Festival to plant seeds for a sustainable future

THE hot topics of environmental stewardship and natural resource conservation will be given a thorough going over at this year’s youth-led Bendigo Sustainability Group (BSG) Sustainability Festival.

Held at White Hills’ Garden of the Future on Sunday 30 March, features of the day include an art show where entrants are invited to showcase their visions for a sustainable future and an upcycled fashion parade.

There’s also going to be an electric vehicle expo, a clothes swap, a repair cafe, and an energy-efficient Wash Against Waste trailer.

BSG executive officer Melissa Abel said this year there’s four youth directors taking charge of different aspects of the event, plus other young volunteers helping to coordinate the day.

“We’re trying to give them some solid roles, not dictate to them what they should be doing, but give them something to sink their teeth into and something they can have ownership of,” she said.

“For some of them, it’s a bit of experience, a bit of fun, (but) others are looking more to add experience to their CV and get some real hands-on experience.

“We’re trying to make it accessible and engaging for everyone in the community.

“That’s where the youth aspect has come in – we’re trying to make it not just for the grownups to go around and get information from the different stalls, we’re trying to make it interactive and engaging and interesting for the whole family.

“We really want people to take something away and think about what their next steps are going to be, to learn the next (sustainable) steps they want to take in their own life.”

Bendigo Sustainability Festival 2025 takes place on Sunday 30 March from 10am to 3pm at the Garden of the Future.

Find out more on the Bendigo Sustainability Group website at bsg.org.au/festival-program.