Beyond Netball Skirts & BBQs: How Miles Took Control with a Community Investment Plan with Deputy Mayor Kylie Bourne

When big energy projects come to town, what lasting impact do they leave behind? Too often, regional communities receive a flood of short-term sponsorship dollars—but without a plan, the money disappears, leaving little more than a few BBQs and a set of netball skirts.

The community of Miles, QLD, refused to let that happen!

During the coal seam gas (CSG) boom, this small town 300km west of Brisbane found itself at the centre of rapid development. Rather than accepting a cycle of fragmented funding, a group of locals took control—leading a co-designed Community Investment Plan that ensured energy company investments and community benefit funds could easily be strategically aligned with the town’s long-term vision, creating real, lasting impact.

In this episode, Western Downs Regional Councils Deputy Mayor Kylie Bourne joins host Wendy Agar to unpack:

•   Why Miles created a strategic blueprint to ensure developer investments deliver lasting benefits.
•   The step-by-step approach they used to develop a Community Investment Plan to align funding with local priorities.
•       The critical role of local leadership in driving self-determination.
•       Lessons from over a decade of refining and evolving a living, adaptable plan.
• What industry, developers, and governments must do to move beyond transactional funding.

This isn’t just the story of one town—it’s a blueprint for any community facing rapid change. Want more real-world lessons? Check out these other emPOWER episodes:

•       Episode 2 with Chris Sounness (the Wimmera region, Vic)
•       Episode 5 with Cathy McGowan (the Gippsland region, Vic)
•       Episode 7 with Ali McLean & Kate Hook (Hay, NSW)

to hear how other communities are navigating the energy transition and check out The Energy Charter’s #BetterTogether Wimmera Southern Mallee Collaboration to see what’s happening on the ground.

 A special thank you to The Energy Charter for supporting this episode. Their commitment to best-practice engagement and empowering communities makes them the perfect partner for this series.

 

Produced by The Podcast Boss