Building power from the ground up to ensure no-one is left behind. A collaborative response to the challenges faced by our community. Geelong Sustainability is part of an alliance of unions, faith groups and community organisations who have been meeting regularly to discuss how to win a Real Deal for Geelong. A Real Deal for Geelong seeks to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis and ensure that no-one is left behind in the energy transition, and that every person has the opportunity to determine their best life. A community-wide listening campaign has been completed to identify the issues that people are facing, their challenges, current pressures and future aspirations. Collectively we have heard from over 200 people across Geelong from diverse backgrounds. The full report of the listening campaign can be downloaded below. Read the Report.
Participants in the Listening Campaign expressed an overwhelming sense that they are under pressure. Participants shared a strong anxiety about housing, the cost of living, the nature of work and the capacity to care for and connect with others. For some, the climate transition created anxiety. For others, particularly from marginalised communities, the pressures they ordinarily experience have become greater. Some members of marginalised communities have never had equitable access to fundamental human necessities such as safe housing and work. Geelong’s communities are alert to the impact of climate change and extreme weather events, but individuals often expressed uncertainty about what they can do to make a difference. When climate was understood as a separate pressure that adds to and compounds other issues that Geelong’s communities are facing, participants expressed a sense of being overwhelmed and paralysed. But when the climate transition was connected to the other pressures people face in their daily lives, participants felt more certain of their agency and more convinced that transformative change is urgent.
Three Pillars of a Real Deal for Geelong
◦ Secure Housing: Concerns include affordability, insufficient tenants’ rights and the poor quality of housing stock
◦ Meaningful Work and Affordable Living: Challenges faced due to increased cost of living and the struggle to find quality work to pay the bills
◦ Care and Connection for All: Difficulties accessing formal care and the feelings of dislocation and loneliness
We have been touched by the stories of hope and hardship that our community has shared during the listening process. On Wednesday 10 May we held a community forum which was attended by over 150 community members alongside Local, State and Federal members of Government where we shared our findings. We received a resounding commitment from all delegates, and many community members, to work together in developing positive solutions for Geelong. Collectively we will work together to develop solutions from the ground up, solutions that will support our community to be resilient in the face of climate change.
What Next?
We are now working in three “working groups” for one hour each week to develop solutions to the three major issues identified by the listening process:
◦ Secure housing
◦ Meaningful work and affordable living
◦ Care and connection for all
It’s not too late to get involved in this vital project – sign up below.
Who’s Involved
◦ The United Workers Union
◦ Cloverdale Community Centre
◦ Norlane Community Centre
◦ ACF Community Geelong
◦ Victorian and Geelong Trades Hall
◦ Geelong Sustainability
◦ Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
◦ Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
◦ St Bernard’s Church (Belmont)
◦ The Centre for Climate Safety
Get Involved
If you’d like to be involved in the Real Deal for Geelong please sign up below.