This year, the New Economy Network Australia (NENA) celebrates a remarkable milestone: ten years of fostering collaboration, ideas, and action to create a fairer, more sustainable economy.
The story began in late 2015, when Professor Bronwen Morgan (UNSW) and Dr Michelle Maloney (Australian Earth Laws Alliance) began planning what would become Australia’s first dedicated new economy conference in Sydney, held in August 2016. Building the New Economy: Activism, Enterprise and Social Change brought together around 130 people, sparking lively discussions about how our society could move beyond extractive systems towards social and ecological justice.
It was during this conference that the seed of NENA was planted. Participants agreed unanimously to continue the work, forming working groups and laying the groundwork for a national network. A year later, at the October 2017 Brisbane conference, NENA was officially launched, auspiced by the Australian Earth Laws Alliance. From that point, a committed group of volunteers and supporters began shaping the structure, governance, and vision of the network.
Over the next twelve months, NENA’s Volunteer Coordinating Hub facilitated more than twelve working groups. Among them, the Governance Development Working Group spent eight months consulting, drafting, and refining a constitution that would guide the network into the future. By January 2019, NENA had become a legally incorporated non-distributing, not-for-profit cooperative, with the founding steering group appointed as its first directors.
Looking back, the past decade is defined by curiosity, collaboration, and courage. NENA has grown from a small gathering of inspired individuals into a vibrant national network, supporting initiatives that address the cost-of-living crisis, promote ecological regeneration, and advance social justice. From conferences and workshops to national dialogues and practical projects, the network has remained a space where ideas meet action—and where a better economy is actively built.
As we celebrate ten years, NENA thanks all the volunteers, members, speakers, and supporters who have helped shape this journey. The foundation is strong, the vision clear, and the next decade offers even greater opportunity to imagine, create, and sustain a new economy for Australia—one where people, planet, and prosperity thrive together.