Grey Nomads can keep rural towns alive
National research has revealed that the thousands of Grey Nomads who tour this country every year in motor-homes and caravans are an essential source of revenue for isolated outback towns, and can become a powerful volunteer workforce to make a real difference in regional communities.
Dr Rosemary Leonard, the lead researcher from the Social Justice Social Change Research Group at the University of Western Sydney, said that  when travelling, Grey Nomads spend on average $386 per week on expenses such as food, petrol, accommodation sites and vehicle repairs.
“If outback towns can attract the travelling retirees and persuade them to stay in the region for an extended period, the ‘grey dollar’ would be extremely beneficial for the local industries and the economy,” said Dr Leonard.
The team of researchers from the University of Western Sydney, the University of Technology Sydney and Volunteering Australia surveyed 314 Grey Nomads about their interests, goals and motivations for visiting regional areas.
The findings revealed that Grey Nomads are intensely social beings who welcome opportunities to meet local people and volunteer in the communities they visit.

Volunteer programs
To examine the impact of Grey Nomad volunteer programs on regional communities, the researchers assisted six outback towns in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia in the development of their own volunteer programs and monitored the success of these programs over a three-year period.
Dr Leonard said the volunteer programs were found to be successful, not only because they led to the completion of important community initiatives, but because they successfully kept the Grey Nomads engaged with the local community.
In Barcaldine in central west Queensland, 33 Grey Nomads participated in 23 volunteer projects during the 2010 tourist season. The projects ranged from painting the jump rails for the local pony club, helping-out in school canteens, and repairing furniture and facilities for the local hospitals, schools and churches.
Douglas Stewart from Barcaldine Regional Council says the Grey Nomad Volunteer Program has been instrumental in attracting travelling retirees to the region.

Thong Tree
“Every year a small group of Grey Nomads meet and stay on the Alice River in Barcaldine and camp around what they call the ‘Thong Tree’. The group consists of a number of couples who travel from as far afield as Tasmania,” said Mr Stewart.
“A large number of the Grey Nomads who volunteered in 2009 have returned to volunteer again in 2010 and have committed to returning again in 2011 if their health permits.”
Dr Leonard said Grey Nomads have many, varied skills and interests and are always on the hunt for new adventures.
“With some foresight and planning, local governments can tap into the Grey Nomads’ interests, create suitable volunteer programs, and mobilise the travelling retirees as an enthusiastic and valuable volunteer workforce,” she says.
The results of the national UWS, UTS and Volunteering Australia study have been published in the ‘Grey Nomad Volunteers: New Partnerships between Grey Nomads and Rural Towns in Australia’ report.

Handbook available
Barcaldine Regional Council have also produced a handbook to provide practical advice for other communities that may be interested in attracting Grey Nomads to their townships and establishing their own Grey Nomad volunteer projects.
The national Grey Nomads research program was funded by the Australian Research Council, with additional funds provided by UWS, UTS and Volunteering Australia.

Photo below: Volunteers assisting restoration at a Barcaldine Museum