Iron Knob Progress Association - Preserving our past, forging our future.
Content and images © Iron Knob Progress Assoc and respective contributors 2009
The Iron Knob Progress Association was first formed in the 1930's to give the community a voice in a town which was run predominately by the mining company BHP in conjunction with the State. When mining ceased, the town was handed back to the community and the Progress Association had to deal with the complexities of community governance along with the raising of revenue to maintain the local services and infrastructure.
This is perhaps in all its history, the biggest challenge facing the Iron Knob community. The Iron Knob Progress Association and the Outback Areas Community Development Trust (OACDT) now officially represent the town. These organisations have already taken steps to increase the number of services available within the community and support existing services.
VISION
“A vibrant community, proud of its past and cohesive in securing its future potential”.
MISSION
The Iron Knob Progress Association will work with the community to maintain and improve services and facilities consistent with our lifestyle in securing our future.
KEY ISSUES
The Iron Knob Progress Association will work with the community to maintain and improve services and facilities consistent with our lifestyle in securing our future.
The community is faced with the task of maintaining and funding recreational and sporting facilities, as well as the town’s parks and gardens and community buildings. Likewise the town’s roads, footpaths and other essential infrastructure are nearing their optimum life capacity and will require upgrading and repairs, beyond the capacity of the local community to fund.
The town is currently administered through the auspicious of the Iron Knob Progress Association, with the support of the Outback Areas Community Development Trust and other regionally based organisations. Collectively they have the responsibility of maintaining local services and infrastructure. Being an unincorporated town, properties are not subject to rates and taxes, and therefore the only means by which the Progress Association can raise revenue is through traditional fund-raising activities, tourism centre and the voluntary payment of an annual subscription. Enlisting the support of the whole community is a challenge faced by the Association.
Notwithstanding the above, the Progress Association has been active in developing new ways of generating revenue and maintaining services within the town. The Association runs tours of the mine and OneSteel steel works, operates a visitor information centre and has taken over the licence of the postal agency. They also secured Commonwealth Government funds to establish a Rural Transaction Centre. Without access to a more comprehensive and secure funding arrangements, the Progress Association will continue to face the dilemma of trying to spread their limited financial resources over a number of areas requiring additional funding.
To address this need of additional funding the Iron Knob Progress Association has been successfully active in securing grants to improve community assets and infrastructure. Which include, but is not limited to the funding for Iron Knob camping facility and playground.
The Iron Knob Progress Association is an active community group that is innovative, hardworking and open to ideas to continually improve the town for residents and visitors alike.
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