Fowles Wine in Avenel hosted the 2024 FLP cohort for the Strathbogie Place-Based Program Day this week. The group heard from John Beresford (GoNagambie), Andrew Fairley AM, Emily Peel and Charlene Donovan FF'23 (nbnco Australia) and Matt Fowles on topics of tourism, connectivity and leadership journeys.
Photo 1: Andrew Fairley AM speaking to FLP cohort Photo 2: FLP participants, Rachel Williams and Kat Hauptmann
John Beresford from GoNagambie shared about the origins of the organisation and how it began to turn Nagambie into a destination, and promote the region for what it has to offer. John spoke of the many events and projects that GoNagambie has been involved in including Parkrun, NYE fireworks, Australia Day awards and ceremony, Youth Futures Project and the Nagambie on Water Festival to name a few. GoNagambie has also been involved in advocating for the community on projects such as Chinaman’s Bridge, Kirwans Bridge, Nagambie Streetscape and the Nagambie Walkway.
Andrew Fairley AM shared about the establishment of the Fairley Leadership Program. He offered many insights from his own leadership journey, including the importance of a clear vision, and how everything he has done so far in his life has been done with his personal and professional visions in mind.
We were later joined by Emily Peel and Charlene Donovan FF'23 from nbnco Australia, where we workshopped some of the challenges currently being faced by rural and regional communities when it comes to connectivity. As a cohort, we are better equipped with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the role nbn plays in keeping communities connected, particularly during times of crisis.
Matt Fowles from Fowles Wine provided a bit of background on how Fowles became what it is today. He spoke of the challenges he has faced through unpredictable weather and the pandemic. He also highlighted their considerations for biodiversity when creating their products and how they farm mirroring nature.
The day offered a valuable glimpse into the unique challenges and opportunities for the Strathbogie region, paired with inspiring leadership stories. It left us all with much to reflect on as we continue our own leadership journeys.
Leadership Team 1
Catherine McAllister, Alison White, Melissa Best & Roland Kalamo