Bundaberg Community Development Inc
School of Arts Building, 184 Bourbong Street
Bundaberg Community Development website
What is community Development?
- Community development is about building a strong and self reliant community, responsive to community needs.
- It is also concerned with co-ordinating and making links between the community and other spheres of Government in order to meet the needs of the community.
Community development activity is guided and implemented through four major plans developed through consultation with local residents. These plans are:
Community Development activity contributes to:
- Building a sense of community identity - a place to belong
- Building a healthy and happy community
- Enhancing the community e.g. community services, facilities and activities
- Identifying community resources and harnessing these to create economic growth and employment opportunities.
- Enabling access to community facilities and services
How is Community Development activity delivered?
- Through building partnerships and networks
- Enhancing collaboration
- Engaging people, getting them involved
- Building skills, capacity and social capital - the glue that holds communities together e.g. relationships and social activities
Bundaberg Community Development offers a variety of services including:
- Coordinating community information resources - a one stop shop eg Community Directory
- Supporting and building community networks
- Facilitating and building partnerships to address priority community/ social needs
- Identifying community needs through social infrastructure planning
- Assisting in external funding acquisition to support community needs
- Promoting community awareness of existing and required community services
- Accountable for Department of Communities Contract
Current Projects include:
- Seniors Information Directory
- Bundaberg Community Garden
- Hello Baby - welcome pack for new parents
- Focus on families - a number of projects
- Healthy Lifestyles - a number of projects
How is Community Development Managed?
Bundaberg Regional Council has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to deliver community development services for Bundaberg Community Development Inc.
Bundaberg Community Development Inc (BCD) currently holds a Service (funding) Agreement with the Department of Communities, to provide and manage service delivery in the community development area. BCD in 2008 effectively contracted Bundaberg Regional Council to provide these services for the Bundaberg and Burnett communities.
As part of this arrangement:
- Council has taken on all related staff management and most operational costs for the community development services provided to the community.
- staff will continue to provide support to BCD.
- Council will receive the bulk of the State funding to assist with these activities, in addition to the funding which Council would normally provide for community development needs.
These activities and programs will link closely with similar activities managed from the Childers and Gin Gin Neighbourhood Centres.
Bundaberg Community Development website
A community initiative funded by Department of Communities and Bundaberg Regional Council.
