Central Queensland Show Up to Optimise Regional Benefit from National Investment in ‘PLACE’

Central Queensland place-based champions convened in Gladstone in April to host and welcome PLACE to the region as part of their tour of Australia.

Partnerships for Local Action and Community Empowerment (PLACE) met with stakeholders from the Central Queensland (CQ) Region as part of a Community Roadshow and Listening Tour. The visit provided an opportunity for local voices from place-based, community-led, initiatives from across CQ to shape the evolving support PLACE will offer nationally, in support of improved outcomes for community.

PLACE Community Roadshow and Listening Tour - April 2025

What is PLACE?

A new collaboration between the Australian Government and leading philanthropic foundations has supported the establishment of a new national centre for place-based work in local communities – Partnerships for Local Action and Community Empowerment, or PLACE. Enable, Learning and Sharing, Collaborative Solutions and Strengthen Data underpin PLACE’s vision for local communities, governments, and others to share decisions on the things that matter most in people’s lives.

Aims of the Tour

From April to June, PLACE is visiting more than fifty communities across Australia to hear directly from those leading and supporting place-based change. The tour aims to:

• Listen to stories, understand the work and learn from the experiences of placed-based stakeholders.

• Share and refine PLACE’s approach, gathering real-time feedback.

• Explore partnerships – identifying areas for potential partnership and outlining other opportunities.

Reflections from the CQ Region Visit

Participants came together on the traditional lands of the Bailai, Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, and Taribelang Bunda people and were welcomed to country by Gooreng Gooreng Elder Aunty Neola Savage, whose words grounded the group in truth-telling, cultural connection, and shared purpose, setting a meaningful tone for the discussions.

Discussions reflected the diversity of Central Queensland people and places and highlighted the collective resilience, collaborative spirit and deep connection to land, water, and natural assets of the region felt by locals. Stories shared with PLACE highlighted the shared aspirations and shared agenda felt across the region for equity and quality of life for everyone.

To shape how PLACE might support regional communities CQ participants shared challenges identified by locals as barriers to advancing improved community wellbeing outcomes and discussed what is needed to move forward. In considering capacity and accountability for change discussions included what the region can do for itself in addition to what supports PLACE could offer to strengthen local efforts. Four key themes emerged as priorities supports of place-based work in the region: learning, capacity building, resources and advocacy. Insights gathered along with those from other community-hosted meetings, will inform PLACE’s strategy, direction and approaches.

Place-based work recognises that local people closest to the challenges are best placed to drive lasting solutions. The PLACE visit to CQ reflects the growing interest across Australia in supporting and enabling place-based and community-led action as a way to strengthen the great work already happening in communities, empower local leadership, and ignite greater opportunities for collaboration.

To discover more about PLACE and the Community Roadshow and Listening Tour, explore the PLACE website: Partnerships for Local Action and Community Empowerment (PLACE).