“I think that if everybody went out and saw with their own eyes and smelled with their own noses, what happens to their waste, habits would change overnight.”
These sage words were served up by Lilli King at three community engagement events hosted by Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast (RDAMNC) this week. And she ought to know. Lilli has helped spearhead the (r)evolution of Norfolk Island’s waste management system from one that burned and dumped tonnes of rubbish into the sea to a 75 per cent circular system.
Hailing from Norfolk Island, Lilli is a dedicated conservationist and passionate advocate for sustainability in the South Pacific. Growing up immersed in the island’s unique and fragile ecosystem, she developed a deep appreciation for its natural beauty and an acute awareness of the environmental challenges her community faces.
In 2020, she became an integral part of the Norfolk Wave campaign, an initiative funded by the ‘Our Marine Parks Grant’ to raise awareness about waste management within the Norfolk Island community. Collaborating with like-minded changemakers from Revolve Your World, she played a key role in launching the Norfolk Wave Recycling Centre in August 2023.
Since then, Lilli has remained a driving force in promoting a circular economy on Norfolk, focusing on resource recovery, waste reduction and strengthening community resilience. Through education, advocacy and hands-on initiatives, she continues to lead the charge towards a more sustainable future for her island home.
“There are some real standout things that are essential to making change like this happen,” she says.
“The first one is that you need local champions, people who attend community meetings, beach clean-ups; artists are really important, teachers, kids… your local champions are your greatest allies.
“Number two, you really have to listen to and engage with the community. You could have the most well-funded, engineered and long-term project that exists, but if you don’t engage with the community, it’s just going to fall in a heap at your feet. So talk to the youth, the elderly, the visitors – they’re really important. The business owners, cultural practitioners, everybody. You’re never ever going to please everyone, but spend time with those people who say you can’t do it, they will be your greatest supporters in the end.
“And three, you have to offer real practical solutions, so that all of your invested community is rewarded for their support. Waste management is huge, but it’s also hugely important and I think that if we can do it over on little Norfolk, you guys can do it here as well!”
One of seven presenters who shared their knowledge with Mid North Coast residents as part of the RDAMNC’s Mini Ignite program, Lilli says she hopes people will be inspired to think differently about waste management and the circular economy, and the other initiatives covered during the sessions – groundbreaking Indigenous programs, The Welcome Experience and local entrepreneurship and innovation projects.
Learning and dreaming
Jo-Anne Kelly from Learning the Macleay, a social impact, community-led collective that “aims to disrupt the disadvantage”, spoke of the Yuwa Nyinda (Yes You) Dream Academy and Youth Summit held in August 2024. “We had 2000 students from across Dunghutti Country, not just Indigenous kids but everyone, come together for the two-day festival, with the message: ‘You can’t be it, if you can’t see it’. We had Dunghutti people travel back home for the event to speak to local young people about their jobs, their journey and to offer advice to those who may think that they don’t have a way out of their current situation. It was the first time some kids had seen their aunties and uncles in uniform, from the fire brigade to corrective services.”
Movers, shakers and innovators
Courtney Tune, founder of the Alt Collective, supports aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators across “Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung, Yaegl, Dhungutti, Biripi Country”, and wherever they are on their business journey. “We have a range of activations, from the Regional Innovation Program (RIP) Accelerator, which is supported by Regional Development Australia & Mid-North Coast Councils, to our Triple B – Business, Bikes and Beers trip. I know it sounds really blokey but some men will never openly ask for help or support, so this is our way of reaching them. We’re all about supporting locals thrive and helping them build their business and tribe.”
Igniting passion
CEO and Director of RDAMNC, Dr Madeleine Lawler, explains that the Mini Ignite events are a vital part of the organisations remit to invest in people, places and services as part of the Australian Government’s Regional Investment Framework (RIF). “All of our plans are aligned to that framework but it’s very much based around economic and regional development, and being responsive to the region we’re supporting.
“Over the last year we’ve been up to a few things across the Mid North Coast and one is our Skills Audit. About 250 people across the region participated in either surveys or focus groups to talk to us about what it has been like to hire people in the industries we have here on the Mid North Coast. One takeaway from that is that we have all the bones of the things that we need to be successful, it’s just that there’s not a lot of interconnective tissue between our bones. So we really need to work as a region on linking industry, linking young people, linking the skill provision into the region, so that we can help serve the economy that actually exists here.”
Creating circles
The development of a circular manufacturing and recycling precinct at Kundle Kundle, near Taree, is a case in point. “We’ve got a really unique site that we’re going try to activate because, a. it’s perfectly aligned with the state and federal government’s priorities around the circular economy, b. we have a ready-made rail network to assist with transportation, and c. it’s an incredible opportunity to develop an industry that will support generations of Mid North Coast young people and families.”
Join Dr Madeleine Lawler as she explains how RDAMNC is helping businesses, communities and local industries thrive. Tune in now.
Article, photos and video: Liz Ginis, Director Communications & Marketing, RDA Sydney
