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Sustainable Futures Festival 2022

Sustainable Futures Festival 2022

Working in partnership with local communities, businesses and government agencies, EcoNetwork Port Stephens held the inaugural Sustainable Futures Festival between June and September 2022.

The Festival showcased environmental innovation, sustainable living and the different ways in which nature enriches our lives. It brought together a wide range of special interest groups and individuals to create new connections and networking opportunities to create positive change in our neighbourhoods. The power of community was a theme emphasised throughout the entire festival. As far as we know, this was the first time this type of event was held in Port Stephens.

The Festival Day

The Festival culminated in special event held on 11 September 2022. The sun came out and shone brightly on the 1000 people attending the festival at St Philip’s Christian College in Salamander Bay. Participants from a wide range of community and conservation groups, universities, government agencies and eco-businesses created a wonderful atmosphere – engaging with festival goers and entertaining families. See the photos and read the evaluation report produced in conjunction with the University of Newcastle.

Speakers and Workshops

Professor Veena Sahajwalla, the 2022 NSW Australian of the Year, headed up an impressive program of presentations including experts in community power, energy efficient homes, eritalgia, sustainable gardening, interior design, recycled plastic, and electric vehicles.

Read about the speakers and workshops.

A 5-Star Event

EcoNetwork committed to incorporating sustainability principles and delivering a sustainable festival – a key output of the event. The five key areas during organising and implementing the festival were: rethink, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle.

These were the 5-stars guiding our festival for sustainability and waste management.

Community Partners

We thank our valued sponsors who supported the Festival. They took this opportunity to partner with EcoNetwork Port Stephens, a recognised and reputable environmental advocacy network of over 30 business, community and environmental groups.

Thank you all – we could not have done it without you.

The aRRRRRt Awards

The aRRRRRt awards recognise artists’ creativity to put the R into aRt: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle. These inaugural awards were a special collaboration between EcoNetwork and Artisan Collective Port Stephens.

You can read about the awards, the entrants and the winners of the different categories.

Lead Up Events

Read all about the news and events leading up to the festival.

Published: 2 Oct 2022