"Issues fundamental to the social sustainability of rural communities have been identified through a case study of communities in rural Victoria. Factors considered essential for viable rural communities were established through, inter alia, stakeholder participation. A suite of social indicators were constructed, and subsequently validated, to reflect the key factors identified. This provides a comprehensive tool which can not only offer a framework to integrate social values to monitor trends in the social dimensions of sustainability more broadly, but also can be used as a locally meaningful guide to assist community planning in a rural context."