When Communities Shape Their Own Economic Future 

Across Australia, communities are beginning to ask a different question about economic development. 

Rather than waiting for solutions to arrive from elsewhere, what happens when communities themselves shape their economic future — investing in local assets, mobilising local leadership and building institutions that reflect shared values? 

In Mount Alexander Shire in central Victoria, this question is already being explored in practice. Cooperatives, community banks, Traditional Owner organisations, local government and civic leaders are working together to strengthen the region’s economic resilience and long-term wellbeing. 

Recognising the significance of this emerging story, the Menzies Leadership Foundation has partnered with the Castlemaine Institute to document and share the lessons unfolding in the region. 

Over the next two years, the collaboration will explore how community-led economic development can strengthen citizen leadership and community resilience — and what these place-based initiatives might teach us about building more resilient communities across Australia. 

A Living Story of Community-led Economic Leadership

Across Mount Alexander Shire, a remarkable story of community-led economic leadership is unfolding. 

Local organisations — from cooperatives to community banks, Traditional Owner groups and local government — are demonstrating what becomes possible when a community mobilises around shared prosperity and long-term wellbeing. 

One powerful example is the Castlemaine Community Investment Cooperative (CCIC). With more than 550 members and over 300 direct investors, the cooperative collectively purchased a $1.95 million heritage building that now houses 17 local organisations. The initiative demonstrates how communities can mobilise local capital to secure important civic infrastructure and strengthen the local economy. 

Similarly, the Maldon Community Bank has returned more than $1.2 million to the community through major initiatives responding to local priorities — including support for housing initiatives and the construction of Nalderun’s Aboriginal youth education centre. 

At the same time, Mount Alexander Shire Council has adopted one of Australia’s first wellbeing-economy-oriented Economic Development Strategies, reframing economic development around community wellbeing and ecological stewardship. 

Together, these initiatives illustrate a broader shift: economic development is not only about growth or investment. It can also become a vehicle for strengthening leadership, collaboration and shared responsibility within communities. 

Learning from Place

The Castlemaine Institute has played a quiet but foundational role in many of these developments. 

Working alongside community leaders, councils and local organisations, the Institute has helped convene dialogue, design collaborative initiatives and support the development of a wellbeing-focused regional economy. 

Through this partnership with the Menzies Leadership Foundation, the Institute will now document and share the lessons emerging from Mount Alexander Shire. 

The work will include: 

  • interviews and case studies capturing leadership insights from local initiatives 
  • collaborative “learning sandpits” bringing together regional organisations, community leaders and First Nations partners 
  • accessible storytelling resources highlighting community-led entrepreneurship and place-based economic innovation 
  • sharing insights nationally through networks, conferences and learning forums. 

The aim is not only to tell the story of Mount Alexander Shire, but to help articulate a model of community-led economic leadership that may inform other communities across Australia. 

Leadership Beyond Institutions

For the Menzies Leadership Foundation, this work reflects a broader shift in how leadership is understood. 

Leadership is not only exercised by individuals in formal positions of authority. It also emerges through the collective actions of communities, organisations and institutions working together to address shared challenges. 

Economic development is one of the arenas where this collective leadership becomes most visible. 

When communities invest in local enterprises, mobilise community capital, and collaborate across sectors, they are not only building stronger economies — they are also strengthening the social fabric that enables communities to respond to complexity and change. 

Strengthening Community Resilience

The partnership will also contribute to the Foundation’s broader work exploring how communities can strengthen resilience in the face of economic transition, climate disruption and social change. 

Through this collaboration, the partners will explore questions such as: 

  • How can entrepreneurship and economic development catalyse citizens and organisations to work together? 
  • What conditions enable communities to mobilise local capital and leadership? 
  • How can local initiatives connect to broader systems that strengthen culture, capability, governance and capital? 

By exploring these questions through the experience of Mount Alexander Shire, the partnership hopes to contribute to a growing national conversation about community resilience and citizen leadership. 

A Story Still Unfolding

The story of Mount Alexander Shire is still unfolding. 

What is emerging is not a single initiative, but a network of people, organisations and institutions working together to shape a more resilient and regenerative local economy. 

Through this partnership, the Menzies Leadership Foundation and the Castlemaine Institute will capture and share the lessons from this evolving story — helping communities across Australia explore what becomes possible when citizens come together to shape their own economic future. 

What Mount Alexander Shire demonstrates is that the building blocks for genuine economic resilience and community leadership are not distant or difficult to access—they already exist within communities themselves. The real work lies in creating the conditions, relationships and institutions through which that distributed leadership and local capital can flourish.

As these stories continue to unfold and deepen across the region, the Menzies Leadership Foundation and the Castlemaine Institute are committed to documenting and sharing the lessons emerging from this place-based approach to economic development. We believe these insights matter not only for Mount Alexander, but for communities across Australia who are asking similar questions about their own economic futures and leadership possibilities.

Whether you’re a community leader, policymaker, or citizen curious about how your region might strengthen its resilience and wellbeing, we invite you to join this conversation and explore what becomes possible when communities lead themselves.

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Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

LinkedIn | natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au

Sarah Jenkins

Strategic Communications Manager

Sarah has more than 18 years’ experience in communications and marketing leadership across a range of sectors.

Communications strategy and organisational growth is a continuing theme in Sarah’s career. Most recently, she leads the development of a Leadership Movement, evaluated by Menzies Viral Co-efficient Model; a contribution to the NFP. 

Sarah’s early career centred around best practice in marketing and communications which later culminated into the establishment of her very own agency. This work extensively spanned across PR, traditional media, event management, strategy, digital marketing, graphic design and business development consultancy. 

In 2019, Sarah joined the lean and robust team at the Menzies Foundation. She has since crafted the Foundation’s narrative and communication strategy. The development of this strategic communications platform is essential for ‘movement building’ and requires a strong strategic, management and communication skills set. Sarah has brought so much to this important work, which sits at the forefront of communication practice. 

Sarah continues to contribute to the NFP sector through her commitment to Purpose; as she reflects on her own leadership, builds her own leadership capability and contributes to the greater good. 

LinkedIn | sarah.jenkins@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0401 880 071

Rohan Martyres

Director, Strategy and Partnerships

Rohan has 15 years’ experience in facilitating cross-sector collaborations to address complex social and health challenges.  He has worked with the World Economic Forum in Australia, led an international conflict resolution field team in Nepal, and directed a 10-year £40m initiative to reduce health inequity in London.

Most recently, Rohan was Major Grants Development Manager at the Ian Potter Foundation.  He refined the foundation’s major grants strategy, and co-developed a series of large scale initiatives, including joint philanthropic-government funding for a new national organization to support place-based approaches across Australia.

Rohan has held several non-executive roles, including with an international NGO and with London Funders, the peak body of independent foundations in London.  He holds several qualifications including a graduate degree in innovation and strategy from the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

When Rohan isn’t exploring Melbourne’s creeks with his partner and 6yo daughter, he’s working on his currently weak Australian accent (after 15 years in the UK).

LinkedIn | rohan.martyres@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0404 505 954

Trudy Morrison

Operations Manager

A marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years experience in government, corporate and consumer marketing, Trudy brings her adaptive and organisational project management skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

With a BA degree in Public Relations, Trudy began her career with the City of Melbourne and in magazine publishing, before moving into marketing communications consulting. She has worked in strategic marketing leadership roles with retail brands and enjoys juggling many projects and tasks simultaneously. Her skills were further enhanced when managing her own communications business representing industries across private education, financial services, aviation, government and the health industry. 

Trudy is passionate about leadership and all people being encouraged to reach their full potential through research and educational initiatives and opportunities throughout Australia. A skilled and accomplished writer and editor Trudy is enthusiastic about bringing her variety of skills to the Menzies Foundation team. 

LinkedIn | trudy.morrison@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0402 361 878

Liz Gillies

Chief Executive Officer

Liz Gillies has had over 25 years experience in a range of fields focused on initiatives for social impact. She has held roles in multiple sectors and academia.

In 2018, Liz was appointed CEO of the Menzies Foundation which aspires to build a leadership movement that supports Australians to pivot to purpose, build their leadership capability and contribute to the ‘greater good’.

Liz joined the Melbourne Business School in 2009 and was instrumental in establishing the Asia Pacific Social Impact Centre (APSIC) and The Centre for Ethical Leadership. In November 2011 she was appointed as research fellow to lead a partnership focused on strategic philanthropy which culminated in the release of the reports: Philanthropy: Towards a Better Practice Model (2018) and the Philanthropy: The Continued Journey to Real Impact and better Practice (2021).

Liz has extensive governance experience, having served on the Board of the Publish Galleries Association of Victoria, Social Firms Australia, Uniting Care Community Options, United Way Australia and the Development Committee of the Towards a Just Society Foundation. She is currently on the Philanthropy Reference Group of Barmal Bijiril and a Director of Philanthropy Australia.

LinkedIn | liz.gillies@menziesfoundation.org.au | 0416 112 703

Natasha Eskinja

Digital Communications Coordinator

Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity. 

Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.

natasha.eskinja@menziesfoundation.org.au