I was very excited about attending the Communities in Control conference next Monday and Tuesday in Melbourne, they have fantastic topics and speakers and frankly the idea of switched on, proactive communities is one of the most exciting untapped resources I see for the future Australian policies.

Unfortunately I can no longer attend, so I’m giving away my paid registration to the first email I get in from someone willing to take it!

Email me here to get it.

Speakers include:

• CHRISTINE NIXON, former Victorian police chief; currently head of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority
• REBECCA HUNTLEY, researcher, author & social commentator; head of research company Ipsos and author of The Ipsos Mackay Report
• RUSSEL HOWCROFT, Gruen Transfer panellist, Chairman & Managing Director of George Patterson’s Y&R
• DAVID HETHERINGTON, Executive Director, Per Capita – Australia’s independent progressive thinktank
• Emeritus Professor RICHARD WILKINSON, University of Nottingham Medical School and Professor KATE PICKETT, Professor of Epidemiology, University of York – co-authors of the groundbreaking new work, The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always do Better
• Dr ANNE SUMMERS AO, feminist writer, journalist and author
• MARY O’HAGAN, Former NZ Mental Health Commissioner, international advisor, advocate and mental health service user
• The Hon JOAN KIRNER AM, former Premier of Victoria
• HUGH DE KRETSER, Executive Officer, Federation of Community Legal Centres
• PAUL BIRD, Director, Mission Australia
• STEPHEN MAYNE, Councillor, Manningham City Council, Crikey Founder, and shareholder, governance and social activist

This year’s conference will be anchored by Our Community Managing Director DENIS MORIARTY and Centacare Catholic Family Services CEO Fr JOE CADDY, with special guidance from Victorian Community Ambassador and former Premier The Hon. JOAN KIRNER AM.

If you work, volunteer or care about your community, this is a not to be missed event. They still have a few places and you can register here.