South Gippsland is a region capable of supplying low-carbon resources for all its residents.
It is also a space that can allow for the sovereignty of its First Nations people. It can be the site of a regenerative farming revolution (which has already begun), of the protection of its natural habitats, waterways and wildlife. It can be a place that makes public space and services points of pride rather than a “waste of tax and ratepayer money”. It can be a home where young and old alike are included in its social fabric, where the many are able to prosper and to flourish.
So much work is already done by South Gippslanders to knit that social fabric across its many community, arts, sporting, environmental, and social clubs and societies. Dealing with the effects of a changing climate is going to need these practices of care more than ever.
A focus on pragmatic solutions and initiatives should underpin a transition away from fossil fuels and the disparities between the haves and the have-nots. Such a transition must be a bottom-up process, shaped, developed and implemented by its residents.
South Gippsland has the chance to be an exemplar and a shining light amongst so much gloom. Granted, the region is no island, and we need global as well as local solutions. We could do worse, however, than to try and remake our own backyard.
If this sounds like your thing, get involved.
South Gippsland spans Bunurong and Gunai-Kurnai country. We acknowledge that this land is unceded and pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging. A just transition is one that allows for First Nations' sovereignty.
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