A NATIONAL Country Towns Conference attracting 150 delegates from around Australia gathered in Bendigo recently to discuss how towns can be sustainable.
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The conference was convened by the Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities and the Community Development and Planning Program at La Trobe University in Victoria.
Centre director Professor John Martin said the sustainability of country towns was front and centre of national debates as the nation deliberated over vital questions such as population growth and refugee intakes.
"Our nation's cities might be choking with people and traffic, but many of our country towns are seeking to grow their populations," Prof Martin said.
"Maybe it's also time to consider creating new inland towns."
Prof Martin said sustainability was a key question for country towns, whether growing or shrinking.
Growth in water-limited areas, the risks inherent in boom/bust cycles for mining towns, housing affordability, decentralisation, health services, growth limits, aging rural populations, sustaining towns with high holiday-home ownership and how to involve young people were among the topics to discussed at the conference.
The two-day conference was the third Country Towns Conference in 10 years. Others were in 2000 and 2005.
