Regional Leaders Summit to centre rural voices in renewable energy transition
A two-day event in Newcastle this August will bring together rural and regional leaders to exchange ideas, share challenges, and explore community-first approaches in the transition to renewable energy.
Rural and regional leaders from across Australia will gather in Newcastle this August to work through the challenges and opportunities brought by large-scale renewable energy projects. The Regional Leaders Summit 2025, hosted by the Renewable Energy Alliance (RE-Alliance), runs from 5–6 August at Newcastle City Hall and aims to support local leaders in getting the best outcomes for their communities.
Around 70 participants working in or alongside local government, regional development, and community organisations will take part in the two-day workshop-focused event. Attendees will hear from others facing similar issues, learn from case studies, and discuss practical ways to manage development pressures while protecting and strengthening local communities.
“The Summit is a workshop-orientated event for rural and regional leaders wanting to learn more about leading communities through significant large-scale renewable energy planning and development.”
Sessions will include topics such as housing and workforce accommodation, biodiversity, benefit-sharing frameworks, First Nations engagement, and how to influence renewable energy development processes. Leaders will also examine how to involve communities effectively and explore how to build regional skills and workforce capacity.
The event extends the work of the Regional Leaders Network, a monthly online forum hosted by RE-Alliance for over 18 months. The Network has become a space for leaders to compare notes across regions and develop responses that fit their local contexts.
"Leaders in this network tell us they find huge value in hearing what’s happening across the country, connecting with their peers and gaining learnings they can take back to their regions and implement to improve community outcomes, industry behaviour and more."
A small group of observers from government, industry bodies, and not-for-profits will also attend. Their role will be to listen and build a better understanding of the real issues regional communities face. Insights shared during the Summit will be compiled into a general report, which will be distributed publicly and used to support better practices across the sector. No individual councils will be named without permission.
The program includes daily plenaries, a mix of practical workshops, and peer-led discussions. The emphasis is on learning directly from the experience of others, including successes and setbacks.
Tickets are priced in tiers based on an organisation’s size and resources, with financial support available for those who need help covering travel and accommodation. Each organisation may register up to two participants.
RE-Alliance has developed the Summit in collaboration with regional leaders and an advisory group made up of members from organisations such as the Regional Australia Institute, Community Power Agency and The Next Economy. The event is designed to help attendees build networks, skills and confidence, and to create stronger regions more capable of managing the impacts of the energy shift.
