An extra half a million dollars for Goomalling per year?

Since the Living Communities information night held on Monday 31 August 2009, an inspired group of Goomalling residents has banded together to form Living Communities Goomalling (LCG), which is in the process of becoming incorporated. LCG aims to work with the community to find ways to keep money circulating in Goomalling's local economy, rather than spending the majority of it out of town.

Joining in a staff coffee break at the Shire of Goomalling, Shire President John Bird said "I believe it's a good idea. As well as some of the usual movers and shakers in Goomalling, it's good to see some younger people in the community involved as well."

So what's it all about?

Here's one example. Say Goomalling has about 200 households spending about $50 on fruit and veges a week. That ten grand a week turns into over half a million dollars a year. Currently many Goomalling households buy fresh produce in Northam or elsewhere. Would it be possible for local volunteer organisations (who need to constantly fundraise) or local enterprises to grow delicious, fresh, seasonal produce and sell it to a local shop or at a farmers market and keep some of that money in Goomalling?

John Bird said "A lot of the produce you buy from Coles and Woolies is imported anyway so it's not doing anyone here any good. Farmers markets are getting more and more popular because people are trying to bypass the middle man."

Ex-Carnarvon resident Ashlee Garrigan commented "Heaps of fresh produce is grown in Carnarvon. Woolworths transports it down to Perth and then back to Carnarvon - which makes it more expensive and less fresh."

Which turned the conversation to the topic of fuel costs in the future. It's not going to get any cheaper to bring fresh food into Goomalling, Northam or even Perth. Fresh produce will become increasingly expensive as fuel costs rise. Jessica Brookes said "If it doesn't happen to us, it could happen to our children."

But wait, there’s more...

Fresh food is only one part of it - we also send our money out of town to pay for energy, services and many other commodities. Living Communities™ represents an opportunity to retain more wealth in Goomalling, build social capital and become more resilient for harder times, and try to make sure that future problems won’t be as debilitating when they arise.

The not-for-profit Living Towns Corporation will assist LCG to work through the Living Communities™ program which will focus on working with the Goomalling community to:

• find where money is leaking out of Goomalling's economy, and then
• identify new enterprises and enhance existing ones to plug those leaks.

So join in the brainstorming! 

The coming months are going to be a great time to bring out your ideas and visions for Goomalling. The conversations are just getting started.

To find out more about Living Communities Goomalling...

...chat to someone who has been involved in the steering group.  

For more information about the Living Communities™ program and Living Towns Corporation

• Call 0421 995 019
• See the latest Living Towns newsletter
• Visit www.livingcommunities.com.au
  
• Become a fan of Living Communities on facebook (you can do this by clicking the become a fan button at  www.livingcommunities.com.au)
• See Living Towns Corporation Executive Director Greg Winning's blog about issues pertinent to community, resilience, economics and sustainability