Imagining and creating the region’s future

A NEW group will launch in May to run workshops across the Northern Rivers aimed at building more resilient communities.

Imagine Northern Rivers, supported by start-up funding from the Ingrained Foundation, will host events across all seven council areas in 2025, starting with Byron Shire in early May and followed by Tweed. Organisers are inviting locals, business owners and community groups to take part in the free events, which focus on regenerative and adaptive futures.

Regenerative futures practitioner and Imagine NR coordinator Carmen Stewart said the region needed to move towards long-term regeneration.

“We need to move towards regenerative futures across our region.

“We’re talking social, environmental, economic and cultural regeneration – a better and safe future for us all,” she said.

The ambitious endeavour aims to link and leverage the work of regeneration, resilience-building, climate adaptation, social well-being, and government planning for maximum long-term impact.

“We need to know what better futures could look like to trigger new action and systems to help us navigate an increasingly disruptive time,” Stewart said.

Imagine Northern Rivers is a partnership between Carmen Stewart, Living Lab Northern Rivers, Ingrained Foundation, Northern Rivers Community Foundation, SEED Northern Rivers, Relocalise Northern Rivers and The Family Centre.

In addition to start-up funding, Imagine NR is philanthropically funded by Gottfried Klaus, a Tweed local who planted 20,000+ trees in Eungella.

Byron Shire workshops will be held in Mullumbimby, Ocean Shores, Bangalow and Byron Bay from early May.

The events are free, but registration is required.

For information, visit collections.humanitix.com/imagine-northern-rivers-byron-shire-series