Employment; Aboriginal Enterprise;
and Internaonal Students
3.0 Liveable Communies:
3.1: Connected selements - support economic growth and
offer mulple liveability opons. Focus: Strong and
Connected Sub-regional Centres and Hinterlands; and
Public Transport
3.2: Service Delivery Reform - collaborave strategies ensure
health, educaon, aged and youth/children’s services
reflect the needs of current and future Wheatbelt
residents. Focus: Aging; Children’s Services; Family Services; Health and Well-Being; Safety; and Services to
Growth Areas
3.3: Community Amenity - contribute to community wellbeing
and liveability and create economic opportunity. Focus;
Culture and the Arts; Heritage; Housing; Sport and Recreaon
Environmental Sustainability
Y20 Summit Feedback - Key Consideraons
Sustainable Environment: Commit to growing renewable energy and sustainable pracces including supporng revegetaon.
Ÿ
Grow environmental science research and monitoring of flora and fauna.
Ÿ
Revegetaon to improve agricultural sustainability, reduce salinity and grow the rao of bushland to farmland.
Ÿ
Proacve in ulising natural elements to grow an alternave energy industry (e.g. wind farming and solar power).
Ÿ
Incenves to support farmers/agricultural industry to seek and implement sustainable pracces.
Ÿ
Explore pros and cons of alternave crops opons (including GM crops) for environmentally friendly long-term agriculture.
Sustainable Environment: Commit to growing renewable energy and sustainable pracces including within the agriculture
industry
Ÿ
Ÿ
Proacve in ulising natural elements to grow an alternave energy industry (e.g. wind farming and solar power).
Incenves to support farmers/agricultural industry to seek and implement sustainable pracces.
RDA Wheatbelt Regional Plan
2013 - 2018
WDC Wheatbelt Blueprint
2014 - 2050
Regional Projects/Priories for Acon
Regional Projects
Priority Project: Mid West Energy Project
Benefits: Provision of power to cater for predicted future
electricity demand and possible generaon connecons.
2.0 Clever People:
2.1 Innovaon - enhances environmental outcomes. Focus:
Innovave Networks; and Building Research and Development Capacity
4.0 Valued Natural Amenity:
4.1: Climate change - opportunies pursued, risk minimised.
Focus: Climate Change Migaon
4.2: Landscape Management - to protect biodiversity and
ensure compable land use. Focus: Landscape Management;
4.3: Water Management - improved for the benefit of community amenity and industry development. Focus: Water Security through water and waste water planning
and management;
4.4: Nature based industry - ulise the Wheatbelt’s natural
assets. Focus: Alternave Energy; and nature based
Tourism
Priority Project: Collgar Wind Farm Stage 2 – Construcon of
addional 16 Turbines
Benefits: Contribute toward the federal government’s RET
target of 20% of all energy generated to be renewable by
2020 and connued support of the Country East load area to
meet future demands.
Priority Project: Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management
Strategy
Benefits: The diverse natural assets of the region are conserved and managed to protect biodiversity values
Markeng the Region
Y20 Summit Feedback - Key Consideraons
Image: Retaining the valued assets of the region (e.g. liveable communies, open spaces, landscapes, etc.) and promong these to improve external percepons of the region is important if we want more people to live and/or visit our
Wheatbelt communies.
RDA Wheatbelt Regional Plan
2013 - 2018
Regional Projects/Priories for Acon
WDC Wheatbelt Blueprint
2014 - 2050
Regional Projects
5.0 Markeng Wheatbelt Opportunies:
5.1: Workers, businesses, visitors, and investors are aracted
to the region. Focus: Targeted markeng; and Influencing
Key Decision Makers
Recommendaons
The input provided by Y20 Wheatbelt Summit delegates should be considered generally in the
context of future planning at both a local and regional level. Below are some specific recommendaons relang to key issues raised throughout the event.
Engaging Wheatbelt Youth
The evident passion, concerned interest, acve contribuons and overall feedback from the Y20
Wheatbelt Summit demonstrates how much the delegates appreciated the opportunity to
provide their input into addressing key priories for the region. It also highlighted the value the
young people placed on being part of discussions that related to future decision making for the
region.
The views of young people are oen overlooked or not taken seriously because they are
considered to lack the experience or experse that is usually desirable from the cohort being
engaged for feedback. The Y20 Wheatbelt Summit demonstrated that young people are very
aware of what is happening around them and how this may impact on the future of the
Wheatbelt and that they have valuable insights in to how challenges can be overcome.
Through the inclusion of young people in meaningful planning for the region, stakeholders such
as Wheatbelt Local Government’s will have the opportunity to develop, mentor and grow aspiring
future leaders who are invested in the region.
Recommendaons:
x
Support and engage young people in informed and acve decision making with regards to
local and regional planning and development.
x
Create an inclusive, appealing and non-judgemental environment/culture for young people
where their perspecves are respected, encouraged and valued.
x
Coordinate an annual or bi-annual (every two years) Y20 Wheatbelt Summit or event with
similar objecves to engage, connect and seek feedback from young people regarding
growing the Wheatbelt.
Educaon
Perhaps not surprisingly the topic of educaon generated a significant amount of discussion
amongst the Y20 Wheatbelt Summit delegates. The perceived lesser quality of schooling and educaon within the region was a major concern to the delegates and was cited as a primary reason
for young people moving to Perth rather than remaining in the Wheatbelt to complete their secondary schooling.
Recommendaons:
x
Acvely engage with young people in the development of the strategies to raise the educaon standard and opportunies in the region.
x
Look at educaon as a potenal industry growth opportunity for the region.
Giving Young People a Voice
Employment
Employment opportunies were deemed as a crucial to
aracng young people back to the region, retaining the ones
who have stayed and to aracng new residents of all ages.
The delegates recognised and appreciated the value of the tradional agriculture industry however were also realisc that the
Wheatbelt could not be sustainable if it were to rely mainly on
this industry.
The delegates explored some of the challenges around workforce and skills development recognising that housing opons
impacted on people migrang to the region. Minimal training
and career pathways for young people in the region and the
reluctance of local employers to take on locally trained youth
are barriers that were discussed and delegates suggested that
this needs to be addressed to reduce youth employment issues
in the region.
Recommendaons:
x
Encourage employers to idenfy ways to increase youth
employment opportunies and support youth pathways
into employment within their organisaon and/or community.
x
Considered strategies idenfied and implemented
through the Wheatbelt Workforce Development Alliance
to address youth employment issues should be a priority.
Accessibility
Technological advancements enabled through improved
mobile telephone and broadband connecvity will reduce
distance and isolaon as barriers to accessing essenal
services, training, employment and social amenity in the
region. Schools would be able to offer a greater range of course
opons through connecons to teachers/classes that are located outside of the immediate community/region. Technology
also provides an avenue for alternave employment models
such as teleworking and employment hubs, which allow people
to work from virtually anywhere.
Also relevant to accessibility is transport, in parcular public
transport and connecng the region to the metro area. This
would have the potenal to improve employment and
schooling opons, in addion to contribung towards retaining
the populaon and associated economics, as people would not
have to move to find work or pursue study.
“The space and the environment is what makes the Wheatbelt great and if
this is lost it would not be an appealing place to live”
Recommendaons:
x
Advocate the significant benefits and high priority needs of quality digital technology advancements in the Wheatbelt region (including mobile phone connecvity and access to
high speed broadband).
x
Explore and extend free government transport opons to private and independent educaon instuons as modelled in the Chiering/Gingin Shires for the past several years.
Delegates
Amy Blechynden, Shire of Brookton
Zak Bohling, Shire of Goomalling
Tyler Breen, Shire of Wongan-Ballidu (Wongan Hills)
Dayna Chrisan, Shire of Dalwallinu
Erin Crowther, Shire of Victoria Plains
Tiffany Davey, Shire of Wongan-Ballidu (Wongan Hills)
Connor Earnshaw, Shire of Williams
Josh Flaherty, Shire of Toodyay
George Fowler, Shire of Williams
Michael Gannaway, Town of Narrogin
Amy George, Shire of Wagin
Shenae Gooley, Town of Narrogin
Lachlan Hunter, Shire of Bruce Rock
Gladys Miller, Shire of Quairading
Taneika Jefferies, Shire of Quairading
Cory Page, Town of Narrogin
Ephrem Kennedy, Shire of Northam
Amery Pangilinan, Shire of Dalwallinu
Jacob Lampert, Shire of York
Neve Paterson, Shire of Kellerberrin
Nyssa Pullen, Town of Wandering
Anthony Russell, Shire of Chiering (Bindoon)
Courtney Russell, Shire of Chiering (Bindoon)
Rochelle Ryder, Shire of Northam
Ashleigh Silver, Shire of Merredin
Campbell Simpson,Shire of Wongan-Ballidu (Wongan Hills)
Orana Sirr, Shire of York
Briany Smeed, Shire of Kondinin
Cam Snooke, Shire of Cunderdin (Meckering)
Keiran Stephens, Shire of Dumbleyung
Jade Stevenson, Town of Narrogin
Sophie Telfer, Shire of West Arthur
Notes
Appendix
Appendix A – Hypothecal Acvity Script
The year is 2034 and the Wheatbelt region of WA, aer suffering through an enduring 15 year
drought and compounded by a variety of environmental/climacc and market factors is no longer
able to sustain an agricultural industry.
Broad acre farms are a thing of the past and much of the once cleared land has been revegetated
to regenerate the soils and to provide a habitat for nave fauna.
The region, far from being deserted, is thriving with a substanally increased populaon, vibrant
communies and a strong economy.
Queson: What has emerged as the dominate industry or industries of the region?
So the year is 2034 and the dominate industry (or industries) of the Wheatbelt region in WA is/
are now XX.
Queson: What characteriscs of the Wheatbelt made this industry(ies) emerge and thrive?
Where once a quarter of the populaon of the Wheatbelt were employed in the agriculture industry the majority of the working populaon are now engaged in XX industry.
Queson: What new career opportunies are now available in the Wheatbelt region?
It is a different and excing new world for the Wheatbelt and its residents with a thriving XX industry that will sustain and grow the region’s economy for years to come.
Despite the changes, the people who live and work in the region have not forgoen its agricultural underpinnings and are proud of the history and significant contribuon this region made to the
economy of the State and the Naon as a leading producer and exporter of agricultural products.
Queson: The Wheatbelt is undeniably a much different place to what you have experienced
growing up. Are you sll living and working in this new Wheatbelt?
Appendix B – Addional Commentary from
Delegates
Hypothecal Acvity – “A Wheatbelt with no Wheat”
1)
What has emerged as the dominate industry or industries of the region?
x Retail Industry, grow the retail industry and opons along with consumable goods.
x Tourism, eco-tourism and adventure tourism (e.g. wildflowers, wildlife, safari tours,
natural aracons and services (such as hotels).
x Alternave farming and agriculture, for example Narrogin is apparently the biggest
shitake mushroom grower in the southern hemisphere (silo bins).
x Build an industry around clean living such as carbon farming, grey water recycling
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
(for metro area), bio fuels and bio energies.
Mining, idenficaon of new sites and grow salt mining across the region.
Fish farming and aquaculture.
Alternave energy such as wind farms and solar energy.
Desalinaon plants (placed on the coast to pump freshwater in for other industry
use).
Automove/fabricaon Industries.
Advanced technology with beer digital online connecons so people can work from
home/any locaon.
Environmental science such as monitoring wildlife.
Medical services: increase what is available such as hospitals and flying doctor services.
2)
What characteriscs of the Wheatbelt made this industry(ies) emerge and thrive?
x Growth and development of regional centres to become more like Geraldton or Bunbury.
x Everything available within the region so people do not have to travel.
x Extension of the City, extend growth areas.
x Impacts such as the availability of water, mining on the environment, the balance of
urbanisaon and adapng to change would need to be an important consideraons
should our region grows.
3)
What new career opportunies are now available in the Wheatbelt region?
x Tourism associated roles such as guides and in hospitality (e.g. caravan parks).
x Support/experienal services (e.g. Camp Kulin).
4)
The Wheatbelt is undeniably a much different place to what you have experienced growing
up. Are you sll living and working in this new Wheatbelt? The MC asked if the delegates
had an intenon of going away to learn and gain experience and then bring this back to
the region to help make it a beer place.
x The majority of delegates put their hand up to say they intended to bring their
knowledge and experiences back to the Wheatbelt.
x Only a couple of the delegates said they planned to leave the Wheatbelt for good as
they preferred to live in a parcular locaon due to climate and natural environment
(e.g. Central Australia or Far North Queensland).
Growth & Job Creaon
1)
If a lack of employment opportunies is a deterrent to living in the Wheatbelt, what can be
done to change this?
x By developing more and new industries within the Wheatbelt more jobs would also
be created.
x Provide public transport as this is a barrier and if overcome could mean people
would stay in the Wheatbelt and work in the metropolitan region
x An asset of the Wheatbelt is affordable space and therefore moving manufacturing
and fabricaon industries to the region could have mutual benefits.
x Greater emphasis and support for self-sufficiency, reduce the need for money,
employment and sense of entlement of handouts.
x Advancing technology enabling different ways of working and being educated.
Numerous responses related to increasing populaon and appeal to living/staying in the
Wheatbelt:
x Encourage people who train/complete their studies in Perth to do their work experi-
ence/placement in the Wheatbelt region.
x Improve access to high educaon e.g. a university located in the central Wheatbelt.
x Improve educaon including extended educaon facilies (and focus on Agriculture
too).
x Educaon available to regional communies to explore different ways to work and
grow to accommodate the new populaon.
x Raise awareness to people outside the Wheatbelt to shows its appeal and what is
great about the region.
x Need more housing to accommodate various living requirements and just in general.
x Move asylum seekers relocate to country communies to boost economic circle and
provide associated educaon facilies to support work skills and living in the region.
2)
If a lack of educaon opportunies is a downfall of living in the Wheatbelt, what can be
done to change this?
x Local businesses need to increase opportunies for traineeships, apprenceships
and work experience (more hands on opons too).
x Need to beer adverse free training opportunies.
x Lower entry requirements for jobs and take a “learn as you go” approach.
x Funded learning opportunies for people who can’t really pay for schooling, e.g.
free short courses and Cerficate 1 in areas with skills shortage or job demand.
x Increase both number and quality of teachers in the region; also make it more aracve for teachers to live in the region and look for those who would like to sele
down in the country.
x Increase/improve subject and course availability/access.
x Look at ways to have different teachers for different subjects (including teachers that
specialise) as will provide a greater opportunity to learn and connect with different
teaching styles.
x Focus on learning different stuff – many skills taught/needed outside the current
school curriculum (including developing social skills in primary school).
x Provide a greater focus towards agriculture and trade studies within schools.
x Increase the number of high schools and classrooms plus provide more support to
schools overall.
x Smaller classes to provide opportunity for one-on-one teaching.
x More pre-kindy and early childhood learning opportunies to prepare for school.
x Lower fees for TAFE and University as very costly – more so for regional students
who do not have the local access and therefore need to fund living costs such as
accommodaon too.
x Changing the entry requirements for workplaces, or provide alternave ways to
aain qualificaons.
x Look for organisaons that may help teenagers to learn something – engage them in
work experience program.
x Set aside one day per week work experience for students.
x Provide more opportunies for day care so students can go back to study.
x Create more opportunies to learn about other industries (other than what is currently in the region).
x Find ways to increase the number of students staying in the Wheatbelt.
3)
How can we ulise young people as valuable human capital in the Wheatbelt?
x Giving young people a voice and let them be heard
through local government. (Most delegates felt)
Councillors were not approachable and Local
Government
did
not
encourage
youth
parcipaon including Youth Advisory Councils.
Young people had even felt discouraged and that
Local Government/Council did not want to listen
to their ideas/thoughts.
x Give young people a chance; older people had
more advantage.
x Providing employment opportunies for young
people and making the applicaon process easier
(face-to-face). Encouraging business to give young
people a go.
x Providing diverse course areas, more interesng
and interacve learning opons and cheaper fees/
costs. Aim to grow various skills/knowledge,
create enthusiasm/engagement and not to deter
potenal students because of costs.
x Provide more opportunies for young people to
aain
cerficates,
apprenceships
and
traineeships.
Other comments included:
x Provide mentoring programs where the mentors
can relate and support young people in the ways
they understand.
x Being turned away from a job because of your age
is not just because you are too young. One
delegate shared their experience where they lost
their job at local business at the age 18 years as
employer did not want to pay the higher rate of
pay.
x Limited work opportunies for young people, e.g.
there are not many shops or local businesses to
start with.
x Offer freebies and make things more appealing to
encourage learning, parcipaon, etc.
4)
Aside from agriculture, what industries do you think
should be invested in, in the Wheatbelt and why?
x Salt mining – Wheatbelt already has a lot of salt.
x Tourism – promong the benefits of being away
from the city.
x Transport and Rail – beer accessibility, usage and
connecon between towns.
x Tree farming (carbon farming) and reforestaon.
x
x
x
x
5)
Educaon, in parcular terary studies/university.
Events such as music fesvals.
Technology, manufacturing & fabricaon.
Natural resource management.
How can the Wheatbelt access (or benefit from??) emerging global markets?
Access:
x Broaden posive internaonal relaons and grow posive image of Wheatbelt, for
example:
Introduce exchange programs that allow people to travel to the Wheatbelt
learn skills and then teach these back in their own country.
Adversing – Beer markeng of the region and promong the Wheatbelt
environment such as the flora and fauna.
Community events/field days to specifically target internaonal investors.
Benefit:
x Creates more jobs in the region.
x Creates income (improved economy).
x Potenal to improve and grow educaon opons.
x Contribute to exisng and new industries (agriculture and mining).
x Close proximity to airport could assist with travel planning (logiscs) and tourism
growth.
x Foreign backpackers are required to spend 90 days in rural area for 2 year Visa –
hence market Wheatbelt opportunies to encourage backpackers to stay.
6)
What can be done to encourage people to relocate to the Wheatbelt?
x Provide more employment opportunies. Lack of employment is one of the main
reasons people leave. Support shop local campaign to keep money in community
which in turn can lead to more jobs.
x Improve public transport to the city and train access, hence allowing people to live in
the country and have more employment opons available.
x Improve the quality, affordability, course opons, online access and learning
opportunies for Wheatbelt educaon and learning (including traineeships etc.).
x Improve telecommunicaons across the region including consistency, reliability,
access and e-learning opportunies.
x Improve the image /percepon/stereotype through,
posive and beer markeng of the Wheatbelt with government funding
as an enabler;
greater promoon of the Wheatbelt assets and valued resources;
terary student work experience/placement in the region;
schools excursion to experience the region; and
engagement in local community events
x Provision of beer medical and (reliable) doctor services.
Sustainable Development
1)
Social Amenity
a) History and Heritage of community – community events celebrang the heritage or
parcular milestones of the rural community. This could evolved into a tradion and
ulmately become part of the community’s culture.
b) More arts and music needed – introducing arts programs (music, drama, and dance)
into Primary Schools so it becomes an opon rather than just sport. Dance and drama classes bringing the town together. “Helps in social skills and creates rounes,
outlets and individuality at a young age”.
c) More funding into sport – Improve facilies, playing fields/areas and providing access to more affordable sports, e.g. providing sporng equipment to people who
may not be able to provide it for themselves.
This group said they would allocate $1 to each town as it is the fair thing to do. They felt that
this could be used as seed funding to get something started and then it was up to the community to raise the rest of the funds needed.
2)
Educaon
a) Paying for student’s educaon if they work in country communies for a certain
length of me, i.e. Government will pay for their university fees if they work a minimum of 3 years in the Wheatbelt region in their studied profession (example given
was for doctors and teachers).
b) Teachers would be required to have a compulsory snt in the country as well as their
study placement. More aracve packages/incenves for teachers to move and
teach in the country as well as their families to encourage them to relocate/stay too.
c) Universies to have more regional campuses (like TAFE does) where students can
complete our educaon in a supervised seng. In addion providing more boarding
opons to ensure that regional kids have affordable on campus opons.
/
d) Distance educaon needs to have more teacher/student
contact – i.e. teachers
should visit more, even if it is only one day per week.
e) More presge on the role of our teachers and a high entry level at Universies. They
are the people teaching our future doctors, lawyers, etc. and the level required to
teach is not high enough.
This group said they would give $1 to every Shire as they felt that the ‘hub and spoke’ model,
where all the money goes in to making really good schools in regional centres, le smaller
communies behind.
3)
Workforce Development
a) Skills audit – Prepare a community skills audit to see what opportunies are available
(skills already within the community) and what jobs need to be filled. Then match up
the qualificaons to the jobs and/or develop the skills to undertake those specific
jobs. In addion create jobs that reflected the skills base of those in the community
and creang niche industries from that. (Skills audit in terms of community demand
but also of the current supply of skills within a community).
b) Support work placement program (such as MADEC) which links new refugees (and
families) to agricultural jobs as well as increases the populaon of regional towns.
c) Provide scholarships for apprences and tradespeople in the Wheatbelt.
d) Provide
d support to assist more people
l to aaining d
’ llicense and/or
d/ addional
dd
l
driver’s
licenses such forkli, HR, etc. Assistance could be provided by local community
groups or volunteers.
e) Provide housing for people who want to stay/work in the Wheatbelt – with special
reference to skilled labour such as doctors, teachers, etc.
This group decided on the $1 for each of the forty three Shires funding model.
4)
Industry
a) Renewal energy facility – The Wheatbelt has a huge amount of space to build renewable energy facilies.
b) Develop a Wheatbelt-based manufacturing industry to create jobs and strengthen
the economy.
c) Expand the Rail network - Moving goods with exisng rail infrastructure and cut
down road
d
d trains which
h h are inefficient
ffi
and
d extremely
l dangerous.
d
d) Grow the industry in sustainable agriculture pracces and environmental conservaon (e.g. salinity management and tree planng).
e) Uranium Mining.
This group said they would allocate $10 to each sub-region because it is not feasible to have
forty three smaller facons – beer value for money in developing four bigger operaons.
5)
Health & Well-being
a) More doctors and medical praconers in rural communies –there is currently not
enough.
b) More specialised health care – for example physios and other health praconers.
Also use exisng resources to develop health and support skills in the community
e.g. GP that teaches how to deal with people and having general pracces that offer
first aid courses.
c) Increase price of unhealthy food and decrease the price of fresh produce.
d) Free exercise classes in communies to tackle unhealthy lifestyle habits and obesity.
e) Build skills and awareness in first aid, mental health and health care (prevenon of
issues) - Provide first aid courses and classes at schools for free.
This group said they would allocate $1 to each Shire as it can be used as seed funding to get
things happening and help communies to grow rather than having everything in the regional
centres.
6)
Environment
a) Wind farming and solar power –underulised potenal resource across the region
(take advantage of natural elements).
b) Revegetaon and natural flora – revitalise unused land be reintroducing natural fauna and buying back land from farmers to reinstate bushland.
c) Incenves for farmers to seek more sustainable p
processes - such as usingg biofuel.
d) More genecally modified products to reduce usage of chemicals on crops.
e) Large scale aquaponics.
f) Tree police to oversee tree clearing with aim to compromise between bushland and
farmland – farmers must have certain amount of trees per property (percentage/
rao of farm land to trees) if farmers remove trees they must replant elsewhere to
maintain percentage of trees and/or have a permit to cut down trees/tree clearing.
Could be monitored by aerial surveys, past and new photo evidence of tree/land areas to idenfy any changes etc.
The group decided to give their $10 to sub regions as they thought it was beer to have regional centres to start with to get the project off the ground and then extend into the smaller communies. (Interesng all group members were from small communies bar one who
was out of the room coincidentally when they voted for the budget distribuon).
My Wonderful Wheatbelt
Podcast Project 1 – Script
The below group reflected on their communies and what they each specifically found aracve
or special about the area in which they lived.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
‘Goomalling – The moto track with bikes doing jumps and the paddocks of wheat in the
background.
Northam – A full clean flowing river with people making use of the lush green park (picnics,
playing on swings, walking the dog).
Tammin – Tall beauful silos in the background with the 100 people (the whole populaon)
making use of a clean, quiet town site.
Toodyay – The food fesval in full swing, tourists enjoying the town and packing the
streets. The river flowing past the beauful old buildings with the Avon Descent going past.
Noman Lake – Close knit lile community enjoying a fox hunt, CBH helping farmers with
their produce and people enjoying the fresh air.
Dalwallinu – Kind welcoming people presenng the wale fesval. Community firefighters
being a big part of the community.
Wagin – Not the ram! Sheep shearing with hot shearers.
Narrogin –Shitake mushroom farming to show diversity, shopping facilies, community bus
(goes EVERYWHERE in town for $1.20)’
Podcast Project 2 – Script (sample only)
Fred, aged 30 says, “Living in the Wheatbelt all my life…wonderful sense of community…fresh
air…open spaces…know my neighbour…good place to meet new people…can talk to lots of
friendly people…can see the stars *”
Film Adversement Project 1 - Script
Note: Postcards were hand drawn of each statement below and displayed individually with a
voice over by the author of each. Video recording held by RDAW.
‘My Wonderful Wheatbelt
Kellerberrin – Strong Aboriginal Heritage. Indigenous Art and Dance
Narrogin – is the leading supplier of shitake mushrooms in the southern hemisphere
Calingiri – a small quite town and all roads lead there
York – historic, peaceful community
Kondinin – pathway to Wave Rock
My Wonderful Wheatbelt’
Film Adversement Project 2
Short interview was filmed however notes were not retained. Video recording held by RDAW
Song Project 3 – Lyrics (sample only)
Song later performed by Jade Stevenson (who also played guitar). Video recording held by RDAW
Chorus:
Bloom where you’re planted, don’t take it for granted. If you
don’t love where you live, live where you love.
Verse 1:
Making the most out of a lile, cause in the Wheatbelt lile is
huge. Look out for your neighbours as they are in the same
boat as you.
Planning Notes: Animals, fresh air, community, humbleness –
Appreciate the country for what it is and stay there.
Song Project 3 – Brainstorming
Lifestyle
Farm life
Freedom
Happy
Landscape
Togetherness
Community
People
Friendships
Relaxing
Picturesque
Clean
Agriculture
Space
Family
Sport
Magical
Vision for the Wheatbelt
2034
What will your ideal Wheatbelt look like in 20 years’ me?
Social and Community x ‘Wheatbelt embraces and offers more opportunies in music, drama, dance and arts (including live
music)’
x ‘More leisure opportunies’
x ‘More social opportunies for young people’
x ‘Greater community support for each other and
for other communies (e.g. sporng events)’
Educaon, Employment and Economy -‘A Wheatbelt where
you don’t have to move away to get a quality educaon’
x
x
x
x
x
x
‘Educaon opportunies equal to city’
‘More educaon opportunies’
‘Different and more career pathways (including training schools)’
‘More job opportunies’
‘More jobs and job security’
‘Recognised for economic contribuon to the naon’
Health x ‘Doctor in every town’
x ‘Less alcohol, drugs and violence’
x ‘More medical awareness/updates’
Sustainability x ‘Renewable energy and return, e.g. more solar panels on house roofs’
Government x ‘More federally recognised’
x ‘More youth groups funded by Local Government’
x ‘Financial support for farmers such as dairy industry’
Transport x ‘Beer transport between the region and the city’
x ‘More efficient in grain transport’
Agriculture x ‘More farmers markets’
x ‘More GM crops grown in the Wheatbelt’
Appendix C – Summit Evaluaon (Feedback
forms & Video Diary)
Requests for an annual or bi-annual event of a similar nature and feedback through the diary cam
and evaluaon forms suggests that this was a highly valued acvity for the young people who
parcipated.
Video-Diary
A video booth was set up to encourage delegates to share their thoughts and experiences
throughout the day.
x ‘Hope to make change in what is going on around us (in Northam) and help many
other kids to live for something bigger than the bad stuff everyone falls into’.
x ‘Need to be heard, need a chance to save our future generaons’.
x ‘Things to improve Wheatbelt – keep it going, keep cale industry going, support the
farmers. The farmers are key people, where we get our food from, that’s who supports us, if we didn’t have the farmers we are sort of stuffed. Dairy farmers have
taken a big hit, they need support, and hopefully we can give it to them at this Summit. Looking into the future to see how we can improve things, what it really comes
down to is the support of the farmers and the communies around it. Hopefully we
can try and find a soluon to that’.
x ‘Welcome to Country was excing, really cool, all got involved and presenter was
wonderful’.
x ‘Different stories and ideas from all the different people and the connecon is amaz-
ing’.
x ‘Happy to be here, everyone is so lovely…and they have a different story. They are
good to themselves and true to who they want to be (at young age)’.
x ‘Met a lot of great people that have achieved so much and they are so young. In-
spired by everyone’.
x ‘From today I will take away a sense of accomplishment and I have inspired others
to do things, talking to them, leng them know my story’.
x ‘Somebody is there even when you think there’s not. And they come ready to listen
and ready to help …showing us there is hand to reach out to help us and get where
we want to be.’
When asked what was one thing about the Wheatbelt that people don’t know but should?
x ‘You will always get a second chance and a third and a fourth. People are very forgiv-
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
ing. It’s just an all-round beer community than in the Perth area, central cies. The
people are like family, one big happy family which is really nice’.
‘Great, one focus being the Wheatbelt, great ideas, everyone passionate about the
same thing’.
‘Listening to peers, our own age group’.
‘One thing that was very interesng was what people thought about the future of
the Wheatbelt. What was important to them, and how they saw the future of the
place in 20 years; a place we had all grown up in’.
‘Overall I loved the event, with like-minded passionate people coming together. An
individual and yet shared vision for the future’.
‘We love our communies and we love our communies’ spirit within that, that’s
something we want to retain. Yet we all see a future where (larger) industries, agriculture, trades, mining are going to be more Wheatbelt focused’.
‘Excing to see young people like ourselves want to go back into the community, the
community that gives so much to us, we are going to give back to them’.
‘Really good experience, I will take it with me and move on and try to make the
Wheatbelt a beer place. I have learnt just so much today, I came here with the perspecve of living on the farm and being a farmer’s son, grandson and great grandson. I have just been able to look at this at such a wider scale not just for livestock
also for industry, healthy well-being, educaon and all those other important things’.
‘Summit turned out to be amazing, really good, lots of ideas shared and our voices
were heard, that’s the important part of it’.
‘Fantasc event and recommend to anyone, glad I came’.
‘I would love to do something like this again. Thanks’.
‘Really learnt a lot, it is a great experience and definitely encourage others to do it’.
Delegate Evaluaon Report
Total: 32 parcipants/22 completed Evaluaon.
Master of Ceremony (MC) – Glenn Hall
Overall Rang 4.68
Comments:
Extremely Funny.
Keynote Presentaon – Andrew Embley
Overall Rang 4.18
Comments:
Enjoyed his perspecves on leadership.
Fantasc speech.
Wheatbelt with No Wheat – by Glenn Hall
Overall Rang 4.09
Comments:
Difficult hypothecal to answer, thought provoking.
Giv-
ing
Job Creaon & Growth – by Elizabeth Brennan
Overall Rang 4.27
My Wonderful Wheatbelt – by Glenn Hall
Overall Rang 4.18
Sustainable Development – by Elizabeth Brennan
Overall Rang 4.5
Comments:
She is a fantasc facilitator.
Giving Young People a Voice
Visioning the Wheatbelt 2034 – by Elizabeth Brennan
Overall Rang 4.68
Can of Worms Session
Overall Rang 4.27
Comments:
Didn’t really enjoy this.
Overall Program for Summit Day and Evening
Overall Rang 4.77
Comments:
Was amazing. LOVED IT
Fantasc Day!
Very inspiraonal. I learned a lot. Awesome!
Great day! Thank you
What (if anything) did you specifically enjoy or benefit from? Why?
x The whole thing helped answer a lot of my quesons.
x Geng to see that other people have similar ideas and perspecves as I do, and
geng to meet like-minded people.
x I enjoyed all the interacve acvies and the Can of Worm Session.
x I found the speech by Tiffany Davey and the can of worms really inspiring.
x Can of Worms acvity was one of the most interesng things and it really made me
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
realise how hard people work to help the Wheatbelt and build on it to make it a
beer place.
Our voices were being heard and when my idea about aboriginal language was liked.
Meeng other delegates and listening to their background and opinion on discussions. Great people!
I enjoyed networking with the likeminded passionate people who all have their own
unique visions for the future of the Wheatbelt.
I got a lot of my quesons answered. It was very informave, I felt like I finally had a
voice!
Having different acvies and brainstorming. I learned a lot from others. I realised
that I do really have a voice and I am a leader.
Seeing all the other leaders geng so involved.
I enjoyed everything and I have made lots of new mates.
I did benefit from the food because I was hungry and now I’m not haha.
I really enjoyed the keynote presentaons. Tiff’s speech was wonderful! She was
passionate and inspired me to be passionate about the Wheatbelt.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed the group acvies.
I enjoyed learning others views and beliefs compared to my own. I liked how everyone was willing to express what they believe.
Learnt that there are so many diverse issues facing young people in the Wheatbelt.
The Can of Worms session and discussing with likeminded people our views for our
communies. Tiff was a fantasc speaker.
The overall atmosphere and organisaon.
What suggesons would you make to improve or add to the Summit content/delivery etc.?
Suggesons
x Probably a bit more interacve acvies.
x Possibly a me for one on one to talk to policians so you can just talk about how to
improve things you’re interested in making a change on.
x More group discussions and interacve sessions as a whole group.
x Overall the Summit itself was enjoyable as well as benefing each young person. My
x
x
x
x
only issue is with Summit similar to these we exchange the ideas yet don’t see the
benefits within the community.
Perhaps events that go outside the conference room, sing and standing from 9-5,
not fun.
More group acvies.
More interacve acvies.
Maybe leave out the podcast/video/song session. A 10am start as some of us travelled.
x More me for quesons in the can of worms session.
x Perhaps a speaker from someone from a small community affected by a small town
issue that he/she has helped serve.
Posive Comments
x It was really, really great.
x It was perfect.
x Everything was really enjoyable and fun and I would definitely like to come back. It
was awesome.
x Not much actually, nothing at all.
x Give more opons and opportunies to aend other acvies like this one.
x None- was really benefing.
x Make it longer.
Other Comments
x Loved meeng likeminded people.
x Thank you for the opportunity to make a difference and have a voice as a young person.
x I enjoyed it very much and hope we are heard and something is done.
x Thanks for giving us the opportunity to raise our opinion and know we are being
heard.
x An awesome event with a fantasc line-up of speakers.
x Was a good day, I enjoyed the day!
x Thank you so much for the opportunity!
x I extremely enjoyed this event. I was nervous and apprehensive to come but am so
happy I did! Thank you very much for the opportunity.
x I believe this was a great opportunity for all that aended and I am proud to say I
was a part of it.
x Great event – learnt heaps.
x Awesome day and I really enjoyed it.
For more informaon about the Y20 Wheatbelt Summit:
www.rdawheatbelt.com.au
RDA Wheatbelt Administraon: (08) 9575 1888 or email [email protected]