The change we wish to see

The Upper Yarra is at a turning point. The end of native timber harvesting, worsening climate impacts, and an economy where most of the money earned here gets spent somewhere else - these aren't problems any single organisation can solve alone. But they've also opened a door. People across the region - community groups, businesses, schools, Council, farmers, environmental organisations - are ready to do things differently. What's been missing is the permanent infrastructure to bring them together, back their ideas, and connect them to the resources and knowledge they need.

That's what building UYTIC would offer.

• Through a Community Foundation, we create a permanent pool of capital that the community governs and directs - not dependent on the next grant cycle.
• Through a Challenge-based approach, we bring diverse people together around the region's most urgent transitions - future jobs, climate resilience, clean energy, regenerative agriculture - and support them to develop, test, and grow real solutions.
• Through partnerships with universities, government, and investors, we would bring external expertise and resources in, on the region's terms.

Over time, this would change how the Upper Yarra works. Decisions becoming more informed, more inclusive, and more adaptive. Local wealth grows and stays local. The region moving from reacting to shocks it can't control, to building the capacity to navigate whatever comes next.

And what we learn here becomes useful to other communities facing similar transitions across Australia and beyond.

UYTIC is just getting started. We're sharing this now because we want to test our ideas, but you can subscribe in the meantime if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published!