Documentary maker Damon Gameau to speak on regeneration at K2W Link Forum in Goulburn

The award-winning documentary maker will be speaking about how we can build on practical solutions, which already exist, to tackle the climate crisis at K2W Link's annual forum on Tuesday, December 6 in Goulburn.

"Now is the time to learn about this stuff and develop a language for it so we can speak about it with others," Mr Gameau said.

"People know about sustainability, but regeneration is sort of another word, another set of words to learn and understand."

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The concept of regeneration has gained traction in recent years across industries from fashion to agriculture.

Mr Gameau's latest film Regenerating Australia takes the form of a news report on the night of New Year's Eve in 2029.

The mock news report reflects on the decade 'that could be' if Australia transitioned to a fairer, cleaner and more community-focused economy through practical solutions including a high-speed rail network, solar gardens for apartment owners and reforestation programs based on First Nations knowledge.

The film features David Pocock, Kerry O'Brien, Sandra Sully, Gorgi Coghlan, Tim Flannery and Larissa Behrendt.

David Pocock was elected as an independent senator for the ACT in the May federal election.

"We're seeing this incredible surge in community democracy... people are really wanting representatives that understand the nuances of their own region and who truly represent them," Mr Gameau said.

"And I think we'll probably continue to do that in the next couple of elections."

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Mr Gameau said he saw room in the ecological space for a message that didn't ostracize people, similar to how his documentary, That Sugar Film, demonstrated how cutting back on sugar could improve your life rather than solely demonising the food.

"All we're hearing is how bad things are and that can be kind of paralysing," Mr Gameau said.

"[Regeneration] is something that nature does by default, the cells in our bodies, forests after fire, they can spring back.

"Among all these dystopian narratives, nature is very capable of coming back to life if we nurture it and do the right things."

This year will be the first time the forum has been held in Goulburn and K2W Link is encouraging all local environmentalists, nature supporters, students, farmers, landcarers, bushcarers, field naturalists and sustainability group members to attend.

The Kanangra Boyd to Wyangala Link (K2W) is a major natural corridor, connecting the sandstone forests of the Greater Blue Mountains with protected areas and treasured habitats on private land in the upper reaches of the Lachlan River catchment. Great Eastern Ranges launched the K2W Link initiative to protect and care for this corridor.

The theme for this year's forum is regenerating country, culture and communities in the Great Eastern Ranges.

Other key speakers will include local regenerative farming champions, ecologists and First Nations groups who are regenerating country and community through traditional ecological knowledge and cultural practices.

The day will also feature examples of how businesses and organisations are working to connect people and nature through new technologies, the arts, and providing access to environmental markets.

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"People in cities are living very different lives to people in the regions and sometimes what [environmentalists] ask people to do, whether that's eating less meat or other things, it's just not appropriate for people in certain regions, especially if their livelihood is around farming and agriculture," Mr Gameau said.

"I think what these events are great for is to provide a way of communicating and starting conversations in people's communities.

"[Regeneration] is not a top-down prescriptive model, it sort of asks people to consider what's unique about their region and to find the appropriate solutions that are going to be right for that particular part of the world."

The forum will be held at the Goulburn Performing Arts Centre on Tuesday, December 6 from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

Tickets can be purchased at Humanitix with discounted rates available to students and members of local environmental groups.

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