The mallee town 90 minutes north-west of Bendigo has a population of 815 people and is the first community in Victoria to adopt the rent-a-farm program.

The heart of Wycheproof - the hockey, netball and football club - is faced with extinction unless a dearth of junior players is quickly overcome.

The Wycheproof 2010 group believe the town, crippled by drought and shattered by the loss of the main thing that draws the community together, would soon follow.

Faced with such a dire situation, the group decided to implement the somewhat radical proposal that has already saved six similarly endangered towns in New South Wales.

“Those places in NSW were not prepared to just sit back and watch their town disappear,” project co-ordinator Kylie Brown said.

“We feel very much the same.

“We just won’t accept that happening.”Ms Brown said Cumnock, NSW, was the group’s inspiration for implementing the proposal, which will start with two $1 a week farmhouses but could be expanding to at least 15 properties.

About 10 more houses in town are also available for rent at between $50 and $100 a week.

Cumnock started their bid for survival in October last year, with the school bus service in jeopardy as residents continued leaving at an alarming rate.

Within eight months, the town’s population has swelled by 20 per cent and the town now needs a bigger school bus.

“Once we’ve got a few farmhouses full, people will really start to see a difference around here,” said Ms Brown, who has lived in the town as the Post Office licensee for the past four years.

“It’s a great concept that has a lot of appeal.

“We can offer people a simpler way of life.

“A community like Wycheproof can give that to people.”Wycheproof-Narraport Hockey/Netball/Football Club president Merv Gaylor, who has lived in the town for all of his 51 years, says the town has “no choice” but to try the project.