Abstract: The project has investigated the effect of declining rural community infrastructure and whether there is a relationship between social and community issues in a region and its economic and environmental sustainability. As some rural towns increase in size, others are withering. Services are either withdrawn or centralised to the larger centres forcing rural residents to change the way they do business and where they socialise. Questions are raised about whether these changes affect the efficiency of farm enterprises and whether small communities are worth saving for more than sentimental reasons.