Related concepts and terms

Community planning is a strategic planning process that addresses the needs of communities in a purposeful way, with implicit notion of varying levels of community involvement in the process.

Community profile is a analysis/study that describes the various components of a community, producing a composite picture or profile of that community and may include: geographic boundaries, political constituencies, demographic features and projections, economic/industry drivers and trends, socio-economic advantage/disadvantage data, social/community needs, access to services.

Community development is both a process embarked on, and an outcome, of many and various processes and strategies that are purposefully initiated – and sometimes occur more naturally or spontaneously - towards enhancing the experience of people living in communities.

Community participation covers a spectrum of activities involving people in their communities, from more passive involvement in community life to intensive action oriented participation in community development (including political initiatives and strategies).

Community empowerment is the state of affairs that exists when members of a community feel empowered to achieve their self-determined goals, with some measure of significant control over the processes and strategies to attain these.

Community engagement is a term that refers to how stakeholders in communities are engaged in determining their needs and/or ways of addressing these, particularly by those in a position to facilitate this by way of funding and/or other measures of assistance (eg. government agencies).

The following link will allow you to access a pdf document that comprehensively lists Australian and international web-sites that focus on the various aspects of community engagement:
www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/
download/community_engagement_
biblio.pdf

Community (capacity) building is the process of enhancing or developing the capacity of a community to meet its own needs, sometimes through an external catalyst, but always resulting in the mobilisation or harnessing of community resources (community, government & business stakeholders) towards the achievement of that community's strategic goals. See the following link for a comprehensive range of references relating to this concept: www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/
builder/what

Community renewal is a term that usually refers to government funded programs which focus on a particular socio-economically disadvantaged community, with the goal of renewing the physical (particularly housing) and social infrastructure in that community, with parallel gains in positive community identity.

Community/social infrastructure are those community agencies/services/facilities and other social support measures in a community that are deemed to be necessary for the adequate functioning of that community, which contribute to its overall sustainability and the ultimate well-being of its residents. Whilst there are many components of such infrastructure, some of the community agencies that have a key role in providing information about or referral to various other services in their communities are community - neighbourhood centres.

Community/Neighbourhood Centres (including Community Support Associations) * are located throughout Queensland. Refer to your local directories or use this Infoxchange Service Seeker web site.

Qld. Regional Contact Info:
South West

• Care Balonne Association (St George) – 46 25 5450
• Care Goondiwindi Association –
  4671 3574
• Charleville Neighbourhood Centre – 4654 1307
• Chinchilla Family Support Centre –
  4662 8528
• Community Development Services Inc. (Stanthorpe Neighbourhood Centre) – 4681 3777
• Cunnamulla Neighbourhood Centre – 4655 1872
• Hannaford Community Centre –
  4665 9225
• Millmerran & District Community Support Association – 4695 1829
• Murilla Community Centre (Miles) – 4627 2027
• Roma Neighbourhood Centre –
  4622 3644
• Tara Neighbourhood Centre – 4665 3508
• Taroom Community Development Centre – 4629 6113
• Warroo Shire Community Centre (Surat) – 4626 5523

* This list is not necessarily exhaustive, as there may be some centres that are new or have less of a profile (eg. because they are unfunded for their service provision).

Other links related to 'community' matters:

http://www.communities.qld.gov.au
http://www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au