Griffith Young People Spearheading a New Approach to Dryness

Agricultural Minister Tony Burke said in October that a recently commissioned reporton dryness showed rural families were not communicating with each other about theirhardships. The report, It’s About People: Changing Perspectives on Dryness, also found that many people were withdrawing because of drought-induced depression orbecause they could not afford the cost of socialising.

Young people in Griffith have been showing leadership on these issues by developing an interactive website based on stories and experiences directly related to climatechange and “dryness”. The new website that will benefit farming families and ruralcommunities is being launched in Griffith next week.

www.au.org.au has been created by the Big hART GOLD Project in response to three years consultation and exchange with farming families across the Murray-Darling Basin. Big hART has been working since early 2006 with young people in Griffith and farming families in three states, exploring the social impact of climatechange and drought. Over this time some unique relationships have developed with families in Talgarno, Rand, Boree Creek, Griffith, Trundle, Stanthorpe and Goondiwindi.

Young people from Griffith and Big hART's team of photographers, filmmakers,designers and producers have been invited by farmers to spend time on theirproperties. Here they have been recording the stories and histories of individuals andfamilies. This process has produced an extensive collection of personal portraits thatreveal both the hardship and happiness of those Australians directly facing theconsequences of climate change.

The GOLD website has two prime purposes:

• 1. It provides a platform where these extraordinary stories of survival, resilience, heartbreak and love can be collated and presented.
• 2. It provides a social networking space where people have the opportunity to interact and respond to the stories being presented.

The idea for a social networking website for farmers came from the young people inresponse to numerous comments and observations from farming families about theloss of social opportunities due to the shrinking of rural communities, the lack ofharvest - which would normally provide great “catch up” opportunities and rising fuel costs impacting on the simple act of visiting a neighbour or participating in acommunity activity.

With an increasing number of rural households becoming connected to the Internet, the GOLD website provides a free social network that farming families can easily access. It also creates the opportunity for national and international interaction thatwill assist in reducing isolation and help break down some of the stigma attached to the urban rural divide.

Big hART Creative Producer Christopher Saunders said – “online social networking is extremely popular with young people. With the relationships that have been developing with farming families, the idea of an online social network was something the young people felt they could develop for the families through the GOLD Project.” The GOLD website differs from other social networking sites in that it is structured around story and experience and encourages an exchange and interaction in response to these stories.

The website will also profile participating farming families and young people, stream weather forecasts and provide links to further information relating to issues of climate change, water management and “dryness”. The site will continue to evolve in response to online community interaction.

The website name www.au.org.au was inspired by "au" being the chemical symbol for gold, as well as being the abbreviation for Australia.

The website will be launched by young people and farmers who have participated in GOLD on Thursday November 13 at the Griffith City Library. The opening of a new exhibition by Big hART, Gold – Crop, will take place after the website launch at the Griffith Regional Art Gallery.

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