6th Financial Inclusion Conference: Bridging the Divide

Advancing Financial Inclusion, Resilience and Wellbeing

The 6th Annual Financial Inclusion Conference comes to Sydney Olympic Park on 5th and 6th May 2027.

Two days of practice, policy and lived experience, brought together to tackle one question: how do we close the gap between the people doing this work on the ground and the decisions that shape it?

• When
  Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th May 2027

• Where
  Waterview in Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park

• Gala dinner and awards
  The 2027 Financial Inclusion Awards, presented at the gala dinner on Wednesday evening. Ticketed separately.

About Bridging the Divide

Bridging the Divide responds to the pressure the cost-of-living crisis has placed on households, and on the services supporting them. Our aim is to turn grassroots practice, community knowledge and lived experience into policy, investment and systemic action.

Financial hardship rarely stands alone. It runs alongside domestic and family violence, financial abuse, alcohol and drug dependence, homelessness, mental ill-health, unemployment and generational disadvantage. Approaches to financial inclusion and wellbeing need to meet those realities with more diverse and better integrated supports.

Over two days we bring together government, policymakers, financial institutions, community organisations, researchers and people with lived experience to share, innovate and co-create a more financially inclusive society, where everyone has access to the services, supports, knowledge and opportunities needed for financial security and wellbeing.

Conference themes

• A whole-of-government strategy. Financial wellbeing cuts across housing, health, education, employment, justice, domestic violence and social services. What would a coordinated response actually look like?

• Place-based service delivery. Earlier, joined-up and genuinely accessible support for regional, rural, remote and disadvantaged communities.

• Breaking down barriers. The structural, geographic, social and economic barriers that keep people financially excluded, and what shifts them.

• From lived experience to action. Connecting frontline practice and lived experience with the people who hold the levers.

• Responding to Cost-of-Living Pressures and Financial Exclusion. Addressing the structural pressures driving financial hardship and moving beyond crisis resilience toward prevention, inclusion and long-term financial wellbeing

Who attends

This is a room built for cross-sector conversation. You'll be joined by:

• Financial counsellors, financial capability workers and NILS providers

• Government, policymakers, regulators and ombudsman services

• Banks, lenders, insurers, utilities and other industry

• Community, place-based and specialist services, including domestic and family violence, homelessness and mental health

• People with lived experience and community leaders

• Researchers, universities and policy organisations

• Funders, philanthropy and consumer advocates

Formal Dinner and Financial Inclusion Awards

On the evening of Wednesday 5th May 2027, we'll gather for a formal dinner and present the 2027 Financial Inclusion Awards, recognising the people, programs and organisations making a real difference to financial wellbeing across New South Wales. The dinner is ticketed separately from the conference. It includes canapes, a two course meal and a 3.5 hour drinks package. Select 'Conference Dinner' when you register.

Program and speakers

The two-day program is being finalised, and keynote speakers and panellists will be announced in the lead-up to the conference. Register now to secure your place, and we'll keep you posted as the program is released. If you're interested in presenting, we'd love to hear from you.

Venue and getting there

Waterview in Bicentennial Park
1 Bicentennial Drive, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127

Waterview sits among the parklands, ponds and lakes of Bicentennial Park, a short walk from the heart of Sydney Olympic Park.

• Getting here. Train and bus services run to Sydney Olympic Park, and parking is available on site.

• Accessibility. Ramp entrance and multiple accessible parking spaces.

Who's behind the conference

Bridging the Divide is presented by Northern Rivers Community Gateway, in partnership with the NSW Financial Inclusion Network and the Financial Counsellors' Association of NSW. All three are not-for-profit organisations working to improve outcomes for people facing disadvantage.

• Northern Rivers Community Gateway is a local grassroots charity delivering integrated, specialist services across the Northern Rivers, targeting the root causes of hardship with wraparound care.

• The NSW Financial Inclusion Network is a policy think tank engaging the community sector, government and peak organisations to work towards a more financially inclusive future for NSW.

• The Financial Counsellors' Association of NSW is the peak membership body supporting financial counsellors in Australia, through accreditation, training, professional development and peer supervision.

Partner with us

Sponsorship and exhibitor packages are available, from naming rights to award and dinner sponsorship, with tailored options on request. To request the sponsorship pack, get in touch using the details below.

Questions

Events Team
Northern Rivers Community Gateway
financialinclusion@nrcg.org.au
02 6621 7397