Building the Australia We Want, Together
Australia’s future depends on our ability to listen, plan, and act together.
But right now, our democracy is showing signs of strain. Policy feels stuck. Trust is fraying. Polarisation is rising. And too often, big ideas for the future fall through the cracks before they can take root.
We can’t build robust plans for our future without a shared sense of direction.
That’s what The National Conversation is about: rebuilding trust, strengthening our democratic foundations, and creating the shared capacity to plan well together.
It’s not about writing the plan for Australia’s future; it’s about investing in how we find alignment on the things that matter most, and that should define our national direction.
By listening deeply and working collaboratively, we can renew the way Australians connect across regions, communities and generations to make better decisions and shape a country defined not by luck but by deliberate design.
What’s Happening Now
We’ve just completed our research and consultation sprint, mapping existing experts, insights, and stakeholders, studying international examples, and testing new approaches to participation and civic technology.
We have captured all of these insights in our Public Discussion Paper, a demonstration of our commitment to profound collaboration - we are showing you our work, before it’s even finished!
Why? Because we are sick of consultations that come into play when the decisions have already been made, or a sense of direction is so well developed that only overwhelming inputs would shift the outcome.
What’s Next
That’s why, we’re entering a three-month public collaboration window: your chance to help refine and strengthen this shared vision.
During this period, we’re inviting:
Public feedback on the Discussion Paper
Partner organisations to contribute insights or align existing work
Individuals and communities to propose ways to make engagement more inclusive and effective
At the end of this window, all contributions will be synthesised into a Final Report, charting a course for Australia’s National Conversation.
FAQs
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Before we can move forward, we need to understand what’s been holding us back.
Australia has been caught in a cycle of policrastination (political procrastination) where short-term politics keeps delaying the big decisions that shape our future. Across housing, health, climate, and inclusion, progress is fragmented, trust is low, and too many voices are left out.
We’re not here to write the plan for Australia’s future. We’re here to invest in our ability to plan well together.
The National Conversation is how we break the cycle. It’s a collaborative process to rebuild trust, strengthen participation, and align on the shared values and principles that should guide our national direction.
This is about renewing how we listen, plan, and act together, building a future defined not by luck, but by deliberate design.
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Earlier this year, the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill 2025 marked a breakthrough moment, showing Australia’s growing desire to think long term. But our system isn’t yet built for that level of ambition.
Many organisations are already advancing this idea, exploring how we can plan for the long term and measure what matters most. But to make it real, we need profound collaboration: aligning efforts, sharing knowledge, and working together with purpose.That’s why Foundations for Tomorrow is diving headfirst into answering the question, can we overcome the barriers that too often leave organisations working in silos and, instead, design an approach that allows us to truly work together? Creating a shared national process to connect existing work and new initiatives, unite diverse voices, and strengthen the civic infrastructure we need to shape the future together.
It’s not about starting over; it’s about building from what already exists to make something greater than the sum of its parts that can deliver for Australia’s future. -
We’re building a model for collaboration that endures, one that brings together people, institutions, and ideas already driving this agenda forward.
Foundations for Tomorrow acts as a trusted convener and translator, bridging the work of the Intergenerational Fairness Coalition, the Parliamentary Group for Future Generations, and community partners.
Together, we’re:
Connecting existing initiatives through shared principles and inquiry frameworks
Drawing insights from diverse contributions
Prototyping a co-created model ready for government adoption in the 49th Parliament
This is how we renew Australia’s democratic foundations, through openness, connection, and shared purpose.
Be part of building Australia’s future, today.
The For Our Future campaign is driven by Foundations for Tomorrow with creative and strategic guidance from General Strategic.