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POWER UP! - May

Power Up·Wendy Agar·May 6, 2025· 6 minutes

Note from Wendy

Hello there!

Welcome back to our monthly newsletter, POWER UP! Our next few weeks are jam-packed with:

This month, we’re zooming in on the ‘Community Context’ in the REAL Framework.  Regional people are calling out for respectful engagement.. and respect isn’t just about being polite. It’s about understanding people and place—taking the time to learn who a community is, what they value, and how they live.
As the saying goes “If you know one community…. You only know one community!”  Because in regional Australia, no two communities are the same. and trust can’t be built if you don’t understand the ground you’re standing on, and the context you are working in.

You can’t build trust in a place you don’t understand.

Before you even think about engaging, you need to do two things:

Research: understand people and place
Start with desktop research to build a base understanding of:

  • People: Who lives here? (Demographics, key organisations, First Nations groups, local leaders)
  • Place: What drives the economy? (Industries, major employers, seasonal factors)
    What is the land use like? (Agriculture, resources, renewables, conservation areas)
    What other projects or developments are already underway?
  • History: What is the First Nations and colonial history? How has the community handled change in the past?
  • Infrastructure and services: What’s available locally—and what’s missing?
  • Culture: What are the major community events? What shapes local pride, identity, and social life?

Ground-truth: connect, listen, observe
Desktop research will only get you so far. You need to:

  • Walk the ground: Drive around, visit local spaces, observe daily life.
  • Connect: Meet people, listen deeply, and follow the threads into the "unwritten" networks where real influence lives.
  • Be curious: Ask questions, seek to understand without assumptions.
  • Respect the sacred: Every community has "sacred cows"—values, industries, and histories that can’t be overlooked if you want trust.

Respectful engagement means seeing communities as they really are.

Not just as stakeholder lists or data points—but as living, breathing places with their own identities, rhythms, and realities.

When you genuinely understand both people and place, your engagement becomes more relevant, more meaningful—and much more likely to succeed.

Let’s not just engage.
Let’s engage well.
And that starts with respect.

Until next month, 

Regards, 

Wendy 


Voices from the regions

 Jo Sheppard

This month, we’re featuring Jo Sheppard - CEO of Queensland Farmers Federation and a passionate advocate for agriculture and regional Queensland.

Raised on a sheep and cattle property near Cunnamulla, she brings decades of experience across agriculture, small business, education, local government, and the NFP sector.

Jo has run her own ag-focused training business, served 12 years in local government—including four as Mayor—and held leadership roles with the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce and University of Southern Queensland.

Now CEO of the Queensland Farmers’ Federation, she represents over 13,000 farmers through QFF’s peak body members. She’s also a director with the Clean Energy Regulator, a member of the Queensland Energy System Advisory Board, and a graduate of Harvard, Oxford, and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Jo combines real-world experience with strategic insight—and a deep commitment to rural and regional communities.

Check out Jo’s episode of The emPOWER Series.

 





EmPOWER Podcast

Our emPOWER podcast series provides practical skills and insights to inspire action, better understanding of stakeholders and improved outcomes for people engaging across regional Australia.

EmPOWER is proudly supported by The Energy Charter, a CEO collaboration across the energy sector nationally, delivering better outcomes for customers and communities in the energy transition.


🎙️Episode 15: Engaging Young People in the Energy Shift in Gippsland

Young people aren't just the future—they're key players in today’s energy transition. Wendy Agar talks with Stephanie Sabrinskas - impact producer and creator of Power Pops, a VR youth engagement initiative with the Gippsland Climate Change Network.

Based in the Latrobe Valley, Stephanie shares her insights from six years working at the intersection of youth, community, and energy.




🎙️Episode 16: Powering the Future: The Intersection of Agriculture, Energy & Community

The energy transition is transforming regional Australia—so how can agriculture and local communities benefit? In this episode, Wendy Agar talks with Jo Sheppard, CEO of the Queensland Farmers’ Federation, about the future of farming in a changing energy landscape.

If you care about the future of regional Australia and agriculture’s role in the renewable shift, this episode is a must-listen.

Catch up on our latest episodes here.


PowerHour Virtual Forum

 

Have you heard… Our PowerHour 2025 Series kicks off on 22 May with Episode 1: “Rethinking Renewables & Regional Development”

Register here to join the amazing lineup of expert guest speakers to better understand the development opportunities renewables can bring to regional communities and explore ways to connect projects with regional economic growth.

From the keynote presentation where Dr Amanda Cahill will share her insights and strategies from Next Economy’s research and best practice international experience, through to the high calibre panellists Cr Andrew Smith (Mayor, Western Downs Regional Council) and Joanna Stevens (Premier Strategy) who will tease the topic out from a regional community perspective, and an engagement expert lens – this in one forum you won’t want to miss!

Thank you to our proud partners of the PowerHour 2025 series - Powerlink and Windlab.

Register for our upcoming episodes, starting 22 May.

Catch up on past episodes here.




Upcoming training

 

RegionalConnect Foundations

Our entry-level engagement program

RegionalConnect Foundations is a two-hour virtual session introducing the core RegionalConnect concepts. A perfect first step to understanding what our regional communities expect and how the REAL framework supports genuine engagement.

Introductory price of $99 (discounted until 1 July).

Learn more or book here.


 

RegionalConnect Integration - Dalby

A one-of-a-kind immersive training program

The RegionalConnect Integration 4-week learning journey begins with an immersive, place-based learning experience, followed by online workshops that culminates with a collaborative virtual Showcase.

Combining the proven Engaged Outcomes REAL Framework with hands-on learning, connecting with key local stakeholders, ongoing support, and peer accountability, this program equips engagement practitioners with the tools, self-awareness, and real-world insights to build trust and engage meaningfully with regional communities.

Learn more or book here.

*More dates to be announced soon!


Fuel for Thought: Big Ideas, Local Impact

profile.id - Reliable, accessible demographic profiles of local communities

Find in-depth information for more than 300 local government areas and suburbs in Australia. These tools are paid for by local governments and regional organisations to help you make informed local-area decisions. Check them out, here.

Next PowerHour Virtual Forum - “Understanding Landholders”
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