Ready Communities program

Stanthorpe has been selected to take part in the Ready Communities program, a nationally recognised place-based approach that supports regional towns to shape their own future, on their own terms. The first step is a series of community forums on 10 and 11 February, open to anyone who cares about Stanthorpe’s future.

Following successful programmes in Grafton and Kempsey, the Granite Belt has been chosen as the focus community for the 2026-2027 Ready Communities programme, a nationally recognised initiative that supports regional towns to shape their own future, on their own terms. Ready Communities is about creating shared clarity and understanding on what matters locally, strengthening connections, building local capability and encouraging collaboration. 

Every community has ideas, energy and people who care deeply and work hard for their community. What’s often missing is the time and space to step back, connect the dots and build shared clarity about what matters most and what’s possible. 

Over the next two years, the Ready Communities Team will work alongside Granite Belt locals, community organisations, businesses and leaders to create the conditions that help our community address those issues that matter most to us, identify what we need to do to address them and most importantly deliver real outcomes.  

To kickstart the programme a one and a half hour Ready Communities Granite Belt community gathering will be held in February. This forum is designed to bring people together across generations, sectors and roles to reflect, listen and build a shared understanding of the issues that matter most to us as a community. Out of this process and follow-up meetings, five local focus areas will be identified and a process established with the support of the Ready Communities team to plan, deliver and measure progress in addressing these issues.

As part of the two year Ready Communities programme, in September, Stanthorpe will host the National Social Impact in the Regions conference. This conference will bring together delegates from other regional communities, philanthropists, non-government and government organisations and rural and regional programme funding bodies. It will explore proposals designed by the Granite Belt community to address the five focus areas identified in February including a deep dive into enduring governance and funding models that will address both the immediate focus areas and building greater community cohesion and capacity in the longer-term to deal with future challenges and opportunities. 

The community forums on 10 and 11 February are open to anyone who cares about the Granite Belt’s future. These forums are a chance to hear what the program is about, ask questions, share local perspectives and help identify the focus areas that will guide the work ahead.

For more information on the Ready Communities programme and the February Community Forums go to: https://www.readycommunities.com.au/events/