Since white settlement in the early 1900's, Comboyne people have been self reliant and resourceful. There is a history of strong community and sporting groups. The various community groups own and manage a number of important community facilities. These include the Comboyne Community Centre managed by the Comboyne Community Association; Comboyne Showground, managed by the Comboyne Agricultural & Horticultural Society; the Comboyne Memorial Hall, managed by the Hall Committee; the Comboyne Ex-Servicemen's & Citizens' Club, managed by the Club Board and the Comboyne Pre-School, held at the Hall.

Background

The Comboyne Community Association (CCA) Inc. is a group that evolved from the Comboyne Ratepayers and Citizen's Group in 2001. It was formed to try to stop the overall decline of our small rural community.

Mission Statement

We are committed to working together to enhance our Community and the Envrionment of the Comboyne Plateau. We will work together to create sustainable agriculture as the basis of our economy and to create other Environmental, Economic and Social benefits for our Community.

Aims and Objectives

The main objective of the Comboyne Community Association is to work collaboratively to enhance our community and the environment of the Comboyne Plateau. We will provide leadership to create sustainable agriculture and promote environmental, social and economic benefits for our community.

We aim to achieve this through:

1. Identifying opportunities to improve community lifestyle, culture, services, facilities and infrastructure on the Plateau.

2. Encouraging discussion and debate and action on local issues involving all community groups and interested individuals.

Community change and rural restructuring are not just about the dominance of the greater forces of global economic change. Change comes from people too. This is our challenge at Comboyne, we are learning to work together to retain some degree of self-determination and to bring about change how we want it.

Position Statement on Industry & Development

The Comboyne Plateau is recognised as 'prime agricultural land' (North Coast Farmland Mapping Project, NSW Department of Planning). We believe that it must be protected for this purpose into the long term future. Soils are well drained, deep basalt soils, which are excellent for various horticultural crops, fruit and vegetable growing, and for pastures. Rainfall is very reliable and the climate is ideal for many agricultural purposes.

Therefore, the Comboyne Community Association supports:

• an economy based on green and clean initiatives, and a thriving, sustainable agricultural community;
• employment of local people and support of local businesses;
• the protection of biodiversity values in terms of retaining valuable habitats and restoring degraded bushland where possible;
• activities to retain and enhance the aesthetically pleasing landscape for residents and visitors;
• industry and development that does not pollute our waterways or land, nor create excessive noise pollution.

The CCA will not support activities that oppose these initiatives.

CCA Projects

Since 2002, a number of projects have been undertaken by the CCA. These include community strategic planning through the NSW DSRD Townlife Development Program. Also the establishment of the Comboyne Rural Transaction Centre and the Comboyne Community Technology Centre which are now incorporated in the Comboyne Community Centre.

These programs are examples of Federal and State governments' approach to the rural decline, through funded economic development projects. However it is our objective that the benefits to our community will include broad-ranging development of social, environmental, political and cultural aspects of life. The projects, while focused in theory on economic development, can also be used to build networks, and for community education and capacity building.