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Upcoming Events
ABOUT THE NENA 2025 CONFERENCE
Like many societies around the world, here in Australia we face a number of interconnected ecological and social justice crises. We are seeing the increasing impacts of climate change - including floods, droughts and coastal devastation - as well as the ongoing biodiversity crisis due to land clearing and other extractivism. At the same time, we're also experiencing a 'cost-of-living' crisis - with homelessness and hunger on the rise - and ongoing institutional racism preventing First Nations Peoples from achieving socially just, self determination.
Read More ...Past Events
World Localisation Day runs globally throughout June 2025. Its themes align with NENA's upcoming Conference themes: Pathways to a Thriving World - Building Economies for People and Planet.
Join co-convenors Susan Wanmer and Yolanda van Gellecum in conversation about the financial models and governance structures, creating prosperous local economies - including cooperatives.
Read More ...
Join the New Economy Network Australia (NENA) for a series of three online workshops (23 April, 21 May and 18 June), designed to strengthen the localisation movement in Australia.
Join us for a fascinating webinar hosted by the Enlivenment Network, the anchor organisation of NENA’s Arts & Culture Hub, about the Wilami Wunmabil Trail, along Moonee Ponds Creek, Naarm/Melbourne. This new/ancient trail is a living example of Collaborative Creative Community Practice, and connects local knowledge, culture, ecologies and economies. Featuring Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Julianne Axeford, Troy Pedersen Wurundjeri Liaison, Chain of Ponds Collaboration Moonee Ponds Creek Melbourne and Scott Killeen, Experience Designer at KELP Creative.
Read More ...with Matthew Washington, Phil Jones and Robert Perey, Centre for a Steady State Economy (CASSE) NSW - facilitated by Michelle Maloney
Read More ...with Glenn Woods, CEO of Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, The Kimberley; Mike Winer, Advisor with Juunjuwarra Aboriginal Corporation, Starcke River, Cape York; and Dr Mary Graham, Kombumerri person from the Yugambeh Language Speaking Peoples in South East Queensland
Read More ...
with Professor Helen Kopnina, Northumbria University (UK) - Inaugural Haydn Washington Memorial Public Lecture
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Join us for a FREE screening of BBC Documentary "Can degrowth save the world?", followed by a panel discussion with the documentary maker, Alvaro Alvarez, Dr Michelle Maloney (New Economy Network Australia & AELA) and Dr Ben Robra, University of Queensland.
Read More ...What do we mean by ‘quality of life’ and ‘wellbeing’? Join NENA and the University of Newcastle, for a special event as part of Social Science Week, that explores Australian research findings on this important topic.
In a world grappling with profound socio-economic and ecological challenges, a growing movement of grassroots, civil society, and policy-advocacy activists and think tanks has pushed for significant reform beyond the current economic growth mania. By emphasizing the centrality of well-being and quality of life, they seek to redefine our relationship with the economy and ecology. However, the critical question remains: What do we really mean by quality of life and well-being?
Read More ...What is 'localisation' and why does it offer so many benefits to people and the environment? Join us this World Localisation Day to discuss how the localisation of our economies, societies and environmental protection strategies, can bring multifaceted benefits to our people and planet.
Read More ...Previous Events
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World Localisation Day runs globally throughout June 2025. Its themes align with NENA's upcoming Conference themes: Pathways to a Thriving World - Building Economies for People and Planet.
Join co-convenors Susan Wanmer and Yolanda van Gellecum in conversation about the financial models and governance structures, creating prosperous local economies - including cooperatives.
Read More ...
More information and call for presentations coming soon! See the 2023 Conference page for up-to-date information.
Join us for a fascinating discussion with Daniel Christian Wahl, an internationally acclaimed thinker and catalyst for regenerative futures.
Read More ...What exactly is ‘degrowth’? And why are people advocating for it? Where does degrowth sit with respect to other alternative economic models and futures? Anitra Nelson and Terry Leahy will discuss Australian degrowth initiatives in a worldwide context.
Speakers: Nat Lowrey (Aid/Watch) & Marisol Salinas (Latin American Solidarity Network)
Moderator: Marta Conde (Researcher & Activist)
Speakers: Louise Crabtree-Hayes (Western Sydney University) and Alex Baumann (University of Western Sydney)
Read More ...Speakers: Peter Mylius-Clark (Primary Carer), Colin Long (Victorian Trades Hall Council) & Anisa Rogers (DNA)
Read More ...Speakers: Boon Breyne (Friends of the Earth, Europe) and Joslin Kehdy (Recycle Lebanon)
Read More ...Speakers: Anitra Nelson (Scholar & Author) & Dr Sabrina Chakori (The University of Queensland)
Moderator: Anisa Rogers (DNA)
JOIN US FOR A WEEK OF WEBINARS AND DISCUSSIONS!
Join the New Economy Network Australia (NENA) and Degrowth Network Australia (DNA) for "Degrowth Week", which will feature webinars and discussions about what degrowth is, why we need it, and how we can keep moving towards it.
Read More ...The current state of industrialised societies is a projection of our collective habits of thought which have created a certain societal structure since the establishment of modern nation states.
Read More ...Join us for an important discussion about how we can create governance systems to support the localisation of our societies and economies.
Read More ...Australia's housing crisis is growing worse. Not a day goes by without harrowing stories of people unable to afford somewhere to live,
Read More ...Join us for a fascinating discussion about how localising our food systems can build local resilience, food security and restore ecological health.
Read More ...Australia has always been a continent affected by fire, flood and drought. But as the impacts of climate change escalate, and local communities are hit even harder by extreme fires and floods - how are we responding?
Read More ...What is localisation? Why is it so good for communities, our environment and our economies?
Read More ...Join us for a week of webinars exploring local economies.
Part of International Localisation Day, hosted by Local Futures / Economics of Happiness
Join us for an important discussion about recent research connecting human health to wellbeing economies and societies.
Read More ...Please join us for our 'Budget Rundown' with Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist from The Australia Institute.
The 2023 Australian Federal Government Budget is scheduled to be handed down on 9 May 2023, and Matt Grudnoff will be in discussion with NENA's Dr Michelle Maloney on 19 May, to discuss where the key areas of expenditure and policy focus are this year.
Read More ...As we face escalating climate breakdown, biodiversity loss and the decline of ecosystem health, governments and communities are struggling to find sufficient responses. While the science is uniquivocal - our future depends on reducing emissions and increasing nature restoration this decade - there is much debate about different policy responses.
Read More ...Join Sustain and other members of NENA's Food Hub, to celebrate Australia's second national Urban Agriculture Month, from 1st - 30th November 2022.
NENA Housing Week 2022
Read More ...NENA Housing Week 2022
Speakers: Adam Russell, Andy Marlow and Ananya Majumda
Facilitator: Matthew Daly
NENA Housing Week 2022
Speakers: Martin Freney, Peter Hickson and Ray Trappel
NENA Housing Week 2022
Speakers: Anitra Nelson and Peter Phibbs
Facilitator: Andy Fergus
NENA Housing Week 2022
Speakers: Linda Seaborn, Tim Riley, Emma Spano
Facilitator: Elena Pereyra
NENA Housing Week 2022
Speaker: Louise Crabtree-Hayes
Facilitator: Michelle Maloney
NENA Housing Week 2022
Speakers: Jasmine Palmer, Karl Fitzgerald, Sidsel Grimstad
Facilitator: Elena Pereyra
NENA Housing Week 2022
Speakers: Sue Gilbey, Megg Evans and Jennifer Harris
NENA Housing Week 2022
Speakers: Michelle Maloney, Elena Pereyra and Sara C. Motta
Facilitator: Michelle Maloney
Join us for an important conversation about Australia's energy crisis and how creating cooperative responses is our most promising way forward.
In this webinar, Godfrey Moase and Colin Long will discuss the current energy crisis, the transformation of the energy system to respond to the decarbonisation imperative, and how CoPower and other co-operatives are building a co-operative ecosystem response to put energy back in public and social control.
Read More ...Join us for an important presentation and workshop by Gillian McFee (Gillian McFee & Associates), Antony McMullen (Co-operatives Bonds) and Pete Cohen (Collaborate and Deliver).
Read More ...Join us for a fantastic Friday evening of drinks, nibblies and discussions about co-operatives and unions today.
Read More ...Join us for an important discussion about Australia’s Rush for Energy Transition Minerals & Metals.
Read More ...Speakers
- Adam Kempton
- Dr Tony Webb
- Linda Seaborn
ONLINE EVENT - 6PM AEDT/MELBOURNE TIME
In association with 888 Co-operative Causeway and the Fabian Society (Vic.)
with Natalie Lowrey and Liz Downes
What could Australia’s society and economy look like, if we transition away from an extractive economy?
Read More ...THIS EVENT IS BEING CO-HOSTED WITH FUTURE DREAMING
Future Dreaming is a not-for-profit organisation working to share ecological knowledge across cultures, to build a better future for all of us. For more information - www.futuredreaming.org.au
Read More ...with Anitra Nelson & Terry Leahy
What exactly is 'degrowth' and why are people advocating for it to be adopted by governments around the world? Join us for an important discussion about the 'degrowth' movement: how it started, what it calls for and what it would mean for the Australian economy if 'degrowth' was adopted as a policy and strategy.
with Ian Lowe, Jane O'Sullivan and Haydn Washington
There is no possibility of achieving our stated goal of sustainable development if we don’t stabilise the human population and reduce our resource demands”
ABOUT NENA NARRATIVES WEEK
Humans are born storytellers. We live our lives immersed in a sea of narrative - from personal narratives about the twists and turns of our lives, to big cultural and economic narratives about what it means to live well and be human. For decades now, our economic narratives have valued growth in economic activity, competition and exploitation of nature, leading to ecological devastation and human misery. Most people have become so used to these narratives that they seem unremarkable.
But narratives can change. If our economic narratives are not serving the needs of people and planet, we need to find new ones. NENA Narratives Week explored the power of economic narratives in our lives and how we might transform those narratives to support a better future for people and planet. Through a program of daily events, we examined dominant narratives and the power they exert on our daily lives, look at the new stories that are already emerging, and identify practical actions NENA members can take to bring new economic stories to life.
See the videos from NENA Narratives Week 2022 here
On World Localisation Day this year, NENA facilitated a very special discussion about how communities in the Northern Rivers (NSW) have connected and worked together during and after the terrible floods of 2022.
We were joined by guest speakers with lived experience from the two flooding events who are experiencing how communities are working together to respond and support each other.
Read More ...Richard Denniss joins NENA to break down Australia's 2022 Federal Budget, explaining how our collective financial resources have been allocated and what it means for the well-being of our society.
Read More ...In this webinar, NENA's Women in the New Economy Hub will address the role that women and feminised knowledges and wisdoms can play in shaping post-covid futures dedicated to well-being and embedding economies that are life enhancing, not death-making.
Read More ...The role of arts, culture and creativity is critically important to our vision of a ‘wellbeing economy’ and society. But given the challenges the arts sector has traditionally faced – and which have been exacerbated by COVID lockdowns and restrictions – what is the future of the arts sector and artists in Australia?
Read More ...Co-hosted by the NENA Post-Extractivism Hub & Blockade IMARC, this important webinar is an introduction to extractivism and its impacts.
This important webinar was co-hosted by the NENA Post-Extractivism Hub & Blockade IMARC, discussing extractivism and its impacts.
Read More ...This is a workshop run by NENA and the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (International) on how to design policies for a wellbeing economy.
Read More ...Reimagining 'Quality of Life' and 'Social Wellbeing'
Webinar 6 - Post-Eurocentric Visions of Quality of Life
Guest speakers:
- Dr. Milena Büchs - "From the growth-welfare nexus to sustainable welfare within planetary boundaries"
- Nûjîn Derya - “Liberating life. On women's knowledge, social organising and our common struggle. Learnings from the Kurdish women's liberation movement.”
- Ajahn Brahmali - “The Buddhist Idea of a Good Life”
Reimagining 'Quality of Life' and 'Social Wellbeing'
Webinar 5 - Post-Capitalist Visions of Quality of Life
Guest speakers:
- Dr Nick Rose - "From commodity to commons; healing ourselves, healing nature"
- Loriana Luccioni - “Post-Capitalism and Universal, Unconditional Basic Income. Change the language to shift the values”
- Prof. Devan Pillay - “Marx meets Buddha: Ecosocialism, wellbeing and the pursuit of happiness”
This workshop included three presentations providing important updates about cooperative governance in Australia, a panel discussion with the guest speakers, a Q&A session and an opportunity for people to ask advice about setting up and managing their own cooperative.
Read More ...Reimagining 'Quality of Life' and 'Social Wellbeing'
'Post-capitalist Visions of Quality of Life': Part of Social Sciences Week, Australia
Hear from three distinguished guest speakers, hosted by NENA and the University of Newcastle.
Guest speakers:
- Prof. Noam Chomsky - "Imagining the Future – if there is one!"
- A./Prof. Ariel Salleh - “Some Ecological Feminist Thoughts on Wellbeing”
- Prof. Gar Alperovitz - “Democratizing the Economy: Practical Advances and Long Term Strategy”
Reimagining 'Quality of Life' and 'Social Wellbeing'
Webinar 3 - 'Pluriversal Visions of Quality of Life'
Guest speakers:
- Adjunct Professor Victoria-Grieve Williams - "Everywhen: Autonomy, Altruism and Living Well"
- A/Prof. Sara Motta - “Democracy (M)otherwise: Enfleshments from the Margins of Modernity”
- Prof . Ashish Kothari - “Ecoswaraj: a Radical Ecological Democracy Towards Justice and Sustainability”
The NENA Youth Hub is hosted its very first event for everyone who teaches, works with, mentors, supports, or is, 13-21 years old.
Purpose Labs empower young people to find their purpose, uncover their potential and explore new possibilities. They can reduce anxiety by helping people gain clarity of purpose and experiment with new projects.
Fore more information, read the description on NENA's YouTube channel here.
Reimagining 'Quality of Life' and 'Social Wellbeing'
Webinar 2 - Indigenous Perspectives About Quality of Life
Guest speakers:
- Dr Mary Graham - "The Relationist Ethos and the meaning of life"
- A/Prof. Daniela Heil - “Ngyiampaa perspectives of wellness in 2021”
- Dr Eiji Ranta - “Learning from Indigenous views of quality of life in Latin America”
Researchers showcase their work that supports the wellbeing economy.
Presentations:
- 'Regenerative Collectivism', Professor Dave Adamson, OBE (PDF 49 KB)
- 'Creating a positive platform for sustainable change through community-based participatory design', Kimberley Crofts (PDF, 106 KB)
- 'Health System Financing & Sustainability Stream', Martin Hensher (PDF 5.5 MB)
- 'Understanding the dynamics of emancipation and co-optation in social finance ecologies: The case of alternative food networks', Denise G. Nogueira (PDF 758 KB)
- 'The Science of New Economy', Kamaljit K Sangha (PDF 11.6 MB)
Reimagining 'Quality of Life' and 'Social Wellbeing'
Webinar 1 - 'Rethinking Wellbeing'
Guest speakers:
- Dr Michelle Maloney (NENA) - "Are wellbeing economics a viable alternative to capitalism?"
- Dr Hamed Hosseini (UON) - “From Wellbeing to Well-Living: On the urgency of an inclusive approach to Quality of Life”
- Ms Shelley McGrath (UON) - “Reimagining social change through connection”
View the NENA Housing Week program and all recordings here
How can we ensure affordable, safe and sustainable housing for everyone in Australia?
Catch up on a week of discussions about housing and human settlements, hosted by the New Economy Network Australia (NENA) and Co-Housing Australia.
Topics Include:
* An overview of the housing crisis in Australia and its social justice implications
* An overview of the impact of housing and human settlements on Australia's ecosystems, biodiversity and bioregional health
* A deeper dive into the housing crisis – the foundations of Australian property law, capitalism, colonisation and notions of future value
* Success and failure - responding to Indigenous housing needs, rising homelessness, crisis accommodation, transition housing
* Caring for our most vulnerable – aged care, families, women, people with disabilities - across Indigenous and non-indigenous communities
* Positive responses - Indigenous peoples creating their own housing solutions, community housing, tiny/micro housing, co-living
* Sustainable responses - understanding the impacts of human settlements on the living world; rethinking urban, regional and rural housing developments, ecovillages and sustainable housing
* Innovative financing and investment for housing and human settlements in Australia
Following the long period of disruption caused by the pandemic, the idea of a regenerative economy means different things to different people. While some look for a return to “normal", or business as usual, this panel is concerned with how Basic Income may form one of the fundamentals of an economy that is regenerative in a larger ecological sense.
For more information, view the description on NENA's YouTube channel here.
Join the Cities & Urban Communities Hub for two presentations followed by a Q&A session
Presentation 1 - Experimentation to accelerate decarbonisation
Experimentation through urban living labs brings together academic, government, civil society and private sector actors to trial alternative city futures, transition governance approaches and new modes of sustainable urban development.
Net Zero Precincts is a 4-year ARC Linkage project that is leveraging Monash University's Clayton Campus and the Monash Technology Precinct as a living lab to undertake experiments in net zero energy, mobility and the built environment to accelerate precinct-scale decarbonisation.
In this presentation Dr Darren Sharp will provide an overview of the Net Zero Precincts project, and discuss some emerging opportunities and challenges of net zero transformation at precinct scale.
See Net-Zero Precincts presentation slides here
Speaker Bio
Dr Darren Sharp is a Research Fellow at Monash Sustainable Development Institute where he is Research Coordinator of the ARC Linkage project Net Zero Precincts: an interdisciplinary approach to decarbonising cities. Darren is a sustainability transitions researcher interested in urban experimentation, living labs, multi-stakeholder governance, grassroots innovations, and the sharing economy. His research speaks to the possibilities of social learning, institutional arrangements, community agency, and new urban imaginaries to drive the transformation of cities towards sustainability.
Presentation 2 - The example of Circular Economy Villages
Circular Economy Villages (CEVs) seek to illustrate how a zero waste and zero carbon precinct could be designed for new developments in rural areas, aiming to move beyond zero and have a net positive impact on the land.
Each village is being planned to house a diverse community of up to 200 people, integrating affordable co-working and co-living spaces with water and energy micro-grids and a regenerative agricultural system. A network of CEVs would strive towards self-sufficiency by collaborating and localising the economy within a bioregion.
Steven Liaros' presentation will outline this development model and provide the current implementation status.
See Circular Economy Villages presentation slides here
Speaker Bio
Steven Liaros is a strategic town planner and author of ‘Rethinking the City’. He is interested in how the internet and other new technologies, together with circular economy and sharing economy business models, are reshaping cities. Steven has qualifications in Civil Engineering, Town Planning and Environmental Law.
Regen Melbourne invited NENA members to join a roundtable discussion about the localisation of Doughnut Economics to Melbourne
Hosted by Michelle Maloney (NENA) & Kaj Lofgren (Regen Melbourne)
For more information, view the description on NENA's YouTube channel here.
Webinar hosted by the NENA Perth Hub
Webinar hosted by the NENA Perth Hub
Join NENA's Arts & Culture Hub for a panel discussion with creative entrepreneurs who discuss their cutting edge cross-disciplinary projects connecting business, local, state government & non-government organisations & schools.
We explore how artists are now working to de-silo Arts & Culture with whole systems sensory critical thinking processes for creating solutions to our ecological, economic and cultural crises.
For more information, view the webinar on NENA's YouTube channel here.
Webinar hosted by the NENA Perth Hub
NENA's Energy Hub held an exciting discussion about Australia’s first large scale Solar Garden.
For more information about this webinar, visit the Facebook Event Page.
For more information about this webinar, visit the facebook event page
Webinar hosted by NENA Perth Hub
Webinar hosted by the NENA Perth Hub
Join us for a discussion about the 'invisible commons', created by the processes of people working together.
Read More ...More democratic organisations such as cooperatives are important building blocks for the new economy movement.
In this NE Builders session we heard from Kate Biondo from Galactic® Co-operative - a WA-based, socially responsible, worker-owned technology business which provides advanced technical expertise across multiple industries.
Hosted by the NENA Perth Hub
Catch up on this important discussion about how supporting the commons can strengthen community responses to the pandemic.
For more information, watch the webinar on NENA's YouTube channel here.
Webinar hosted by the NENA Perth Hub
It's time for a new vision and narrative for Arts & Culture in Australia - and NENA can play a part in building this new narrative, and strengthening the arts sector for the benefit of our society and all creatives.
Webinar hosted by the NENA Perth Hub
NENA Narrative Hub co-convenors, Chris Riedy and Michelle Maloney, facilitated this discussion about how we can most effectively communicate about the new economy in Australia.
Webinar hosted by the NENA Perth Hub
Helena Norberg Hodge, Local Futures/Economics of Happiness, in conversation with Dr Michelle Maloney, Co-Founder of the New Economy Network Australia (NENA).
For more information, see the webinar on NENA's YouTube channel here.
The New Economy Network Australia (NENA) Health Hub is pleased to invite you to an important discussion about human health systems in a wellbeing economy.
For more information, view the webinar on NENA's YouTube channel here.
Webinar by NENA Perth Hub
Webinar by NENA Newcastle/Hunter Hub
Participatory democracy, collaboration and community led approaches offer a more democratic, just and empowering way of making these decisions and building this future. We want to bring people, communities, organisations, business, sector and government together to develop strong relationships and collective responses.
- For more information, see the Facebook event page.
Join Dr Millie Rooney and Louise Tarrant to find out about the Australia reMADE initiative, and how it connects to building a new economy for Australia.
For more information, view the webinar on NENA's YouTube channel here.
Hosted by the NENA Perth Hub
Hosted by the NENA NT Hub
Watch this webinar hosted by the NENA Northern Territory Hub and Environment Centre Northern Territory (ECNT) that discusses alternatives to the 'business as usual' economic system, and outlines innovative economic initiatives being developed in the Northern Territory.
For more information, view the webinar on NENA's YouTube channel here.
Powerpoint presentations:
- Introduction to NENA - Michelle Maloney, NENA
- Kamaljit Sangha, Charles Darwin University and NENA Northern Territory
- Professor Rolf Gerritsen, Charles Darwin University
- Shar Molloy and Monica Tan - Environment Centre NT - Repower NT
- Jane Munday - Charles Darwin University
- Anna Boustead - Indigenous Carbon Industry Network
This webinar is part of NENA’s World Degrowth Day events
Join us as we explore the meaning and relevance of degrowth in a COVID19 affected world.
For more information, view the webinar on NENA's YouTube channel here.
Powerpoint presentations:
- Ana Poças, Dutch Degrowth Platform - Degrowth, an Introduction
- Anitra Nelson, University of Melbourne
- Michelle Maloney, NENA and AELA
Speaker: Professor Chris Reidy, Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS
See presentation notes here.
Speakers: Katherine Trebeck will give an introduction to the origins of WeALL, its current activities and its vision for a socially just economic future. Katherine and Michelle Maloney (NENA Director) will then discuss ways that NENA members can get involved in WeALL.
Speakers:
- Joel Orchard, CSA Australia New Zealand and Future Farmers
- Randal Breen, Farmer/Owner, Echo Valley Farm, Goomburra Valley QLD
** WATCH THE WEBINAR ZOOM RECORDING
Visit NENA's Food Hub
Speakers:
Tim Hollo, Green Institute and Prof. Bronwen Morgan, UNSW.
co-hosted with International Network 'Yes to Life, No to Mining'
- 22 February - Update about NENA Governance structures and the 2018 Conference
- 22 March - Ecological Economics and why it matters
- 24 May - How strong self-awareness and self-governance can support our transition from the "Old" to the "New" Economy.
- 26 July - Food systems in the new economy
- 23 August - Education in the New Economy
- Click here for the recording of the webinar (including PowerPoint slides featured in three presentations)
- for individual PowerPoints, see:
- Sidsel Grimstad’s presentation [PDF, 580kB]
- Patricia Morgan’s presentation [PDF, 1.1MB]
- 20 September - Update from NENA Steering Group
- 22 November - NENA's International Partners Update - Jason Nardi, "RIPESS" (ripess.org)