North Queensland Symposium, July 2018

On July 14-15, 2018, the North Queensland Conservation Council (NQCC) and New Economy Network Australia co-hosted an exciting two-day symposium, "A New Economy for North Queensland", on Magnetic Island.

ABOUT THE EVENT

North Queensland is blessed with bountiful natural resources and a wealth of human talent. But the model on which our society is based is intrinsically unstable, resulting in booms and busts, degradation of natural resources, uncertainty of business and employment, and concerns about social justice. Time and time again, our faith is placed in the latest ‘silver bullet’ project: a new local attraction, a new mine, a new dam for expanded irrigated agriculture, a new satellite suburb. But too often such proposals come at an economic, social and environmental cost.

Fortunately, more and more people in the region and across Australia can see that ‘more of the same’ is not the answer. Increasing numbers of people are working to create new, diverse economies and better ways for our society to live, work, play and care for the environment.

The 2018 ”A New Economy for North Queensland” Symposium will bring together thinkers and doers, people exploring and practicing new, more sustainable ways of doing things in areas such as: food and energy production, consumption, social enterprises, travel, the built environment, income distribution and population. It will be an opportunity to look outside the box, to creatively question our traditional ways of doing things and explore new options for a fair, sustainable and thriving region.

The Symposium is inviting locals and guests to meet for two days, to share stories of success and develop new collective strategies for creating positive social, environmental and economic change. Our goal is to build thriving communities and economies that fit within the productive capacity of a healthy environment.

The Symposium is co-hosted by the New Economy Network Australia (NENA), and the North Queensland Conservation Council (NQCC).

SPEAKERS

Keynote speakers include:

  • Kate Raworth Doughnut Economics, UK (via internet)
  • Richard Denniss Australia Institute
  • Charles Massey Regenerative Agriculture
  • Dr Michelle Maloney New Economy Network Australia (NENA)
  • Wendy Tubman North Queensland Conservation Council (NQCC)
  • Dr Amanda Cahill Next Economy