BIFs Background
Background to BIF:
The Burnett Inland Futures (BIF) rose out of the experiences a South Burnett community organisation encountered when they came together to oppose an unsuitable mining development on some of the region’s most productive agricultural soils.
In the absence of a co-designed regional or local plan they found it was much more difficult to defend their reasons about why the location of the project was unsuitable. Fortunately, this project did not progress, however it brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, some who wouldn’t traditionally sit together, to consider how the region could urgently develop a plan that informs elected representatives, government departments, proponents, agencies, developers, and others what local people’s priorities and values are now, and the long term.
Red Earth Community Foundation considered how it could make available its resources and philanthropic structure to the wider region during these discussions and following consultation with representatives from South Burnett Regional Council, AgForce, BIEDO, The Next Economy, the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Stanwell and Kingaroy Concerned Citizens Group, Red Earth agreed at the end of 2019 to initiate the first step towards co-designing a long term plan by seeking funding from Stanwell’s South Burnett Resilience Fund.
In January 2021, Red Earth Community Foundation received funding from Stanwell to undertake Phase 1 of the Burnett Inland Futures Research Strategy (BIFs).
Red Earth is incredibly grateful for the support of the Rural Economies Centre of Excellence (RECoE), in particular, Dr Chad Renando, Dr Ben Lyons and Dr John McVeigh for their expertise, research capabilities and academic integrity in developing the first phase to guide our way forward.
Red Earth is seeking expressions of interest from people in our community to assist in leading community conversations.
If you are an advocate in your community or industry who wants to be part of the conversation, we invite you to register your interest below.
The Burnett Inland Futures Research Report is now available by clicking here.