Forgotten and Almost Deserted - Some of the Poorest Towns in Australia

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Let me know what town you liked the most out of these 4 and what you'd like to see happen to bring these towns back to life? 🏘

[@aidanbutcher8817]

What do we do to revive these joints? We start a business there. We round up all the undesirable types we don’t want around, we put them on exercise bikes and treadmills where they can generate green energy that goes to batteries we bring back to town. They get sold to pensioners who struggle with bills . Then when they are broken , we put a fertiliser factory up next door and these clowns that were bread originally for the baby bonus welfare come back as blood and bone that assists the roses to grow better down the local Oval. If they never had jobs… well we just gave them one! You’d have to do something by bringing water to the region though. Seriously though why would you live there if you only got $30k/ year? How would you go finding a partner?! These towns may be great to explore but they make Tennant Creek look like Las Vegas! You’d kinda want to be a hermit to be there. When you got old what about being near a hospital? I met a guy who got given a house in Andamooka as the occupants never paid the land tax and abandon it. He just basically wanted a few “hide outs “ around the joint though.

[@Ozcrazy49]

Govt. should revitalise these town, build houses for immigrants who should be compelled to live there for say two years minimum. Children should be made to engage in sports. Set up training venues for technical trades so we have extra workers for the future to build even more residences and businesses for the communities. Outlaw social media and computer games for those under 18 years of age. Bring back discipline ie a kick up the arse for any misdemeanours. Parents on drugs should be deported to Norfolk Island.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

​@aidanbutcher8817 good points there Aidan. I do wonder if they'll even exist in another 20 years or so 🤔. Maybe if grey nomads and Gen X retirees want a quiet life but as you and Cheryl in the video says the closest main hospital being Karoonda it'd need some upgrades to support a bigger regional population and I don't know if any governments are willing to do that much? 🤔

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

​@@Ozcrazy49 I reckon that could be done. Look at Biloela in Queensland and Kaniva and Nhill in Victoria which have actually been revived by immigration and similar could be done in Borrika, Halidon, Sandalwood and Mindarie 🤞🏻. Jobs wise may be difficult but maybe even make 1 of these forgotten towns into something and as the saying goes built it and they will come? Maybe 🙏🏼

[@g_reg84]

You should do terowie near peterborough. Ghost town and has a lot of ufo activity in the town. A lot of old buildings and history. (I grew up in Peterborough).

[@nannerz1994]

Just watched it all the way through That was a good one! I love how you appreciate places most people don't even think about

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much Nannerz and I try to find the spots that are overlooked and hidden away and show them to the world and I appreciate your support and kind comments my friend :)

[@tonybloomfield5635]

Really interesting video. Well done mate! As a Victorian it is absolutely striking to see long stretches of near perfect road surface and clean shoulders and clear road markings, even in semi remote areas. In Victoria almost all our highways have become totally neglected and riddled with potholes and/or patchy repairs.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you Tony and welcome to my channel mate. Yes I find the roads heading into Bendigo from Adelaide a lot like that where they sorta seem full of holes but South Australia too has some shockers especially on the Yorke Peninsula, I've noticed, myself.

[@Vivianblue.]

Good video. Love these lil "blink and you'll miss them" towns. I'm a bit of a real estate + history nut, I can tell you from my many hours of real estate stalking that any of of these homes in these small towns pop up for sale they are snapped up real quick. Peoplr love living out in in isolation, especially when it costs less than the burbs. These places may look unappealing to many but in the past decacde or so many more folks are choosing to escape the rat race and live in places like these mallee towns.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you Vivian and yes you're right there are many people who love these quieter, almost off grid towns and I'm one of them once I get to retirement age mate aha. Thank you for your great input here and I think your sentiments are spot on for many folks who are sick of the overly busy lifestyles of the cities and bigger areas.

[@silvanastephan4379]

Awesome video Drew, thanks for sharing and showing us around

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much Silvana and I appreciate your support my friend 🤗😍

[@aidanbutcher8817]

You make some interesting viewing for sure! I’d be scared to go out there in a conventional car though, you’d need either an SUV or 4x4. If you broke down I couldn’t imagine the amount of $ you would need to get mechanical help! You’d need Gold RAA assistance for sure! Some of those roads are sketchy as! I was surprised to see that junkies had gone there to shoot up?! Like you can actually buy drugs like that there? Looks like a good place to collect cans or scrap for recycling though!

[@silvanastephan4379]

@@aidanbutcher8817 that's one thing keeping me from exploring this awesome state more, my car. I would always be stressed about getting stuck by myself, can't afford RAA without a job. Unfortunately I've discovered evidence of junkies everywhere on my walks, I'm always surprised at some of the places they have been and left their dirty needles.

[@Ozcrazy49]

Well done Drew, just love these old deserted towns. Too bad they have declined and a bit sad.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much mate and that is super kind of you and I appreciate your support. I think these towns can do with some TLC but have some charm to them, undoubtedly 😀 .

[@MAMysteryTours]

Great look around Drew. Well put together

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much Mark and Annette and it was a nice day (even though very hot weather lol) out there to see these towns 😍

[@aurelius2277]

Interesting video. It reflects the drift to the cities across Australia. I am from WA and similar scenes in the old Gold Mining towns on the various Goldfields. Also same in old towns in the WA Wheatbelt.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

I think you're right there. Everyone wants and needs their services closer to where they live. Thank you for your comment mate😀

[@phensriwood2093]

Good on you using your indicators .

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you. I am in a habit of using them even where it's probably not quite necessary lol

[@LyntonSchwark]

Nice little drive around the Murray Mallee, my Grandfather had a farm property at Sandalwood in the 1920's and my father was born in Wynarka the other side of Karoonda in 1926. Must have been a hospital there and not Karoonda?

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you Lynton and I did travel by Wynarka too on the way up. They have a Christmas lights display in Wynarka. I believe Cheryl was saying the hospital was at Karoonda but my own hearing was not great there sorry. Do you have many memories of the how the towns were before they somewhat declined?

[@LyntonSchwark]

Hi Drew, no I don't as my Grandfather had moved to the mid north of Appila to farm before I was born in 1957. My old girlfriends father had a farm at Karoonda in the 1970's and dug Mallee roots transported and sold to stockists in Adelaide 😊

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

@LyntonSchwark oh fair enough Lynton. I know Apilla as it has springs there, right? I reckon I've done a bit of a swim there. Karoonda is one of the best towns in the region of the MM. I quite like the mix of the newer silo art there and the townships quieter but not deserted vibe. Thank you for sharing your family story Lynton and I hope 2025 is starting well for you and your family

[@kymzadow4174]

Hardest oval in Australia , covered in flat thistle and 3 corner jack , you got up as fast as you went down

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Yes you're right there. Would be a place not to fall down 😳

[@navcenter77]

I grew up in the town of Murray Bridge about an hours drive from Karronda and remember the Borrika oval having green grass during the Summer. It was mainly watered with water from a Bore some 200ft deep

[@aidanbutcher8817]

@@kymzadow4174 looks like a good place to build a Gaol on!

[@Luke.Nugent1967]

Fantastic video Drew. You will find many ghost or micro towns along the old train lines that used to supply the those towns.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Yes Luke the sad thing is the industry and infrastructure gets cut and the highways are routed elsewhere and it seems then most towns are doomed if they're in that situation hey mate. Thank you for watching and your support my friend.

[@brushitoff503]

A Passing Memory. If walls could talk of whereof people walked, you see a time gone by as a passing fly Of times a past & those that last, into the sun that leaches the ground, the walls remain yet to be found.. Enjoyed this mate, I wish I could impart my bush life knowledge unto you, but there is an old saying, you can't get there from here. Thanks for the explore.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

You wrote that very well my friend and I'd love to learn more of things 💯 😀

[@brushitoff503]

@@DrewsAdventuresGo The Overview. I'm overheating & cold in a desert of old, Sunbleached & tanned from stories untold My foot falls softly in unbroken ground, the plains of life are full of my sound No trace is left, in the blowing sands just a memory that's held within my hands In times of old remembed by few, we walked the land in a different hew Life comes, life goes but one thing remains only the brave shall walk astray..

[@Ghastly10]

Awesome video thank you for showing area's of South Australia I have not seen. Some of which I have not been passed in a long time, it is sad to see towns like this slowly fade. I reckon you could film a post apocalyptic movie in some of those areas.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much for your support Ghastly and you are right these towns are a mere 2 - 2.5 hours from Adelaide yet often overlooked and we don't hear of them sadly hence they have become socio-economically struggle towns it seems hey 😢

[@Ghastly10]

@@DrewsAdventuresGo No worries was a very cool video. Yeah being what would been farming towns, when the government closed the rail lines down it would of made life hard for the farming families out there. Used to go past that area many years ago when going to Renmark for holidays back in the 70's, then later on going via Karoonda on the way to Mildura. Not sure what Karoonda looks like now but back in the 80's it was a small town, I think the only reason that it is still there and gotten bigger is location and is a main arterial road from Tailem Bend to Mildura, Ouyen and other towns in that part of Victoria.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

@Ghastly10 Yes Karoonda isn't too bad and probably the biggest town close to these little towns 😍

[@BigBird2202]

Great video Drew thank for your time in making it

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much mate and I really appreciate your support in watching and it's a fascinating set of towns out there 💯

[@nathanhallisey441]

Just watched the whole video, great work.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you Nathan and welcome to my channel mate 😀

[@AbandonedAngel]

What an incredible adventure Drew 👌🏾

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much Angel. I think you probably have some towns like this not far from Sydney too? 😍

[@AbandonedAngel]

@DrewsAdventuresGo we do have a few towns up this way - that are very similar - an old mining town - Hill End springs to mind 😀

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Oh nice maybe you can go there Angel and see it. Sounds like a very curious place my friend 😍

[@TorquilBletchleySmythe]

The wierd roofing you saw at the post office is a large cottage and a smaller, lower one joined by beams from roof top to roof top and a facade and roofing iron put in place to make a larger building with an attic for storage.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you for answering that Torquil. I did wonder how it was structured but that does make sense and I appreciate your help and thanks for watching and welcome to my channel 😀

[@richardwolski5899]

Just watched yr vid fantastic me and my wife love this stuff.have subscribed...😊

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much Richard and your wife and welcome on board. I've got a lot more to come this year and hope you'll enjoy more of my videos to come and Happy New Year 2025 😀

[@brunfree]

This was brilliant to watch, really enjoyed the style of your videos. Learned a lot of info. I would say Halidon had me itching to detect as did all of them. Please do more of these style vids. I have many old street directory books, I’ll look thru’ them for street mapping. Really interesting and thanks for this one Drew..❤❤❤❤loved this one

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much Brun and same here. Maybe we could go up together and try a detect around the road edges hey. I reckon there's a lot of history hiding in the region 😍

[@brunfree]

@ we really should do that

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

@@brunfree I'm keen 💯

[@exploringsydneyandbeyond9059]

So sad these towns a dying . Great video Drew .

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much my friend and it sure is. They're in some need of TLC 😪

[@PeterMcginley77985621]

hey drew nice exploration of the out back of SA hope alls well mate.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you Peter and I appreciate you watching the video and your support and I'm not too bad here. I hope you are keeping well?

[@PeterMcginley77985621]

@@DrewsAdventuresGo hey drew im still going through health issues mate but taking each day as they come, but i never stop watching my favourite videos from who i subscribe to and there channel its always a pleasure to see your content when you put them up mate just keeping up and catching up on what i miss the most of cheers my friend.

[@fishingrod001]

Top job! :) Would have liked to see the remains of railway infrastructure in each.

[@kathdunstall8977]

Our family used to live in the green house at Halidon . About 45 years ago.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Oh awesome Kath. I bet you have many fond memories of it. It seems sadly abandoned and as you saw it has a lot of strange stuff out the back entrance, at least 😕. Please feel free to share your memories and thank you for your comment

[@philipreiffel5077]

Do really love mallee country!

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Same mate. There's something quite beautiful about it up there 💯

[@allandoyle3555]

Does anyone know what happens to abandoned houses in Australia..can you buy them..and how...or do they just sit and rot...thanks for this video mate..you have a new subscriber here..

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Welcome Allan and I appreciate your support. I do wonder the same. I know in the US they often have liens against them ie back pay of land and rates and other taxes has to be made for anyone who wants to buy them. I don't know if Australia does the same or how that process works and maybe I should do a video of the process 🤔 If I had the money I would love to buy a couple of them and restore them into liveable places 🙏🏼

[@allandoyle3555]

@DrewsAdventuresGo a video would be great....google seems to have so many different answers..and I'm sure that all states would be different as well

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

@allandoyle3555 thank you Allan and I reckon I'll try investigate it and see what I can do 🤞🏻

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Good idea mate. Ill try investigating it and find out 🤞🏻

[@GR19611]

I travel past many times a year but never stop.There are sometimes buildings for sale at very reasonable prices in these areas on the condition that they are restored. Check with council.

[@marty-fh1rw]

Interesting. I was trying to make out the towers. TV Antennas?

[@dannieduplessis2432]

Very good.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you Dannie and appreciate your comment mate 😀

[@allthatfluffnstuffQLDaustralia]

Aww mate ❤ I’m here on the replay 👋

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you Fluff so much 😍. I think you'll get a huge insight into South Australia's dryness compared to Queensland with this video mate 🤗

[@allthatfluffnstuffQLDaustralia]

@ yeah mate I am and I don’t think I would really like to live in any of the places you’ve filmed 😂 I feel like I can never say I am poverty ever again 😮 I definitely am rich in life xo The research you did on the statistics on each place was absolutely brilliant. I love it when content creators step it up and you certainly did mate. Well, done to you xox I can see this video go viral as it rightfully should 👏 👏 👏

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you so much Fluff and you're right on there regarding how rich we actually are. I have a few more of these to come so I'll hopefully get to them soon and be able to share more stories from these forgotten places hey mate

[@gardnep]

Does halidon have an annual picnic race day? A few villages and areas have races and people come from everywhere. The site looked well developed. The bulletin cases just indicate someone was doing target practice, nothing dodgy about shooting targets, hundreds of people do it every week.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

I reckon they do Gardnep. According to Country Racing SA they have various events over the calendar year and celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2016. Thank you for your comment and I wasn't sure if they were casings or something else worse 😅

[@malleeboy300rider7]

@@DrewsAdventuresGo The Mindarie- Halidon yearly races are a hugely popular event that that is well patronised by people from all over SA, but mainly from the Riverland area.

[@mnj640]

If there are permanent residents probably pensioners. Cheaper housing the further you go. There's more places like these than you think.

[@aidanbutcher8817]

A couple things you don’t see there are Petrol stations on every corner and box like houses going up there. You wouldn’t smell people in Sandalwood that actually smell like Sandalwood and say “Bout bout bouty boot”. When they speak.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Yes the main demographic is older folks mate. I think you're right re housing costs and probably hundreds like these across the country. Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts my friend :)

[@billspooner3792]

I got to go for a drive an see these old towns since I live in south Australia, I want to live in a icalaton town where there no one around an restore a house that's my dream.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Definitely got to get out there Bill and see more of our country. We have so much that's not on the mainstream maps and I reckon these towns have potential 💯 . Thank you mate 😀

[@SEEYAIAYE]

Pretty cool walkthrough of some forgotten towns, I don't think anything will bring these back sadly, too isolated and remote for most people and 0 jobs

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Yes you're probably right. Unless some folks seriously make a big move out there and invest in it then it'll probably never improve 🤷

[@BenState]

@@DrewsAdventuresGo It wont be an investment unless it makes money. It would be charity.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

That is true sadly

[@sachabinky2915]

Nice Grape vines at 7.30

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Definitely they were one of the greener plants out there mate 😀

[@ashleyhubbard8854]

I grew up in a small town in the early 1960s. If you removed the cars from these towns, you wouldn't notice any differences than 1962. They still look basically the same.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

I reckon it'd be good to see a street photo comparison and I think you'd be spot on 💯. Thank you for your comment and welcome to my channel mate 😀

[@CamperKev]

Some of those towns feel a little spooky during daylight hours, so I can't imagine how they feel at night. I find them intriguing however and that's what attracts me to your channel. That was a very interesting video. After researching Sandalwood, I quickly found a very disturbing event that took place there. If I add the link to this comment, KZbin will probably delete my comment, so I'll send the link through on a separate comment and see what happens. Otherwise Google, "Murder at Sandalwood" and the story should pop up on a 2013 ABC news story.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

I'll check that our Kev and thank you for letting me know of that story. I'll Google it up and see what I can find out. Thank you for watching and sharing your comments mate and welcome to my channel 😀

[@CamperKev]

@@DrewsAdventuresGo Thanks Drew and for the record, Google did delete the link that I sent through. However you should have no problem finding the story.

[@AlexCimmaronBS]

Subscribed

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you Alex and welcome to my channel 😀

[@g_reg84]

Kyle and I have driven past these towns a few times but never stopped as kyle is always in too much of a rush rush rush lol

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Aha bless Kyle. They're very curious so next time you go down there check them out Greg 💯

[@philipreiffel5077]

Been through those towns a few hundred times, it was good to drop into the wanbi hotel for a couple of beers, unfortunately it closed for good, I like the old style pubs, oh well.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

I need to go up to Wanbi. I have seen the pub on the street view but unlike you never got there to have a drink. Thank you for your comment Philip 😀

[@lightbridge1695]

I think you'll find owning a house outright in the outback is easier than living up to your eyeballs in debt in the suburbs or cities.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

That is true. The cost of properties is probably the best aspect out there. Just need some services to go with it 😀

[@chuckmaddison2924]

This looks beautiful, compared to the " Turd town" videos of UK.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Yeah I guess so. It's all comparative but in different ways. Thank you for your comment mate 😀

[@saxonost7]

You seem uncomfortable with the quiet?

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Not really Saxon but I do think some "life" is a good thing. I'd say I'm an introverted extrovert in most of my daily life 😃

[@malleeboy300rider7]

Correct pronunciation by locals is Borr-ick-A,

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Thank you for that correction mate and I wondered about Wanbi too?

[@malleeboy300rider7]

@@DrewsAdventuresGoNo worries, glad to help, A lot of people struggle with that on to, calling WAnbI, when it is actually WonBEE. Note most of these little towns degradation has been very gradual, starting with the cessation of Rail services, the changeover to automatic telephone exchanges which no longer saw the owners of the shops having that sideline income to make the shops viable as well as them having the Post Offices in the shops as well. Add to this the decline in the farming population due to the increasing acreages needed to make it sustainable,and the closing down of the underutilised schools (East Murray and Browns Well) . As I said, a very slow but happening process

[@colinl9018]

It put the kids to sleep at least............................................................

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Cheers Colin and glad it helped and thank you for the comment 😀

[@ChristineMeyer-hs9rg]

Grandma is relaxing to it too. 😴

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

@@ChristineMeyer-hs9rg excellent Christine 😀 and thank you

[@dantunno9264]

Yep one of your better ones

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Cheers Dan. I hope some of my older content is alright too aha 🤞🏻

[@dantunno9264]

@ older content is good too. There’s a few of you guys out there doing similar content in SA. This was a bit more unique, well at least I haven’t seen a lot of it from the others. Yeah nah this was clever stuff

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

@dantunno9264 thank you mate yes you're right doing something unique is a good think Dan. I appreciate your support mate 😀

[@ISRAELITE.ZEBULUN]

I THINK @ 25.41 IT INDICATES IT WAS A OLD COVID SAFE YOUR LIFE BEST MEDICINE CENTER

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Lol that could be the case 😂 😋

[@robertplatte5700]

good on you brother be plenty of localities like these places around Oz plenty of room for immigrants

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Definitely Robert we could see a program like the one in Nhill and Kaniva and Biloela where people can come and establish themselves in Australia and revitalise the towns 🤞🏻

[@TheTimeDetective42]

More like 'hamlets'. Except for the streets and front fences, they look almost like aboriginal settlements.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

They really are hidden and micro indeed, mate. I appreciate your comment and maybe I need to get permission to see a settlement like you mention.

[@patriciapitt4228]

Take a trip to Alice Springs but be very careful and thanks very much for the drive through great work 😊​@@DrewsAdventuresGo

[@helennicholson9530slim]

Been through that area bd cattle truck midel night never have time stop look about their history out therre

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Definitely do it Helen. There's a lot of history out there and just needs to be uncovered 😀. Thank you for watching and your comment mate.

[@selwynlawton7939]

no Jobs so no residents, makes sense!!!

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Yes once economic decline sets in it's quite hard to come back from I think, unfortunately 😕

[@MISSODETTESWANN]

This is what happens when people are broken due to high taxes cost of living and govt not maintaining infalstructure. No laughting matter.

[@realfamilyman]

"$30,000... not sure what job people would be doing..." None. That's about $1150 a fortnight which is a Centrelink pension.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Yes you're right or some part time farm labour work perhaps but not a lot of options elsewhere, there

[@geoffmccoll4640]

If we had spent so much in Afghanistan during the past, how much "you buet bullshit" should we Australians had created?

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Yeah that is an interesting conundrum Geoff. I wonder 🤔

[@Nookdashiddole]

The pitch is concrete😂 I've been to a few grounds lie that

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

I'm guessing that they're unforgiving? I never got into cricket too much I'll admit 😅 . Thank you for your comment mate

[@shaunllewellyn6058]

Only 30% of Australia is habitable

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Indeed Shaun once we leave our big coastal cities it seems to be near impossible to make human life comfortable given our natural landscape. Great point and thank you 😀

[@shaunllewellyn6058]

@DrewsAdventuresGo the government won't build dams.

[@geoffmccoll4640]

Um, Maybe Australia should locate our nuclear powered submarines there In 2042?

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Geoff you never know 😂 . Governments have done some stranger stuff in the past I'm sure

[@gardnep]

Cheaper than the nuclear power station and probably just as functional.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

@@gardnep more than likely. Everything seems to be super expensive and slow in Australia to be built

[@geoffmccoll4640]

This part of SA looks like Afhganistan?

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

It's definitely seen better days, unfortunately, Geoff. I wonder if anyone even notices these towns much and especially from a local or state government perspective. Sadly it seems not in many cases 🤔

[@BenState]

Clearly you've never been.

[@KnightsblooD.Of.thE.RedcrosS]

just really show's how bad this goverment can spend million's on helping other poor cuntry's with aid yet cant even spend 1 buck to help out a aussie town from dying.

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

It is very sad 😔. We can surely do both or at least give fair resources to the folks here in these forgotten towns