This week, we gathered with our community for a very special Members’ Event - a night filled with meaningful conversations, campaign reflections, exciting announcements, and plenty of good food and laughter. At NQCC, we know that our strength lies in connection, and this evening was a beautiful reminder of that.

We began the night by taking time to reflect on Reconciliation Week, which is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal as well as Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. In small groups, we invited attendees to share what their own reconciliation journey looks like and to consider the actions they can take in their personal lives.

NQCC also shared some of the steps we’re committing to as an organisation: building proactive relationships with First Nations communities, exploring opportunities to update our branding to incorporate Indigenous artwork, and seeking out cultural competency training for our staff and volunteers. These are small steps, but important ones on a much longer journey.

Following this, our Community Campaigner Luna Prince reflected on her first year working with NQCC. As a newcomer to the region, she spoke about the importance of relationship-building and how those new connections have blossomed into collaborations and community momentum. Luna highlighted several proud moments, including our “Story Circles” project — a space where locals shared how they experience extreme weather events and the many ways climate change is affecting life in North Queensland.

She also spoke about Green Drinks, our monthly networking event, which continues to grow as a hub for connection and climate action.

We’ve also been thrilled to see local groups joining and renewing their membership with NQCC — including North Queensland Wildlife Care, Parents for Climate Townsville, Social Workers for Climate Action, Phil’s Bush Clean-Up, and Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare.

Next, NQCC Coordinator Crystal Falknau took us through some of the big picture political and strategic work we've been doing. Over the past year, NQCC has engaged in three different elections, putting forward policy positions, demonstrating local power, and raising awareness about the importance of environmental action. As we look ahead, we are preparing to engage with the new LNP State Government — building rapport, holding decision-makers accountable, and growing our people-powered movement.

Crystal celebrated some major wins from the past year:

• No nuclear power commitment
• Net zero emissions by 2050 at state and federal levels
• No new dams on the Burdekin River
• Queensland Labor’s commitment to establishing an independent Environmental Protection Agency

At the same time, she noted some big challenges ahead:

• The abandonment of the Path to Treaty process
• Continued investment in fossil fuels
• Funding cuts to environmental organisations
• Growing commercial tourism pressures in national parks
• And the need for a fair, community-driven energy transition

To address this, Crystal introduced our upcoming “Future Workshops”, which will help develop community-led guidelines for a nature-positive energy transition. This project will build stronger local relationships, deepen regional knowledge, and create a shared community vision for future projects.

As a taste of what’s to come, we ran a mini-workshop on the night, asking members to discuss what they see as the most pressing environmental issues in our region and what nature values matter most to them.

Of course, no NQCC event would be complete without some good food and community spirit! Huge thanks to Dave for the delicious wood-fired pizzas, to Monita and Cheryl for running the bar, and to all the members who pitched in behind the scenes - setting up, packing down, and making it a joyful, effortless night.

Our organisation is like an ecosystem: when we are well connected, we thrive. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We left feeling inspired, re-energised, and more hopeful than ever for the work ahead.