Moved to Forum: Original Link
Looking for a cheap place to stay for you and your family? Rent a farm house for $1 a week.
Mod: Insufficient/no quantity and possible paid to work program according to comments. Moved to forum so discussions can continue
this is fine idea if you're retired on super and have a fixed income
otherwise what do you do for work
you may be a contract shearer who travels the local area… (i know someone in this vicinity who does exactly that)
If you are young, with a family, you could view this as similar to the assisted immigration from U.K. and other European countries in the 50's and 60's, with the similar attractions and rational for moving. Not every family and child wants the fad filled fast food urban world, but are probably at a loose ned as to how, exactly to make the shift to the bush. I am set up with a community, friends and a State house rental, but even then, the idea is really attractive. The draw-back for me, is that I'm close to the group you describe - what the communities need are fit young families. I'd be finding a place to park - the offer is a place to grow!
It may be only one family in a 1000 this would interest. For a local real estate dealer, hardly a market to consider - but in a small city like Adelaide, that's be 1000 families interested.
As far as I can tell, there are no properties listed on their website. You have to sign up to a newsletter. Plus, it's more like they're looking for people to do work and are 'paying' you with low rent. I don't think this qualifies as a bargain.
I agree that caution may be needed - but I wouldn't expect listings, any more than I would expect a travel agency to advertise its holidays by showing the nice empty houses of the lucky families who chose them :-p
I don't understand why you wouldn't expect listings.
Airbnb lists houses, apartments, farms, castles, etc.
Travel agencies list available hotel rooms.
Real estate agents list houses for sale and for rent - much like these.
Yeah, no actual properties listed = no bargains.
Not a bargain. Belongs in the forums.
it doesn't even belong in the forums
Just throwing this out there for thoughts/comment…
Might sommat like this be good for a 'welfare family' finding it hard to get a permanent rental (i.e. a family who still hadn't 'hit the public housing jackpot'/still remained on the waiting-list), and/or wanted a more positive environment for their young kids than an inner-city public housing block? I guess the downside would be the lack of any long-term security re the arrangement… So it'd be unwise to give up a govy-house to do this, for example, because when you were 'kicked off the farm' you'd have to go back to the back of the queue…
No.
I know Cumnock. It's about 100m long, a few houses and a general store and that's about it, about 45 minutes drive from the nearest town which is the small village of Molong, which is itself about 15 minutes out of Orange.
Welfare families need jobs, not houses in the middle of nowhere with no employment or infrastructure.
Hmmm. I think we're talking about different types of welfare families. I'm not talking about the ones where one or both parents are actively seeking work / are generally employable / just happen to be in a temporary rut etc.
How is this a bargain?
"How is this a bargain?"
Well, it kinda' comes down to semantics really. In one sense, if your 'duties' for the $1 rent are solely to send your kids to the local school via the school bus, and for that you get $1/week rent…
Lets say rent is usually at least $200/week for a house, then this is effectively rent for 0.005 of the normal rate… BARGAIN!
This is there normal price… was this price since 2008 when they introduced the scheme.
Cheaper now due to inflation ;)
I remember watching the ABC doco when some families tried it. It didn't work for many, and you spend more time and money trying to get suitable work and to get the house up to a livable standard. Also, casual employment doesn't benefit the worker.
I wonder if they welcome ethnic diversity.
ethnic means having foreign roots. that makes me ethnic
You are partly right, but my point was diversity. Many different ethnicities, you included.
adjective
1.
pertaining to or characteristic of a people, especially a group (ethnic group) sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, or the like.
2.
referring to the origin, classification, characteristics, etc., of such groups.
3.
being a member of an ethnic group, especially of a group that is a minority within a larger society:
ethnic Chinese in San Francisco.
4.
of, relating to, or characteristic of members of such a group.
5.
belonging to or deriving from the cultural, religious, or linguistic traditions of a people or country:
ethnic dances.
6.
(of a human being) displaying characteristics, as in physical appearance, language, or accent, that can cause one to be identified by others as a member of a minority ethnic group:
Her new boyfriend looks ethnic to me.
7.
Obsolete. pagan; heathen.
noun
8.
a member of an ethnic group.
if you meant a particular race or ethnicity, why not state it? i hate it how a group is not considered diverse if there isn't a black guy in it
@tomkun01: Nah I really did not mean a particular race or ethnicity. Based on your statement "You hate it how group is not considered diverse if there is a black guy in it" That a group of 5 may consist of orientals, latinos, malays, mediterranean caucasians and nordic caucasians. That is diversity without a black guy in it (dark skinned maybe).
Sorry to get so technical, I think you were reading too much into my statement.
I really did mean "I wonder if they [welcome] [ethnic] [diversity]". I'm not wondering if they welcome people from a particular group but if they do welcome people from diverse ethnicities.
@lolbbq: why wouldn't they? it's kinda hard to be actively racist in australia. btw, have a look at any company website that tries to show they're diverse - they'll use a stock photo with, likely, 3 white people, 1 black guy, and one asian woman
If they do, then thats perfect. I can't answer "why wouldn't day" without sounding accusatory and I am by no means accusing anybody of anything. While most organizations can say that their policy is not racist or discriminatory, the behaviour or preferences of an individual is less accountable. It may be possible that in a small community there may be one person who does not get along well with others outside beyond his colour or language. It is impossible to say that Australia is 100% not racist (I think no large population is). Town planners do not the leanings of every individual or the number of people who lean a particular way. The question is, how far would the town planners go in allowing diversity while considering the potential for conflict in a somewhat tightly knit community?
@lolbbq: hm. i guess that goes on - my area is full of commissioned housing blocks. one of the blocks is all saudis
@tomkun01:
Racist people are rare but their effect on society is very very disproportionate to their numbers. This can be even worse in small secluded communities. Its morally and ethically poor of them to be that way but it seems to be perfectly legal as long as they keep it to themselves (in other words nothing can be done but TRY to educate). So another point of my original post was asking if the "assumed" happiness and cohesiveness of all current members of the community was more important than non-discriminatory practices.
Wasnt there some abc program about some poor people moving to some country town for cheap. They had to find local work and fix the property for live in themselve.
Edit someone beat me to it. Lol
"…Some farmhouses need renovating in exchange for low rent, some farmhouses need a caretaker to look after the farm, some farmhouses need children to help save the local school bus run, some farmhouses need skilled labour to help during busy harvest and some farmhouses need all the above"