Resilient Projects in the Mountains
2023-03-01 18:00 - 21:00 (Australia/Sydney) | Grace Tooth Dining Room, Mid Mountains Community Centre, 7 New Street, Lawson, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, 2782, Australia
Resilience Projects in the Mountains
We are holding an information night on ‘Resilience Projects in the Mountains’ on Wednesday 1st March at the Grand View Hotel, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782.
The meeting starts at 7:00pm and meals are available from 6:00pm. If you wish to have dinner before the meeting, the Grand View has asked if you could please order ahead (phone 4757 1001, menu here).
The guest speakers will be from the Resilience Villages project (Resilient Villages) and Lis Bastian from the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. There will be time for discussion and the sharing of ideas.
To register please click ‘GOING’ above.
Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative – The Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative inspires us to look at ourselves and our planet, from a different perspective. Recognising that #WeAreNature and that all life is interconnected, helps us see that everything we do to the planet affects us, and our health. Equally, the way we treat ourselves and each other and all other species, ultimately also impacts the wider health of our planet. Hear about some big and exciting new projects kicking off this year.
Resilient Villages Project – Resilient Villages (RV) is a three-year pilot project which has been funded by the Federal Government’s Preparing Australian Communities Local Stream grant program, following the devastation of the 2019-20 bushfires. The RV pilot project is one of a number of grant-funded projects in the Blue Mountains that have been underway since bushfires swept through the region in 2013, that aim to increase the resilience of our communities – street by street, one village at a time.

Collaborative Facilitation Module 1: Meeting with Equality
2023-03-02 10:00 - 13:00
Collaborative Facilitation provides both theory and practice in running meetings that embrace inclusiveness, diversity and equality, and implementing boundaries that ensure these outcomes. Jen Hall and Tom Colley, in association with Getup’s pilot project, a Listening Tour on Climate Impacts, are running two workshops on facilitating exactly these sorts of meetings. The workshops will up-skill those who are participating as facilitators in the Listening Tour. They are also open to anyone interested in deeply collaborative ways of meeting. Attending both workshops is recommended but not essential.
This first workshop, Meeting with Equality, is an experiential workshop that equips you with a basic toolbox for fair facilitation in meetings and gatherings of all sizes. This workshop embodies inclusive approaches that ensure everybody’s voice is heard and integrated. You will get the opportunity to experience communication structures that allow deep listening and group decision-making even in challenging situations.
The workshop will take place at at the inner space in Katoomba, 20min walk from the station (address will be provided after registration). Please arrive shortly before 10am for a relaxed start.
The workshop is free of charge. People are welcome to make donations on the day. Jen and Tom will use donations to cover their costs in running this workshop and (if there’s enough) future workshops of a similar nature.
You can also register for the companion event here: https://events.humanitix.com/oppression20230309
If you have any questions or concerns, please email or phone Tom or Jen:

Tom: tcolley@livingdata.com.au, phone 0424 543 102
Jen: theinnerspace96@gmail.com, phone 0423 170 881

Please feel free to forward this email invitation to others that might be interested, especially groups whose voices are not well-heard. We very much look forward to connecting with you again.

Collaborative Facilitation Module 2: Oppression & Group Relationships
2023-03-09 10:00 - 13:00 | The Inner Space, Katoomba, NSW, Australia
Collaborative Facilitation provides both theory and practice in running meetings that embrace inclusiveness, diversity and equality, and implementing boundaries that ensure these outcomes. Jen Hall and Tom Colley, in association with Getup’s pilot project, a Listening Tour on Climate Impacts, are running two workshops on facilitating exactly these sorts of meetings. The workshops will up-skill those who are participating as facilitators in the Listening Tour. They are also open to anyone interested in deeply collaborative ways of meeting. Attending both workshops is recommended but not essential.
This second workshop, Oppression & Group Relationships, looks at how societies, communities and groups are divided when oppression goes unaddressed. Practical tools that help heal these divisions will be shared through experiential processes. The workshop will develop understanding of the structural nature of oppression in its diverse forms (racism, sexism, classism, ableism, and the oppression of young people, LBQTI ….etc.) as well as doing personal healing work – both of which are necessary for people to work effectively together. We see this as critical work for constructive social change.
This workshop is based on work by Alima Adams and Karl Lam:
Alima Adams: Against Racism, Sexism And Oppression: Uniting Across Divisions To Solve Climate Change

Karl Lam: A framework for understanding exploitative societies
The workshop will take place at at the inner space in Katoomba, 20min walk from the station (address will be provided after registration). Please arrive shortly before 10am for a relaxed start.
The workshop is free of charge. People are welcome to make donations on the day. Jen and Tom will use donations to cover their costs in running this workshop and (if there’s enough) future workshops of a similar nature.
You can also register for the companion event here: https://events.humanitix.com/meetingwithequality20230302
These workshops are free of charge (if you like, you can make a donation on the day), but registration is essential! See the links above.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email or phone Tom or Jen:

Tom: tcolley@livingdata.com.au, phone 0424 543 102
Jen: theinnerspace96@gmail.com, phone 0423 170 881

Please feel free to forward this email invitation to others that might be interested, especially groups whose voices are not well-heard. We very much look forward to connecting with you again.

Cultural Burning with Uncle Lex Dadd
2023-04-05 18:00 - 21:00 | Grace Tooth Dining Room, Mid Mountains Community Centre, 7 New Street, Lawson, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, 2782, Australia
PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT HAS REACHED CAPACITY (if you missed out on attending in person you can still join via zoom – see below)
Cultural Burning with Uncle Lex Dadd
The subject of this month’s networking gathering is Cultural Burning with Uncle Lex Dadd presenting on his work as a practitioner, and the challenges and opportunities in this area of First Nations knowledge and practice.
The meeting will be held on Wednesday 5th April at the Grand View Hotel, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782.
The meeting starts at 7:00pm and meals are available from 6:00pm. If you wish to have dinner before the meeting, the Grand View has asked if you could please order ahead (phone 4757 1001, menu here).
To register please click ‘GOING’ above.
ZOOM option:
If you will be joining by zoom, please be patient as we fine tune the setup on the night – we will do our best to ensure you can always see and hear the speakers.
The zoom details are:

Time: Apr 5, 2023 07:00 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Zoom Meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81658838255?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 816 5883 8255, Passcode: [REDACTED]

At tonight’s event we will be welcoming donations to support Uncle Lex’s local project The Gunya Shed. Based in Wentworth falls, the Gunya Shed is a place for young mob – ‘shadow rangers’ – to learn skills like woodwork, building, cooking etc in a safe and welcoming space where Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people help each other.
If you can’t attend but would like to make a donation please contribute via:

Resilient Blue Mountains ServicesBSB: 633 000 Acct: 199 362 989Reference: Gunya Shed

Permaculture in the Blue Mountains
2023-05-02 17:30 - 19:30 | Grace Tooth Dining Room, Mid Mountains Community Centre, 7 New Street, Lawson, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, 2782, Australia
Shine a Spotlight on Permaculture in the Blue Mountains
Where are we now? What do we want? Let’s have a discussion to move forward and make things happen.
Let’s have a discussion on what YOU want to see happen with Permaculture and Organic gardening. Susanne Rix will share her experience from the April Permaculture Convergence and Darren Gersbach from The Little Coffee Co., is bringing a surprise gift for all attendees. Come along, bring the kids, bring a plate and help grow the Blue Mountains Permaculture Group.
To register for this free event or for more Info call/text: Amanda Argent 0409 513 337 or Noni McDevitt 0488 511 855 or RSVP below.
Location: Grace Tooth Dining Room, Mid Mountains Community Centre, 7 New Street, Lawson

Bringing sustainability to life
2023-06-01 19:00 - 21:00 | The Grand View Hotel, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls, NSW, 2782, Australia
The Gift Economy and a new Sustainability Trail for the Blue Mountains
This month’s networking gathering will bring sustainability to life with two fascinating speakers and an opportunity to get involved. There will also be time for discussion and the sharing of ideas.
Phil Spears is coordinating a new Sustainability Trail and accompanying events on the 8th and 9th of December as the new headline event for the Festival of Resilience. The two day event will include a trail highlighting sustainable Blue Mountains businesses and a sustainable fashion show, plus popular speakers presenting on sustainable living. Phil will share this exciting vision with us and invite people to volunteer to help make the festival happen.
Sid Parissi will talk on Beyond the Circular Economy: The Gift economy. Sid will discuss how the Circular Economy or, Going Circular, is a step in the right direction, but needs to progress towards a society based on a Gift Economy. He will be challenging the current economic system and arguing that if we want to create a humane, sustainable, environmentally safe society on the only, and finite, living space we have, planet Earth, then we need to put an alternative in place. Sid is on the Board of Lyttletons Coop, he is a member of Action for Community and Environment, Blue Mountains, and lectures at Charles Sturt University.
The meeting will be held at the Grand View Hotel, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782.
The meeting starts at 7:00pm and meals are available from 6:00pm. If you wish to have dinner before the meeting, the Grand View has asked if you could please order ahead (phone 4757 1001, menu here) and notify them upon arrival.
To register please click ‘GOING’ above.

Revitalising Permaculture
2023-06-06 18:30 - 20:30 | Lawson Mechanics Institute Hall, 284 Great Western Highway, Lawson, NSW
Revitalising Permaculture
Speaker: Rosemary Morrow (Rowe)
Background – Born in Perth, Rosemary Morrow (Rowe) was claimed early by the Earth; plants, animals, stones, weather. Some years in the Kimberleys as a young girl confirmed it. Later she trained in agriculture science with which she was very disappointed, then moved to France where she lived in the L’Arche community. Later at Jordans Village in England she realised she would become a Quaker. Back in Australia in the 1980s Rowe’s Permaculture Design Course provided the basis for a concern for Earth restoration. She considers permaculture to be ‘sacred knowledge’ to be carried and shared with others. Since then, when asked, she has travelled to teach the Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) to others who, due to circumstances, could not access it any other way. This took her to immediate post-war Vietnam as well as Cambodia, Uganda, Ethiopia and other countries. Rowe’s present concern is to make teaching sustainable and encourage others to succeed her as teachers.
Tonight’s Talk – Rowe Morrow will give us a short history of permaculture and how we can incorporate it into our lives, our family and our community. Rowe will explain how the Permaculture toolbox enables us to establish productive environments, providing our food, energy, shelter, material and non-material needs; as well as the social and economic infrastructures to support them, save money and reduce carbon. Learn how permaculture offers us tangible strategies to contribute to climate changes and make it relevant from balcony to farm, city to the wilderness.
Bring your pencil and paper as Rowe will then lead us into a brief design exercise for everyone and teach us how to begin at home. Finishing off with a discussion on the difference permaculture is making globally and how we can meet the challenges, sustainable development goals, and local needs as a restorative practice.
Permaculture is proving extraordinarily relevant for people living in war and post war zones, also those in refugee camps. This goes against common beliefs that permaculture work requires a certain amount of land. People build gardens in plastic bottles up the walls of containers and tents. The initiatives in these places lead the work for what the world will need in the future. This is where we find our permaculture leaders.

Introduction to Solar Power and Batteries
2023-06-07 18:30 - 20:00
Solar is now more affordable than ever, so there’s never been a better time to consider it for your home.
Across the community solar PV take up has increased in the residential and non-residential sectors, with more than 20% of homes in the Hawkesbury already having solar PV. An acceleration and optimisation of solar PV and grid scale energy storage systems can help reduce emissions, energy costs and increase the community’s energy resilience.
In this free community workshop, you will hear from an independent expert and get advice to see if solar is right for you and your home.
This information session will give you the chance to better understand:

How solar power and battery storage systems work
How to get the right system for your home
Buying good quality solar and battery products
What to look for in a solar and battery quote
How to find a good installer
How Government rebates work

You’ll also get the chance to ask questions of the Hawkesbury Council expert, Ian Moxon.
This in online event and a Zoom link will be sent to attendees upon registration ( https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/introduction-to-solar-power-batteries-hawkesbury-tickets-600949154097 ).

Household Bushfire Resilience
2023-06-10 13:00 - 16:30, 2023-06-11 13:00 - 16:30
Toolo Bushfire Resistence Sessions
Toolo Blue Mountains are holding two small group afternoon sessions that will be a short primer on all the household bushfire resilience aspects essential to know when we live in the most bushfire prone area of Australia. The presenters are a local landscape architect and local architect who specialize in bushfire design. It will be running on June 10 Saturday or June 11 Sunday (participants will book in for either day) and the sessions will run from 1-4:30pm. Register for free at Humanitix and for more information toolo.workshops@gmail.com

Buy Into Sustainability Expo Coordination Meeting
2023-06-15 19:30 - 20:30 | https://resilientbluemountains.org/event/buy-into-sustainability-expo-coordination-meeting/
Buy Into Sustainability Expo coordination meeting.
The purpose of this meeting is to start the process of community involvement in organising the Buy Into Sustainability Expo. Join with the link below to see how you can participate in this exiting event.
To join the meeting click on the web site link on the event’s page.

Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action - Rising from the Ashes - RBM Networking
2023-08-03 19:00 - 21:00 | The Grand View Hotel, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls, NSW, 2782, Australia
Rising from the ashes – how Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action have seized the moment following bushfires
This month’s networking gathering will focus on how people from communities impacted by severe bushfires have responded with action and determination. There will also be time for discussion and the sharing of ideas.
Both Serena Joyner and Jo Dodds from Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action will present on the their work, including winning an historic court case against the NSW EPA in 2021 arguing it had a duty of care to regulate for greenhouse gas emissions. A second court case challenges the NSW Independent Planning Commission’s approval of the expansion Whitehaven’s Narrabri coal mine (decision pending).
Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (BSCA) is a nonpartisan grassroots community of bushfire survivors. We amplify the voices of people affected by climate-fuelled bushfires to challenge the social licence of new fossil fuels, and we bring the power of our network of members and spokespeople to influence governments to act faster on climate change.
BREAKING NEWS: Jo Dodds will be joining Serena for this talk!! Watch below how Jo reacted following the historic court win against the EPA

Having experienced the Tathra and District Fire of March 2018 and the campaign fires of “Black Summer”, Jo is determined to use her skills as a communicator and advocate to call for climate action and to help others raise their concerns for community, homes, livelihoods and the environment.

Living in the Blue Mountains with her volunteer firefighter husband Serena has witnessed the impact of loss and threat to her community from bushfires, and seen first hand the impact of climate change on lives and communities. She is a co-founder and former coordinator of Resilient Blue Mountains and is now working as CEO of BSCA. Serena was also a founding member and past president of the Blue Mountains Ukulele Group.
The meeting will be held at the Grand View Hotel, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782.
The meeting starts at 7:00pm and meals are available from 5:30pm. If you wish to have dinner before the meeting, the Grand View has asked if you could please order ahead (phone 4757 1001, menu here) and notify them upon arrival.
To register please click ‘GOING’ above.

Electric Mobility Forum
2023-10-05 19:00 - 20:30 | The Grand View Hotel, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls, NSW, 2782, Australia
Electric Mobility Forum
Is the movement towards EVs transformational?
At the core of the human history of “progress” is change enabled by transformational technology. Do EVs of all kinds herald a transformational change, and if they do, what will this change look like and what opportunities and dangers does it present? This networking meeting will be a forum on Electric Mobility with guests Brett Bond, Steve Nelson, and Phil Spiers who will spark conversation, provide perspectives, and tell of their experiences.
Steve Nelson is an investor in disruptive companies and technologies. Steve also worked in the IT industry when it went through its own period of significant disruption and experienced firsthand some of its characteristics and effects. As major disruptions always unfold in a similar pattern Steve will cover the key elements so that we might draw some insight as to how the EV industry will continue to evolve. This will allow us to judge the likely speed of adoption, and some social and economic impacts. It gives an insight into future affordability and capability of EV’s and how that might also impact costs of other products and services we consume.
Phil Spiers is an economist leading a project within a large international company to move to an EV fleet globally. Phil will speak to the practical challenges involved in the rollout.
Brett Bond is with Fire Rescue NSW and is stationed at Katoomba. He is an advocate for home and transport electrification. He has a 6.6kw home solar with heat pump for hot water, induction cooking, and reverse cycle a/c. His electricity costs are neutral. He also has an electric motorcycle that he home charges and will purchase an electric van when the ‘right one’ comes along. He has embraced electrification for independence, convenience and for the environment and will provide a brief history of the EV and talk about the practicalities of going EV.
The meeting starts at 7:00pm and meals are available from 6:00pm.

Living Systems Agriculture with Jed Walker
2023-12-05 18:30 - 20:30 | Lawson Mechanics Institute Hall, 284 Great Western Highway, Lawson, NSW
Living systems agriculture – what’s happening and what’s working with Jed Walker
There are many alternatives to our dominating system of damaging chemical monoculture. These alternatives are inspiring but can be confusing.
There are many questions: How much work is involved? Can they really feed a modern society? Can they draw down enough carbon to save the planet? What will work in my own backyard?
Jed will discuss several of the succession growing strategies, for example, syntropic farming and movement/global justice approaches, permaculture and carbon farming solutions, and agroforestry.
Tuesday 5 December 2023 – 6.30pm – PAY AT THE DOOR – $2 members / $5 non members / $10 membership – registration starts at 6.15pm. Book at Here.

Screening of Tim Flannery’s film Climate Changers
2024-06-01 18:00 - 21:00 | RoseyRavelston Bookstore, 1 Badgery Cres, Lawson, NSW, Australia
Tim Flannery’s film Climate Changers interviews a diverse range of climate leaders from First Nations leaders, political leaders to people affected by climate catastrophes who are speaking out. The film discusses the varied perspectives of different leaders and touches on the intersectional nature of climate justice.
The event will provide an opportunity to participate in the discussion with breakout groups to connect and share their
perspectives with each other. Of course, a hearty discussion can be had with simple hearty meals, with inexpensive food available for purchase on the night.
Ticket Costs: $5 for people under 30 years old or low-income earners, $10 for general admission. If you have accessibility requirements, please email acebluemountains@gmail.com.

Organised by Action for Community and Environment (ACE) and Blue Mountains Conservation Society with the support of Resilient Blue Mountains

Harvesting Happiness: Formidable Vegetable Charlie Mgee Unleashed
2024-06-04 17:00 - 20:00 | Mid Mountains Neighbourhood Centre, Lawson, 9 New St, Lawson, NSW, 2783, Australia
Permaculture Blue Mountains is thrilled and eXciTeD to present Charlie Mgee, founder of the band Formidable Vegetable all the way from Western Australia.
Turning earworms into earthworms, Formidable Vegetable Charlie Mgee presents an inspiring and thought-provoking musical illustration of the ethics and principles of permaculture and how to apply them in your daily life. Fun and hilarious songs about regenerative design and solving the World’s problems in the funkiest way possible.

Date: Tuesday 4 June 2024 – 5.00pm registration opens – 5.30pm dinner – 6pm performance
Entry fee: $10 single / $15 family / $10 PBM membership (becoming a member helps us pay the hall hire)
Purchase your ticket here.

Biochar - addressing climate change in the Blue Mountains
2024-06-06 19:00 - 20:30 | The Grand View Hotel, 174 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls, NSW, 2782, Australia
We have a lot of biomass waste in the Blue Mountains and much of it is naturally decomposing to carbon dioxide and methane. This is contributing to the climate crisis.
The best way to avoid this impact is to convert the biomass to black biochar by heating it in the absence of oxygen. This is called pyrolysis or torrefaction (depending on the temperature) and is the most environmentally responsible way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is also scalable. If the biochar is buried its carbon is sequestered for centuries, attracting the highest value carbon credits and is a valuable resource with over 50 applications.
Come and listen to the latest technological developments in biochar production and applications.
Join Prof Roy Tasker and Peter Green in a presentation followed by a Q&A.
Date: 6th June
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Location: Grandview Hotel Wentworth Falls

Concert for Timor Leste
2024-06-30 14:00 - 17:00 | Mid Mountains Community Centre, 7 New St, Lawson, NSW, 2783, Australia
CONCERT FOR TIMOR LESTE 2024 is being held on SUNDAY June 30th, at the Mid Community Mountains Centre.
The concert is initiated by Solidarity Choir who will be visiting Timor Leste in 2024 and supported by Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters
All proceeds from this event will be distributed to Timorese organisations that promote the health, wellbeing, education and advancement of women, children and marginalised groups in Timor Leste.
The direct link to the booking page https://events.humanitix.com/concert-for-timor-leste
PERFORMERS
ANDY BUSUTTIL & JOHN ROBINSON – OUD VIBRATIONS
Playing their Middle Eastern instruments in their folk tradition.
CRAIG SINCLAIR
A new arrival to the Blue Mountains, Craig will present a range of songs with vocals and guitar.
MARGARET & BOB FAGAN
Margaret & Bob have been singing together for 50 years and will delight us with contemporary and traditional folk songs.
THE AUSTRALIAN UNION & SOLIDARITY CHOIR
Singing songs of struggle in English and other languages.
Doors open 1:30pm – Concert from 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Mid Mountains Centre 7 New St. Lawson.
Tickets available at the door but help us by buying in advance through this link https://events.humanitix.com/concert-for-timor-leste
Tickets are $40 or $35 concession.
There will be a raffle with great prizes and refreshments can be purchased at intermission

Sustainability Fashion Show
2024-09-28 18:00 - 21:00 | Wentworth Falls School of Arts, 217-219 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls, NSW, 2782, Australia
Elements is the Blue Mountains’ first sustainable fashion show. It will feature curated collections from five local women-led businesses that focus upon pre-owned, vintage, sustainable and upcycled fashion.
Why sustainable fashion?
Australia is now the second highest consumer of textiles per person in the world, after the USA, with each Australian disposing an average of 23 kgs of clothing to landfill each year! Be part of a movement that’s dedicated to change.

How to make a difference
You can start by getting inspired at Elements Sustainable Fashion Show!
All clothing will be available for purchase after the show!
Slow, sustainable fashion is crucial for our planet, and we all need to make better choices. Look and feel great while supporting a future that cares for our environment.

Featuring Nina gbor
We are delighted to announce that Nina Gbor, founder of Eco Styles and sustainable fashion expert, will be joining us as a guest speaker! Featured in ABC’s War on Waste, Nina is an international speaker and sustainability advisor working to create a more sustainable fashion future.

Your Tickets Include:
Spectacular fashion show featuring local businesses. Canapes by Ates, Blackheath.Drinks on arrival and throughout the night Guest speaker sustainable fashion guru, Nina Gbor Music and entertainment
Don’t miss out! Tickets are limited!
Where? Wentworth Falls School of Arts. 217-219 Great Western Hwy, Wentworth Falls
How much? Tickets are $40.00 each
When? Saturday 28th September, 2024. Doors open 6pm – 9pm

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Climate Change Insurance Forum
2025-04-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Windsor Library, Tebbutt Room, Windsor Library, Deerubbin Centre 300 George Street, Windsor, NSW, 2783, Australia
Forum
Betting Against Climate Change –
The impact on insurance costs

Forum Date: Saturday 12th April 2025
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Tebbutt Room, Windsor Library, Deerubbin Centre 300 George Street, Windsor
Speaker: Louise Hayes (Financial Counsellor, Financial Counselling Australia)

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In Australia, insurance for natural disasters typically covers events like bushfires, floods, cyclones, and storms. However, the extent of coverage varies between providers and policies, with some exclusions for high-risk areas or specific circumstances. Climate change is already exacerbating cost-of-living pressures on everyday people, from food scarcity, to energy bills, to the costs of cleaning up after worsening floods, fires and cyclones. Rising insurance premiums are another serious and growing concern, driven by the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, inflation, and higher reinsurance costs. Many Australians are struggling to afford coverage, with some opting out entirely, which raises concerns about underinsurance. Efforts are underway to address these challenges, including calls for urgent action to curb the impacts of climate change, insurance sector policy reforms and better disaster resilience planning.
Louise Hayes will be presenting on the rising cost of insurance and its impact on disaster recovery. There will be a Q&A session and local candidates for the federal election have been invited to participate.

Speaker
Louise Hayes is a financial counsellor from Queensland and Financial Counselling Australia’s (FCA) National Coordinator for Disaster Recovery. Louise has a background in disaster related financial counselling working with clients impacted by flood, fire and cyclone. Louise has also been significantly impacted by a natural disaster, and this allows her to bring a unique insight to this sector. Louise has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in economics and social policy and administration and has worked in a variety of industries including Commercial Banking, insurance recruitment and manufacturing. Louise was previously Australia’s Young Banker of the Year. Before returning to Australia in 2021, Louise lived in Singapore and the United States of America for 6 years. In her spare time, Louise volunteers as the Treasurer for the Centre Against Sexual Violence, an organisation which provides free counselling to women and girls as young as twelve who have experienced sexual assault.

Facilitator
Brett Bond is a firefighter with Fire and Rescue NSW.
Originally from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Brett joined the NSW Fire Brigades in 1993 and following the completion of his initial training, moved to Blackheath where he now lives.
He was stationed at Glebe, Parramatta and Penrith before being transferred to Katoomba where he has worked for the past 28 years.

Call to Climate 2025
2025-06-22 16:00 - 18:00 | RoseyRavelston Bookstore, 1 Badgery Cres, Lawson, NSW, Australia
Call to Climate Action 2025
‘Let’s get behind ideas that bring us together. Let’s back climate solutions that inspire.’ (Erin Plink, 1.6.25).
Let’s get together to watch these 3 very short new films made in the Mountains, and share our thoughts and feelings about them. Please join ACE (Action for Community and Environment) on Sunday June 22 at RoseyRavelston Bookshop, 1 Badgery Crescent Lawson, from 4 – 6. Films start 4.15 sharp.
Films:
‘Lithgow Shines’ (8mins 41) – World first solar battery train + jobs for Lithgow (Shirley Lewis/Leidy Cabrera)
‘Namedrop Australia 2025’ (5min 24) – For those who care about our children’s future! (Shirley Lewis/Leidy Cabrera)
‘Woodside Protest video’ (1min 50) – 3.3k Facebook views in 36 hours! (Erin Plink)
After each film we ask people to share ideas, reactions, actions – 1 minute each! Tickets free, gold coin donation for tea, coffee, biscuits (feel free to bring something).

Scott Reef Film
2025-09-26 18:30 - 2025-10-06 21:00 | RoseyRavelston Bookstore, 1 Badgery Cres, Lawson, NSW, Australia
Award winning documentary explores imminent threats to one of Australia’s last wild places
Action for Community and Environment (ACE) is screening: Corals’ Last Stand at 7pm on Friday 26 September at RoseyRavelston 1 Badgery Cres, Lawson.

Australian icons Tim Winton and John Butler along with marine experts travelled to Scott Reef to explore this precious, fragile and vulnerable ocean fortress
Scott Reef is Australia’s largest offshore coral reef, supporting around 1,500 species, including endangered turtles, sea snakes & pygmy blue whales
Woodside plans to drill up to 50 gas wells around Scott Reef

A new documentary by independent WA filmmaker Jane Hammond brings into sharp focus the ongoing fight to save the remote ocean sanctuary of Scott Reef, almost 300 kilometres off the northwest coast of Western Australia.
Corals’ Last Stand follows a dozen marine scientists, conservationists and artists including Australia’s favourite novelist Tim Winton and iconic musician John Butler as they voyage off the West Australian coast to Scott Reef, one of Australia’s most significant and biodiverse coral reefs, to document the threats posed by Woodside’s Browse gas proposal. Woodside want to drill for gas and oil under the reef ecosystem and have been given approval by the Federal Government. There will be discussion about actions our community can take and food and drink available after the showing.
Tickets are available online for $5 (unwaged) or $10 (waged):

Blue Mountains Community Lunch
2026-01-11 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-11 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-08 12:00 - 14:00 | Junction 142, 142 Katoomba St, Katoomba, NSW, Australia
Blue Mountains Community Lunch
Join the Blue Mountains Community Lunch—Second Sunday Every Month!
Looking for a welcoming space to connect with others in your community? The Plant Inspired initiative and Leura Uniting Church invite you to our monthly community lunches—where local groups, organizations, and residents come together for great food, lively conversation, and new friendships.
Each lunch features a delicious plant-based BBQ menu, live music, and a spotlight on a local community group. Your suggested donation of $20+ helps support these local community groups, with over $1,233 already raised for local initiatives since October 2025.
Our lunches also serve as a ‘climate café’—a safe, supportive space for anyone experiencing climate anxiety or grief to share and be heard.
Details:
When: Second Sunday of each month, 12 noon – 2pm
Where: Junction 142, 142 Katoomba St., Katoomba
Contact: 0434 691 496 (Teya), 0400 191 880 (Myung)
Book: BM Community Dinner Club January Luncheon
Come for the food, stay for the connections—everyone is welcome!

Climate Fresk - Old
2026-03-08 13:30 - 17:00 | MCRN Room, Cnr San Jose Ave and Loftus St, Lawson, NSW, 2783, Australia
CL!MATE FRESK
This interactive, transformative, and scientifically rigorous workshop is built on extensive experience with over 2 million participants globally and the latest social science literature. You should leave the 3-hour workshop with a clear, optimistic, and active attitude on the climate issue, and ideas for how to accelerate the green transition from a systemic perspective in your own life.
What will you do?
The first part involves making sense of and connecting graphic cards that take you from the causes of the climate crisis to the far-reaching consequences. The second part involves expressing your emotions when you consider the full impacts of the crisis. The third part shows how you can convert hope into action – firstly as an individual, then collectively, and if possible, for a systemic impact.
If you want to move beyond the headlines and mis- and disinformation and truly understand the causes driving the climate and biodiversity crisis, and their consequences, this workshop is for you. No scientific background is required — only curiosity, a willingness to engage thoughtfully with the science, and a wish to make an active difference in your own way.
Places are limited. If no places are left when you book please use the RVSP to register your interest in attending the next Climate Fresk event.
HOW MUCH: The cost is $20 per person to cover materials and catering.
Go to this link for a short video introduction.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead
Facilitated for Professor Roy Tasker
(Find Out More About The Facilitator)

Regenesis Q&A and Information Afternoon
2026-03-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Junction 142, 142 Katoomba St, Katoomba, NSW, Australia
Regenesis Q&A and Information Afternoon
The Regenesis information afternoon is an opportunity for prospective participants to meet and learn more about submitting your artwork into the competition.
Regenesis Anthology Project

In 2026, we are continuing our collaboration with partner organisations Resilient Blue Mountains and winning prize sponsors to produce the 2026 Regenesis Anthology of short stories, poems and visual images by local Blue Mountains creatives. This year we are adding 2 more categories: original lyric + music, resulting in the 2026 Regenesis CD and showing of a 2-4 min Regenesis video.
This project reaches out to engage with young people 12 – 18 years, and adults, 18 year and over, with the video category only for 15 – 25 yr olds.
The theme for 2026 is ‘Our Kinship with Nature’. In 2025 the theme was ‘Living Sustainably’. In 2024 it was ‘Weaving Connections’, in 2023 ‘Water’ and in 2022 ‘Regenesis’.
Each year we end the project with a public event celebrating the winning entries for each category.
Through this project we seek to engage our community in exploring ideas of regenesis (regenerative enlivenment)—spreading the seeds of relationality as a new/ancient way of being, thinking and doing.
It’s the shift from extractivist competitive individualism to a relational enlivenment worldview.
– Project Leads: Barbara Lepani, David Christie, Brad Diedrich and Linda Blagg.

Early Insights Workshop
2026-03-23 14:30 - 16:00 | Katoomba Cultural Centre, Level 1, 30 Parke Street, Katoomba, NSW, 2780, Australia
Blue Mountains Early Insights Workshop
Build resilient Communities – Register Now!

Are you ready to make a difference in the Blue Mountains? Join us for the Early Insights for More Resilient Communities workshop—a unique opportunity to shape the future of resilience in your region.
Why Attend?

Explore & Improve: Review current resilience data for your area and help identify what matters most for your community.
Spot Early Signs: Share your experiences and learn to recognize the signs of changing resilience—so you can better prepare, respond, and recover from challenges.
Collaborate & Connect: Meet local leaders, government representatives, and community organizations. Exchange ideas and build lasting partnerships.
Drive Real Change: Your input will inform a major project aimed at improving data availability for rural, regional, and remote communities across NSW.

Who Should Join?
We welcome representatives from local organizations, farmers, natural resource managers, local government, and anyone passionate about community resilience. Diverse perspectives are essential!
Where: Seminar Room at the Katoomba Cultural Centre 2:30pm (limited seats – please RSVP)
Hosted by: Southern NSW Innovation Hub, University of Canberra, & Resilient Blue Mountains
For more information about Early Insights click Early Insights Information Sheet.
This workshop is part of a larger initiative funded by Australia’s leading drought resilience hubs, including the Southern NSW Innovation Hub and the University of Canberra. Your voice is essential—help us build a stronger, more resilient Blue Mountains!

Takayna
2026-04-10 19:00 - 21:00
Takayna — the Heart of Lutruwita
Join us in Lawson at 7:00pm on 10 April for a community screening of ‘Takayna — the Heart of Lutruwita’.
Through the power of personal stories, be taken on a journey to the vast and threatened landscapes of Australia’s largest temperate rainforest in the northwest of Lutruwita / Tasmania. This area, known as Takayna / Tarkine, is one of the last wild places on Earth.
‘Takayna — the Heart of Lutruwita’ is an inspiring and hopeful film about the battle to defend Takayna from mining and logging. From frontline activists to Tasmanian Aboriginal community members, scientists and musicians, these people are standing up for its protection, and you can join them too.
Each screening will be hosted by local volunteers from our foundation.
For tickets go to Takayna Tickets.
Brought to you by Bob Brown Foundation.

Will the New Nature Laws Work? Blue Mountains Public Forum
2026-05-03 13:30 - 15:30 | Tibbi Whalen Hall, Level 1, 81-83 Katoomba Street, Katoomba, NSW, 2780, Australia
Will the New Nature Laws Work? Blue Mountains Public Forum
Date: Sunday, 3 May 2026
Time: 1:30pm
Location: Tibbi Whalan Hall, Civic Arcade, Katoomba
Hosted by Resilient Blue Mountains and the Macquarie Alliance for Climate, this public forum brings together community members, experts, and elected representatives to explore recent reforms to Australia’s national nature laws (the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the “Nature Positive Plan”).
The new nature laws will shape the Blue Mountains for decades to come. Join this forum to ask questions, seek clarity on commitments, and engage directly with those responsible for how these laws are implemented across local, state and federal levels.
Many people are concerned about what these reforms will mean in practice. This forum creates space to unpack the changes, understand their implications, and discuss how they will affect our region and the ecosystems we care about.
The session will take the form of a moderated panel and Q&A, with questions gathered from the audience in advance. Panel participants include:

Susan Templeman – Federal Member for Macquarie and Special Envoy for the Arts
Trish Doyle – NSW Member for Blue Mountains and Parliamentary Secretary for Environment, Heritage, Climate Change and Energy
Mark Greenhill – Mayor of Blue Mountains City Council
Brad Smith – Policy and Advocacy Director at the Nature Conservation Council of NSW
Annette Cam – President of the Blue Mountains Conservation Society
Martin Mansfield – Community leader with the Australian Conservation Foundation (Greater Western Sydney group)
Panel Chair: Roy Tasker – Scientific Advisor, Planet Ark

Each panelist will give a short opening contribution, followed by audience questions and discussion.
Bring your questions and your voice. Be part of a community working to ensure these laws protect nature, support climate justice, and reflect the needs of present and future generations.
Lodge your question to the panelists when you request your ticket by clicking here.
Entry is by donation. Reserve your spot now when you donate or if you cannot donate, through the RSVP below.
We look forward to welcoming you!
