Is our economy working for us? Diversification and a Wellbeing Economy for WA

Economic diversification is once again at the top of the political agenda in WA - but what does that actually mean, and how can diversification serve the wellbeing of people and planet?

After decades of ‘mining state’ prosperity for many West Australians, the climate and environmental impacts of a dig-it-and-ship-it economy are starting to catch up with us. Rising inequality and the sky-rocketing costs of housing, food, fuel, power, and more are sparking serious questions about whether WA’s economy is delivering for everybody. And on the global stage, uncertainty is an understatement: a series of shocks have thrown our supply chains, partnerships, and security into question in a way we’re still coming to terms with.

Together, these pressures add up to a strong mandate for a shift in our economy: a mandate to decarbonise, de-risk, and diversify. We’ve been talking about diversifying WA’s economy for decades, and some progress has been made - but today’s disruptions open up a window for taking bold action, and there’s never been a better time to ask some big questions about the diversification agenda.

What are the opportunities in a ‘diversification’ that goes beyond greener mining and exports?

How would we diversify our economy if enabling the wellbeing of people and planet was our ultimate goal?

And how do we move from decades of talk to meaningful, rapid action?

Join us for a dynamic roundtable discussion on diversification and the wellbeing economy, including a public lecture from Katherine Trebeck, founder of the global Wellbeing Economy Alliance and Economic Change Lead at The Next Economy. We’ll explore the opportunities an ambitious diversification agenda could open up for WA, and how a wellbeing economy lens on this conversation can unlock better outcomes for the people who live here and the natural world we love and rely on.

Speaker:

Katherine Trebeck is a political economist, writer and advocate for economic system change. Katherine’s roles include writer-at-large and co-director of the Compassion in Financial Services hub at the University of Edinburgh and Economic Change Lead at The Next Economy. She co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Alliance and WEAll Scotland. She is Distinguished Visitor at ANU’s Planetary Health Hothouse and was 2024 thinker-in-residence at the Australian Health Promotion Association.

Event partners:

The Next Economy works with government, industry, investment and community to create the conditions for a rapid, responsible and fair transition to a climate-safe, regenerative and socially just Australian economy.

The UWA Public Policy Institute bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world impact, bringing the university’s expertise to bear on pressing social, economic, and political issues across Western Australia, Australia, and the broader Indian Ocean region.

Good Together is a studio for imagining better futures and bringing them to life. In the face of crises all around us, they bring people together to figure out what just, sustainable, and joyful lives might look like for us and for future generations, and to start building them right where we are.