Korumburra (VIC)
www.korumburra.vic.au
Korumburra Case Study (PDF document, 139KB)
Type of Location: Rural town in South Gippsland, approximately 1 hr 30 mins from Melbourne.
Population: 4,465 (2006 Census)
Major Industries: Used to be an important black coal mining town but now relies on farming and tourism.
Applicant Organisation: Korumburra Community Development and Action Inc.
Synopsis: Korumburra’s community website went live on 3rd September 2007 and was a collaborative project between secondary school IT pupils and several other interested groups and sections of the community. Supported by local business and community groups, it is the first Community Geographic Domain Name (CGDN) site to be fully developed by students for their local community. It is hoped that its success may become the catalyst for the project to be replicated by other schools in Victoria and other states. The initiative was generated as part of the Korumburra StreetLIFE project 2007 – a six-month Victorian Government initiative managed by the South Gippsland Shire Council’s Economic Development Unit to encourage diverse and sustainable business growth.
What they say:
Understanding the aims
“The philosophy of the local website is to be as inclusive as possible and to offer either free or very cheap access to a website for those who want to have a web presence."
Jennifer Young, Korumburra Community Development and Action Inc.
Engaging the community
“Because of the collaborative nature of the project a large number of groups, clubs and businesses indicated a willingness to embrace the concept of a website page or link at a ‘local’ site. The level of support was shown in the result from a business survey which 95% of responses desired a presence ‘korumburra.vic.au’."
Jennifer Young,Korumburra Community Development and Action Inc.
“The key is to develop a sustainable business plan which is appropriate and relevant to each community and their level of commitment. Several community consultative meetings have been held in Korumburra over the last four months so there has been an opportunity to discuss website development with a large number and range of interested people,”
Peter Gardener, co-ordinator of Korumburra Streetlife
Developing successful partnerships
“Although in its initial stages, the level of commitment shown by Korumburra Secondary College indicates that this project could be successful in other communities looking to strengthen ties and nourish local business."
“This whole project has successfully become a 'collaborative partnership' with no one person as the driving force or behind the ideas. The way in which the Korumburra Secondary College assist their local community is outstanding and their commitment to this project is typical. The steering committee comprises members of both the business and community sectors.”
Peter Gardener, co-ordinator of Korumburra Streetlife
Promoting the website
“The project received widespread publicity through the local press, StreetLIFE media promotion, meetings, forums and word of mouth. The next stage will be to tap into existing networks such as the education sector, service clubs, further StreetLIFE promotion to encourage more business uptake. Also using broader networks such as the CGDN community network and possibly regional TV and press would further enhance the project to give credibility and penetration”
Jennifer Young,Korumburra Community Development and Action Inc.
