January 24, 2023
Regional leaders from across the Wide Bay-Burnett have been invited to take part in a free Future Forum in Bundaberg next month.
The forum, organised by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) and the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), aims to strengthen networks and equip participants with the latest regional data so they can drive positive changes in their communities.
It will be held at The Waves Sports Club in Norville on February 16.
The Future Forum is part of Leading Australian Resilient Communities (LARC) initiative which includes leadership training, webinars, group coaching and support for practical, community-led projects.
It is the first step where community stakeholders can learn how LARC works and how they can participate.
ARLF CEO Matt Linnegar said the Future Forum was an opportunity for local residents “to step forward and participate in a leadership development program and become part of a dynamic network of local leaders, both current and emerging”.
“The LARC program recognises that true resilience is not merely about ‘coping’ or ‘surviving’, but about change, readiness and opportunity,” he said.
“The Wide Bay Burnett communities have had their share of challenges in recent years – climate related emergencies such as drought and the recent floods; the pandemic; and social issues among them. It’s at these times we’ll see locals leading efforts to help and support each other.”
Guest speakers at the Future Forum will be RAI chief economist Dr Kim Houghton, the Australian Resilience Centre’s Paul Ryan and ARLF’s manager of learning Andrew Bryant.
Registrations can be made online
More information about the LARC five-day leadership course and the 26 scholarships on offer in the Wide Bay Burnett region, is also available online
LARC is being delivered as part of the Federal Government’s Building Resilient Regional Leaders Initiative (Pilot) grant.
