Description

Collective Energy: More than talk brings together First Nations knowledge holders, historians, industry leaders, practitioners and community voices to explore the Latrobe Valley's past, present and future. Through a series of conversations, presentations and provocations, the program examines how history, place and community can inform a shared vision for the region's next chapter.

What's On

In Collaboration With:

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  Open Cut Collective

  Discover the Open Cut Collective activation throughout the event, featuring interactive and audio-visual works that explore the Latrobe Valley's history and its ongoing transition to a post-coal future.
  
  The Gippsland-based Collective brings together established practitioners across fine art, photography, filmmaking, design, events and education, working at the intersection of mine rehabilitation, cultural regeneration and renewable energy transition. They are focused on generating renewal through creativity, and are working to embed arts and culture in the creative economies that will define the region’s post-mining identity

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  David Langmore

  David Langmore is a retired regional planner who has lived in the Latrobe Valley for about 50 years.  After some experience in teaching and personnel work, David worked for over 25 years in a range of senior regional strategic planning roles in the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland, mostly with Victorian Government agencies. In 2013, he published a book entitled "Planning Power: The uses and abuses of power in the planning of the Latrobe Valley". The book outlines and analyses the fascinating history of planning and development in the Latrobe Valley from 1920 through to the early 1980's. Since his retirement, he continues to maintain a keen interest in many of the planning issues in the region.

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  Dr Jess Reeves

  Assoc Prof Jess Reeves is a place-based sustainability science researcher, in the Future Regions Research Centre of Federation University Australia, living and working on Gunaikurnai Country (Gippsland). With a background in geology, she researches the interplay between humans and their environment through time – including industrial pollution, long-term human modification of landscapes and future regional transition. 
   
  She works closely at the interface between policy, industry and community to ensure that local voices are represented in regional transformation. Her recent research projects include facilitating a post mine land use vision for the Latrobe Valley, supporting implementation for cumulative effects assessment on regions facing mine closure and social impact indicators for emerging industries, such as offshore wind.
   
  Jess holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Wollongong, both in Earth Sciences, and a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Cultural Competency from Charles Sturt University.