Two recent opportunities to leverage what we are seeing, learning, and trialling through Our Town have included the second roundtable of the Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children (IDAC) and contributing to the Centre for Policy Development's recent Putting People First report. Through both we've had the opportunity to centre the importance of community voice, power, and leadership firmly at the heart of the conversation around 'place-based approaches'.

At the second roundtable of the Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children (IDAC), held on Kaurna Land, Julie Ahrens (Our Town Berri) and Amie Johnson (Mid Murray Our Town) shared their experiences, successes, and insights as leaders of one of Australia’s longest-running place-based, community-led initiatives.

The IDAC roundtable brought together partners from communities, government, and philanthropy to announce a shared commitment: supporting up to 50 communities by 2030 to drive community-led change that delivers tangible outcomes for children, young people, and their families.

Learn more about IDAC and its mission here: Investment Dialogue for Australia's Children.

Our Town representatives Erin Lister (Our Town Kimba), Oliver Carlton (Our Town Strategic Lead), and Kerry Jones (TACSI) collaborated with the Centre for Policy Development to deliver powerful messages about transforming social services to genuinely meet the needs of the people and communities they serve in the Putting People First report.

Joined by other community-led and place-based initiatives, Our Town emphasised the value of long-term investment, trust-based relationships, and flexibility in delivering meaningful change.