Together in Action 2026: Power of Local Voices to Drive Change
- 21 hours ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 21 hours ago
On Thursday 19 February, the power of local stories took centre stage at Together in Action 2026, a movement created by the Gladstone Region Systems Leaders to strengthen connection and collective action across our region. The event hosted more than 70 local changemakers, community champions, and partners to explore the conditions that make collaboration possible.
Built on the belief that sharing our stories can ignite new ways of seeing and doing, the event at the Gladstone Entertainment and Convention Centre (GECC) invited community to explore the strengths, lived experiences, and values that shape how we create change as individuals and communities.
When change feels out of reach, connecting and listening is often where it begins. The stories shared showed how transformation grows from simple acts like looking out for neighbours, working together, and recognising the power we each carry. By making space for the heart behind the work, the “why” comes into focus.
As one attendee reflected, “Stories share more than what can be read in a report.”
A Welcome to Country by Gooreng Gooreng Elder Aunty Neola Savage opened the day in song, grounding us in Yallarm (Gladstone) and inviting everyone into connection with Country and place. We closed the day in that same spirit, with Gooreng Gooreng custodian Taurean Roe offering music that helped us pause, hold the stories we had heard, and settle them into our bodies.
System Leaders members Mim Armstrong and Gaye Collins opened the space with a playful, theatre‑infused session on ‘recognising power’. Through joyful interaction, complete with an overfull ‘power backpack,’ they invited the audience to loosen, laugh, and arrive fully in the moment. As people paired up to reflect on their own ‘power backpacks’, the experience helped build connection, spark insight, and nurture the shared courage needed to move toward a future of opportunity, equity, and wellbeing.
Across the morning, the room heard stories that highlighted the creativity, courage, and collaborative spirit shaping the region – from the Voice of Our Children community art project led by Melissa Peacock to youth‑led innovation showcased by the Gladstone Region Youth Council, to grassroots neighbour‑driven movements like Lost Traditions, Found Community. Local initiatives such as Be Your Own Boss, the First Nations Working Group Rites of Passage celebration, and the Heart of Agnes model demonstrated how community‑designed solutions continue to grow across the region. A men’s mental health panel brought together Walk ’n’ Talk Collective, Bob’s Garage, and headspace to reflect on how connection, early support, and shared responsibility can reshape wellbeing outcomes.
“I loved hearing the men’s health panel. Definitely some voices we don’t hear about as often in these spaces.” said one attendee.
The afternoon deepened into stories of systems change, including the development of the Strong Communities Calliope Community Hub and new cross‑sector partnerships supporting children and families.
Together in Action Presentations and Panels
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Men's Mental Health Panel | Community, Philanthropy and Government Collaboration Panel |
The event closed with a fireside chat that invited attendees to reflect on power, collaboration, and their role in shaping change. It became a rare moment where different levels of government, services, and community sat together in an open circle and spoke honestly about what supports, and what gets in the way of, collaboration.
At times, the conversation returned to well‑worn patterns and moments reminiscent of finger pointing, serving as a reminder that collaboration is a muscle we are still building. Yet even within the discomfort, there was courage. Participants showed up, spoke from the heart, and shared reflections that were hopeful, challenging, and grounded in care for community.
One attendee reflected that what stood out most was “humans being brave and sharing.”
Another noted the strength of the gathering, saying it was a “great community with a big theme of bravery and courage to have the conversations that could lead to something.”
Others left with a renewed personal commitment, with one participant saying, “I will make sure I go into those uncomfortable conversations to seek understanding and move forward with community.”
The discussion revealed a shared appetite to strengthen relationships and work through barriers together. A key theme emerged: how can all levels of government and community collaborate in more meaningful ways? The conversation planted early seeds for this work and signalled a commitment to keep showing up, keep listening, and keep nurturing the conditions for change. It left us with brave questions to continue working through together.
One participant reflected that "the balance between anarchy and empowered community is an often-misunderstood reality. We need systems and activated communities – how do we find that healthy balance?”
Together in Action 2026 - Photo Gallery
If you’re interested in sharing your story, learning more about community‑led change, or getting involved with the Systems Leaders Working Group, we’d love to hear from you.
For more information, contact GRT:
P: 07 4970 7382
