Partnered Programs

How a community-led conversation in Gippsland grew into Australia’s leading regional renewable energy forum.

Launched to keep community at the centre of the energy transition, the Gippsland New Energy Conference (GNEC) has become Australia’s largest regional-led event focused on sustainable energy. Each year it brings together industry, government, innovators, educators and the wider community to help shape the future of energy in the Gippsland Renewable Energy Zone and Australia’s first Offshore Wind Zone.

GNEC is powered by a distinctive partnership between the Gippsland Climate Change Network (GCCN), Gippsland local government, the Gippsland Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) and local industry. The conference is uniquely Gippsland: it’s shaped by the region, for the region, and supported by more than 40 organisations through an advisory committee that helps bring the event to life.

GNEC began in 2021, when Wellington Shire and surrounding communities became the focus of major renewable energy proposals, including significant offshore wind projects. Wellington Shire formed the Renewable Energy Forum—an innovative step that quickly highlighted a simple truth: for the transition to succeed, the community needed to be part of the conversation. From that insight, the Gippsland New Energy Conference was born.

GCCN stepped into the coordination role, working in partnership with Wellington Shire Council, supported by the Latrobe Valley Authority and a growing group of business and new-energy proponents.

The first GNEC in 2022—hosted in Sale by Wellington Shire Council—focused on big ideas and big opportunities, grounded in collaboration: between industry and community, government and business, researchers and practitioners, and the next generation and long-time energy leaders. In 2023, Wellington Shire Council again hosted the conference at The Wedge Performance Space, building on that shared commitment to open, informed dialogue.

GNEC has since reaffirmed its status as Australia’s premier regional forum for renewable energy, innovation and community collaboration. In 2024 and 2025, the conference was hosted at the Gippsland Performing Arts Centre Precinct with steadfast support from Latrobe City Council and Regional Development Victoria—setting new benchmarks for attendance, inclusivity and local impact.

As momentum continues to build, attendance has grown from 380 people at the inaugural event to around 1,000 attendees in 2025. GNEC remains a key platform for showcasing Gippsland’s leadership in Australia’s renewable energy transition. GNEC26 planning is in full swing, for program updates, speakers and tickets, visit the GNEC website.

Want a clear, local source of information about Gippsland s energy transition? The Gippsland New Energy Website brings together trusted, independent updates to help the community understand whats happening now and whats coming next as new energy projects and opportunities expand across the region.

On the website you can explore:
• Latest news and updates on new energy in Gippsland
• Easy-to-understand explainers and videos on different renewable energy technologies
• Maps and information on proposed and operating new energy projects
• Training and skills opportunities to support local jobs and careers
Visit the Gippsland New Energy Website to learn more, stay informed, and share the resource with your friends, family, and community groups.

Gippsland New Energy is auspiced by the Gippsland Climate Change Network and in 2023 was supported to establish the website by the Victorian Government via; VicGrid, Offshore Wind Energy Victoria, Latrobe Valley Authority, Latrobe City Council, Wellington Shire Council and Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation.

Gippsland coastal communities are at the crux of a difficult time, with the proposed development of offshore windfarms. Change of this scale needs more than just policy frameworks and investment – it requires trust, transparency, and genuine engagement with the communities who will be most affected. GCCN are partnering with DemocracyCo to support and host a large-scale deliberation. DemocracyCo’s many years of national and international experience in deliberative democracy on complex issues, has earned a global reputation for tackling some of today’s toughest questions. They create the conditions for meaningful dialogue and foster the type of understanding and collaboration that creates powerful, lasting change. By partnering together on this deliberative democracy initiative, both GCCN and DemocracyCo are reinforcing their commitment to empowering local communities.

Over the next few weeks, 10,000 Gippsland households in postcodes from Inverloch to Loch Sport will be sent a postal invitation to register their interest to participate in the Assembly. We will also be reaching out to small but important community groups in the region to participate.

2024 was the last year that GCCN and the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA) partnered with a range of industry, education, government, and community partners to stimulate the big ideas, support the adoption of Smart Specialisation practices, and deliver the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland Transition Plan across the region.

GCCN hopes to continue the work we started with the LVA that has significantly pioneered and progressed many crucial energy related initiatives and programs of the last several years. We aim to focus on the field of community energy. During the Festival of Big Ideas, the Community Energy Peer Forum he Community Energy Peer Forum was launched with an aim to connect emerging groups to established groups for greater knowledge sharing. The Gippsland Community Power Hub Governance Group continues to focus on Gippsland Town-scale Energy Solutions Community of Practice networks and continues to support existing groups to build upon their energy projects. For all community energy projects please contact Eshter Lloyed.

Esther Lloyd | Program Manager | esther.lloyd@gccn.org.au

Under the auspice of GCCN and with funding from the state government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, a Gippsland Alliance was formed.  Five councils are now part of the Alliance: East Gippsland, Latrobe City, South Gippsland, Wellington, with the most recent member Baw Baw Shire Council. The Gippsland Alliance for Climate Action (GACA) is a local government specific climate organisation that aims to provide stronger advocacy capacity for the region and a more coordinated Gippsland approach to climate change.

GACA is now part of the statewide Victorian Green House Alliance  and works with member councils to deliver regional climate mitigation and adaptation projects and provides a key platform for collaboration between councils.

Tiffany Harrison | GACA Coordinator | tiffany.harrison@gccn.org.au

In 2024 the Gippsland Circular Futures Initiative (GCFI) was funded by Sustainability Victoria to promote Circular Economy (CE) practices among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Gippsland region.

The initiative aimed to enhance awareness and adoption of CE principles through workshops, web resources, and targeted training programs. Guided by the Regional Context Analysis: One Gippsland Smart Specialisation, the project was delivered in collaboration with key stakeholders, including Federation University and the Gippsland Local Government Network.

The project sought to address identified gaps in CE knowledge and foster collaboration among SMEs to drive innovative, sustainable practices. 66 Participants were engaged in the project over 4 workshops.

The action plans developed through the program are expected to lead to 35.55t of avoided waste and 126.7t of GHG emissions avoided through the project. Gippsland Climate Change Network would like to thank the Project Officers, Tammy Logan and Amy Barry-Macaulay for their commitment and authority, Clay Last our intern from Federation University and Dr Jess Reeves and the Federation University team for conducting the training.

This project is supported by the Victorian Government’s Circular Economy Innovation Fund as part of the Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC)

GCCN was awarded a contract with Sustainability Victoria to deliver the Single-Use Plastic (SUP) Ban Business Engagement Program in Gippsland.

The program involved face to face engagement with over 500 small to medium sized food serving businesses across Gippsland.  Our team were there to inform and gather data to assist with the smooth deployment of the Victorian Governments SUP ban that was brought in on 1 Feb 2023.

Single-use plastics ban | Sustainability Victoria

In 2021 GCCN was awarded a Sustainability Victoria contract to engage with Gippsland small businesses to inform them of the opportunities and savings provided to them by the Small Business Energy Saver Program. Despite the Covid restrictions our team was able to make 450 Business engagements.

Across the state, more than 5,000 businesses who participated in the Small Business Energy Saver program since March 2021 have reduced their annual energy bills by more than $2.9 million. The program has also saved 10,520t CO2e annually or 169,000t CO2e over the lifetime of the products.