IMAGINE NORTHERN RIVERS

Imagine Northern Rivers: What might a regenerative, safe and adaptive future look like for the Northern Rivers, within the lifetime of a child born today?

We’re collectively in a ‘hot mess’ - some say we’re ‘unravelling’ and others talk about collapse. What we all agree on, is that our business-as-usual approach is no longer benefitting people or planet. We need to move towards regenerative futures across our region (and world). We’re talking social, environmental, economic and cultural regeneration. In the plainest of language – better and safe futures for us all… But first, in order to move towards regenerative futures, we need to know and feel what these futures could be like. That’s the focus of Imagine Northern Rivers.

Since May 2025, Imagine Northern Rivers has hosted 26 workshops across the 7 local government areas that comprise the Northern Rivers. 394 people have participated in round 1 - residents, not-for-profits, businesses, groups, resilience organisations, farmers, schools and government agencies. We’ve been exploring opportunities for regenerative, adaptive and safe futures. What do these futures look like? How can we get there? What do we want to retain and relinquish from the present? And what’s keeping us stuck in business as usual, despite our awareness that ‘all is not well’?

What are we doing?

Engaging place-based communities across 7 local government areas in articulating what regenerative, safe and adaptive futures (up to 2060) could be like, and the actions needed to take us there. This exploration of possible futures is being done through the lenses of climate adaptation, housing, learning, economy, environment, governance and community wellbeing. Approximately 24,000 pieces of data have been generated to build a shared understanding of what’s possible in the Northern Rivers.
Exploring why we’re stuck in business as usual despite the apparent ‘do-ability’ of the unfolding vision, and the conditions we need to focus on to shift this. This is being done through a second round of workshops, which have commenced in 2 of the 7 LGAs.
Threading the place-based vision elements in to a regional story that can inform the planning and work of diverse sectors, and trigger fresh inspiration and action in the hearts and minds of the people who call the Northern Rivers home.
Building an alliance of organisations, philanthropists, government agencies, groups, farmers, businesses, universities, schools and residents, all serving place-based visions of regenerative, adaptive and safe futures.
Supporting one community to activate the vision… helping it to be seen by others to grow our collective belief in and yearning for new ways of living and working that are regenerative.

Imagine Northern Rivers is a partnership between Carmen Stewart (local futurist), Ingrained Foundation, Northern Rivers Community Foundation, SEED Northern Rivers, Relocalise Northern Rivers, Australian Earth Laws Alliance, Plan C, the Northern Rivers Community Resilience Alliance, Resilient Lismore and The Family Centre.

If you live and/or work in the Northern Rivers and would like to participate, contact us.

What are we exploring in the Imagine workshops (round 1)?

In a 2.5 hour workshop, participants work through the following:

1. What do safe, regenerative & adaptive futures look like (through the lenses of climate adaptation, the economy, learning, housing, natural environment, governance and wellbeing)?

2. What do people want to retain from the present? What are people willing to stop doing or let go of from the present?

3. What actions are we asking of residents, the civic sector and government, to support a move towards safe, regenerative and adaptive futures?

Note: A second series of workshops has commenced where findings are presented back to participants prior to exploring “what keeps us stuck in business-as-usual” despite a collective yearning for something different, and how can we introduce ‘wiggle-room’ to shift towards our preferred direction?

You can take a look at our first sets of data using the links below:

Byron Shire Clarence Valley

Imagine 2484

Imagine 2484 was the precursor to Imagine Northern Rivers and was facilitated in the 2484 postcode area of Murwillumbah and villages with funding from the Northern Rivers Community Foundation. In 2022 and 2023, Imagine 2484 engaged over 500 locals in articulating a shared vision of a thriving, regenerative and safe future, and the actions needed to create it. A detailed report of what people said they want for our shared future and the actions necessary to take us there, are available here.