13. Imagining an integral decision making role for citizens within a national community planning framework for Australia

GUEST: Dr. Bronwyn Kelly - Australian Community Futures Planning initiative(ACFP)

Dr Kelly is one of Australia’s most innovative thinkers on how this country could build fit for purpose, democratic capability for the challenges of the 21st century. Across her books: By 2050, The People’s Constitution, The Public Interest Economy, and in the vision document Australia Together, Dr Kelly has described  an ambitious model of collaborative citizen democracy. One of her core insights is that Australia’s traditional, government-centred decision making systems are no longer sufficient for navigating complex problems such as climate disruption risk, growing social inequality, increasing ecological decline, and the threatsto long-term economic security.

She argues that only by integrating the public directly into long-range planning — through structured, transparent, participatory frameworks — can Australia generate the kind of joined-up, future-ready strategies these highly challenging times demand.

Dr Kelly’s work aligns well with the sort of citizen led, democratic innovation we hope to amplify at IMAG40. And she offers a process by which we can ensure such citizen-led forums operate efficiently - to offer democratically designed plans which will maximise our chances of arriving at the sort of 2040 that Australians have said they want.

INTERVIEW TALKING SEGMENTS FOR GUESTS/HOST – with approximate time elapsed in minutes.

GENERIC INTRODUCTION – 0.00

GUEST FORESHADOWING COMMENTS – 0.36

EPISODE INTRODUCTION – 1.19

GUEST SELF INTRODUCTION AND WORK IN 2025 – 3.51

IMAG EXERCISE 1 - TIME TRAVEL TO 2040 - 17.06

IMAG EXERCISE 2 - SIGNALS OF THE FUTURE IN 2025 –25.23

IMAG EXERCISE 3 - ASSERTIVE ACTIONS FOR 2025 – 37.15

GUEST WRAP UP COMMENTS – 46.38

HOST REFLECTION AND AUDIENCE INVITATION – 51.21

END OF EPISODE – 57.56

 SELECTED RESOURCES LINKED TO INTERVIEW COMMENTS

 INITIATIVES AND ORGANISATIONS

 AUSTRALIA

 The Australian Community Futures Planning initiative(ACFP). Has a portal website on community futures planning. The publications page lists Dr. Kelly’s books and major documents. And her Substack found here.

The ACFP’s comprehensive State of Australia (2025) report mentions that the country is ‘not progressing towards a better Australia, we are traveling away from that preferred destination.’

The ACFP’s podcast series The Australia Together Podcast is hosted by Dr Kelly

Australian Citizen survey research. Some recent examples of  background attitudinal trends, and public perception of future threats and risks at a national level. Alongside citizen demands on climate disruption and stronger nature protection laws.

Existing examples of Australian, pro-community planning approaches by sub-national government. In Victoria, the Local Government Act (2020) mandated citizen ‘deliberative engagement practice’ for local councils in that State.

 INTERNATIONAL

Citizen Juries and Assemblies – a recent short explanatory article (2025)

The vTaiwan initiative. An ‘open collaboration platform for public policy