On why local government can be a great opportunity for change

It’s just days to go before our inaugural local government summit on Wednesday next week.

Was there ever a focus more badly needed? As we face a growing litany of challenges there’s a new focus on turning personal and local.

Something to do with the enormity of the global problems, the insanity of the geo-political unravelling and the fact that, as the old saying goes, you can only change what you can control.

The true changemakers in the world advocate creating tight, if small, kernels of action and determination – the more welded on the better – and from there to build on the opportunity to add more connections.

Once, we would have said we don’t have time for that – that we need massive global political change as soon as we possibly can.

That’s happening in some places, but unfortunately, it’s at the same time as crazy people fight hard in the opposite direction.

But what we’ve discovered in this journey of diving deep into the world of local government is one of passionate people both within councils and working with them.

They believe in the power of connections, helping to get community solar, community batteries and programs that improve lives through net zero and energy efficiency not just for council assets but for households and businesses.

Then there is the challenge of dealing with climate change impacts – always the local council is in the eye of the storm.

And almost always very badly resourced.

How do the passionate people that keep plugging away with these challenges manage the communications and networking needed to cross sometimes disparate barriers?

We’ve got people coming on Wednesday who will share their personal insights and experiences. It’s gold.

Then we have people like Stella Whittaker and Gordon Noble who will tell of how to take advantage of new creative thinking for finance.

Among the audience will be even more people who we will ask to contribute to the outcomes we take away.

Get your tickets here