Spearheading the project is an announcement of improvements plan-ned for the Mypolonga riverfront through a council social infrastructure plan.

Mypolonga Progress Association member Steve Hein is helping with the project along his town’s riverfront.

The aim of the project is to develop a camping area, boardwalks and habitat for native fauna.

“It is three-fold, one is that it’s a fantastic opportunity for the local primary school, two, it will be a bit more of a tourist destination ... and at the end of the day it will provide better facilities for the community,” Mr Hein said.

He said the association had already spoken with a cruise boat operator to promote Mypolonga as a stop-off point for passengers.

The Mypolonga development and plans for other outlying towns was triggered by a Murray Bridge council decision in February to work more closely with irrigation communities suffering from drought and a lack of irrigation water.

The Vibrant Outer Towns Planning Project was established in a bid to work with the communities at Mypolonga, Wall Flat, Jervois, Woods Point, Wellington, Burdett, Ettrick and Monarto.

The council is seeking a Primary Industries and Resources SA drought fund grant for $100,000 and if successful, will contribute $50,000 in cash and in-kind support for the project.

Murray Bridge council chief executive officer David Altmann said there were three main aims to the project.

“The aims are mainly to ensure that we have better and stronger communication with the rural areas of our district, secondly is to create better communication links, and third, is to listen and learn about what issues and opportunities are affecting rural areas,” Mr Altmann said.

He said the council did not want to just identify the issues, it wanted to go a step further and help with the first grant application.

The project planned for the Burdett and Ettrick areas is different, with residents hoping to create a more cohesive community.

Ettrick resident Ray Bald said there was a divide between farmers and people who were living there for the lifestyle.

“We are just a big area with no real idea of who is in the district,” Mr Bald said.

He said the hope was to form a district group, and this could either enlarge or replace an existing community association.

“Then they (the residents) can drive it themselves to find out what they want,” Mr Bald said.

The Murray Bridge council will help with a mail out to the Burdett and Ettrick area to help gauge interest.

“Not everyone wants to be involved, but there are other people that are moving out that might like to be involved, whether it is through the CFS (Country Fire Service) or just being part of a social group,” Mr Bald said.