Regions reIMAGINED: A conversation series

Our communities are faced with intersecting crises – gender inequality, social and economic injustice, the climate crisis – that require us to come together to think about how we might better work together to imagine and create more equitable communities that care for people and planet, and to consider the things that make good lives for all.

Regions reIMAGINED is a creative collaboration between Women’s Health Goulburn North East (WHGNE) and Australia reMADE that takes the recent work from Australia reMADE as its starting point to explore what people want for themselves, and their communities. The three conversations in this series are centered on the themes distilled from Australia reMADE’s wide-ranging community conversations, which found that, overwhelmingly, people want:


Connection. Care. Contribution. These are what we’ve come to understand as the real building blocks of public good — or in the words of one of our participants, the “things that provide, and are public domain and are offered to everyone” – Miriam (poet)


November 30, 2022: Regions reIMAGINED: Contributing to our communities

Our third online and final conversation in the series was held on Wednesday 30 November, 2022, when our four panelists joined Australia reMADE’s national director Dr Millie Rooney to explore the notion of “contribution”, looking at what constitutes contribution in our world and how do we recognise it both in others and in ourselves? How do we value contribution? Why do we need to contribute? What sort of infrastructure do we need to put in place to contribute in a meaningful way?


Twitter – @_MillieRooney

Millie is a social scientist, researcher and champion of participatory democracy and politics, based in nipaluna/Hobart, Tasmania. She co-directs the strategic and daily operations work of Australia reMADE, writes regularly and is sought after on panels, podcasts and forums for her work on the public good and more. Her social science expertise centres around community building and social capital.

As a carer for her family, as well as others in her community facing chronic illness and disability, Millie is passionate about care, inclusion and meeting the needs we all have to lead lives of connection, care and contribution. She’s also a wonderful tinkerer and maker of things, from garden beds to clothing, a skill she picked up from her parents. An avid ocean-dipper, amateur circus performer and enthusiastic roller-skater, Millie thrives on joy and community.

Millie brings a courageous and vulnerable leadership style that allows her to listen deeply to people from very different walks of life to find the deeper story and needs. Her authentic voice and relatable humour are there in everything she does.

Ali is from Beechworth, and while she technically moved away a while ago, she has been back at home for much of the past few years since COVID began. Ali completed her Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Australian National University, and her Master of Teaching at the University of Melbourne.

Since graduating from her Masters in 2016, Ali has worked part time as a primary and special education teacher, while also working in various youth and environmental leadership roles. Since she was in high school, Ali has worked as a youth environmental leadership program coordinator and facilitator with OzGREEN, most recently working with various NE Victorian Councils to run Climate Congresses for local young people. Ali is the founder of the Australian Youth for International Climate Engagement Working Group with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water, working to increase a diverse Australian youth presence in international climate negotiations. Also was also the founder and leader of Indigo Shire Youth for Climate Action, who have worked over the past two years to increase the capacity and opportunities for young people in the area to act on Climate Change. Ali previously ran Australia’s youth delegations to the UN Climate Change talks in 2018 and 2019. Ali loves hiking, cooking, travelling and reading fantasy novels.

Cr Greg James is a very proud Yorta Yorta man, born in Mooroopna and he has lived in the Goulburn Valley most of his life. He is a father of two wonderful children.

Greg attended school in Shepparton and then Melbourne University with two degrees in Education.

Greg holds a position as a representative of various Boards and is an active member within the community, community sport and an Aboriginal artist in a number of mediums.

He was elected to the Greater Shepparton City Council in 2020 – the first indigenous person elected as Councillor.


Judy Horacek is a cartoonist, writer and children’s book maker. Ten collections of her cartoons have been published, the most recent of which is Now or Never. Her cartoons are often concerned with the environment, feminism and social justice. Recently she collaborated with Flying Fruit Flies Circus on Girls with Altitude, a wonderful show of circus meets cartoons. She creates children’s books on her own and also with Mem Fox, including the beloved Where is the Green Sheep? Judy is also a printmaker and regularly exhibits her work. You can see more at www.horacek.com.au

Australia reMADE – Bonus Summer Podcast Series: CONTRIBUTION

October 26, 2022: Regions reIMAGINED: Connecting with our communities

Our second online conversation in the series was held on Wednesday 26 October, 2022, when our three panelists joined Australia reMADE’s national director Dr Millie Rooney to explore the notion of “connection”, looking at what constitutes connection in our world and how do we recognise it? How do we value connection? Why do we need to connect? What sort of infrastructure do we need to put in place to connect in a meaningful way?




Twitter – @_MillieRooney

Millie is a social scientist, researcher and champion of participatory democracy and politics, based in nipaluna/Hobart, Tasmania. She co-directs the strategic and daily operations work of Australia reMADE, writes regularly and is sought after on panels, podcasts and forums for her work on the public good and more. Her social science expertise centres around community building and social capital.

As a carer for her family, as well as others in her community facing chronic illness and disability, Millie is passionate about care, inclusion and meeting the needs we all have to lead lives of connection, care and contribution. She’s also a wonderful tinkerer and maker of things, from garden beds to clothing, a skill she picked up from her parents. An avid ocean-dipper, amateur circus performer and enthusiastic roller-skater, Millie thrives on joy and community.

Millie brings a courageous and vulnerable leadership style that allows her to listen deeply to people from very different walks of life to find the deeper story and needs. Her authentic voice and relatable humour are there in everything she does.

Dr. Emma Lee is a trawlwulwuy woman of tebrakunna country, north-east Tasmania, Australia.  She is an Associate Professor (Indigenous Leadership) Swinburne University of Technology.  Her research fields over the last 25 years have focused on Indigenous affairs in land and sea management, policy and governance of Australian regulatory environments.


(Listen to Dr. Lee’s discussion with Australia reMADE’s Lilian Spencer in April 2021) )

Amanda Kelly (she/her) is the CEO of Women’s Health Goulburn North East and has spent the majority of her working life in the not-for-profit sector. She has always sought to find the connections between the ways we live, work and are in the world. Her current role allows her to focus on the long-term, systemic changes that we need to consider if we want to create a life that is full of meaning for all of us.

Jasper Peach is a trans, non-binary and disabled writer, speaker and editor from Jaara Country. They are passionate about equitable access and inclusion, focused around the dismantling of misplaced shame via storytelling. Their first book, a collection of advice and encouragement for new and prospective queer parents, will be released in March 2023 by Hardie Grant.

Australia reMADE – Bonus Summer Podcast Series: CONNECTION

September 2022: Regions reIMAGINED: Caring for our communities

The first online conversation in the series was held on Thursday 29 September, 2022.  Our three panellists joined Australia reMADE’s national director Dr Millie Rooney to explore the notion of “care”, looking at how we value care, what it means for human life and community, and what sort of infrastructure we need to put in place to be able to care for each other and to be cared for.


“Do you ever meet people you wish you could just pop in your pocket and carry around with you? People who have wise things to say about the issues you care about and can articulate them in clear and accessible ways?”

Read Millie’s take on our conversation.

Twitter – @_MillieRooney

Millie is a social scientist, researcher and champion of participatory democracy and politics, based in nipaluna/Hobart, Tasmania. She co-directs the strategic and daily operations work of Australia reMADE, writes regularly and is sought after on panels, podcasts and forums for her work on the public good and more. Her social science expertise centres around community building and social capital.

As a carer for her family, as well as others in her community facing chronic illness and disability, Millie is passionate about care, inclusion and meeting the needs we all have to lead lives of connection, care and contribution. She’s also a wonderful tinkerer and maker of things, from garden beds to clothing, a skill she picked up from her parents. An avid ocean-dipper, amateur circus performer and enthusiastic roller-skater, Millie thrives on joy and community.

Millie brings a courageous and vulnerable leadership style that allows her to listen deeply to people from very different walks of life to find the deeper story and needs. Her authentic voice and relatable humour are there in everything she does.

Dr Arnagretta Hunter is a  physician and cardiologist concerned with the effects of climate change on human health. She is Canberra-based with strong ties to Stanley in regional Victoria.Arnagretta is the Human Futures Fellow at the College of Health and Medicine at Australian National University (ANU), where she is also a senior lecturer in the Medical School. She is the chair of the Commission for the Human Future and a member of the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions.Arnagretta co-hosts the Policy Forum Pod podcast at ANU and writes on health policy, public policy and the impact of the environment on health.

Beth born in Corowa, a small town on the banks of the Murray River in NSW. A First Nations artist of the Wiradjuri people, she is currently based in nipaluna/Hobart.

Her multi-disciplinary practice employs a visual alphabet of animal, plant, and human motifs to question themes of impact: historical, environmental and human impact in post-colonial Australia.

Thornber’s paintings consider existing structures cemented in everyday life and applies this lens to reimagine ideas of sacredness, boundaries, common ownership and shared responsibility.


Matt is a commercial and property lawyer and owner of Halliday Solicitors, which is based in Beechworth and Yackandandah.

Matt has a passion for addressing global issues on a local scale. He is a director and founder of community-energy company, Indigo Power Ltd; a founder of Totally Renewable Yackandandah; and a director of bankWAW.

He lives on a small farm with his partner and two children where he enjoys growing vegetables to eat and sell. 

Australia reMADE – Bonus Summer Podcast Series: CARE

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