From Waves to Change: How Place, People and Young Voices Are Transforming the Climate Movement  

Join Ry Atkinson, Campaigns and Programs Director at Surfers for Climate, a national ocean and climate advocacy organisation, to explore how deep connection to place, youth leadership, and grassroots action are reshaping climate activism.

Drawing on key campaigns like protecting Scott Reef and supporting regional renewables in the South West, this keynote highlights how coastal communities and younger generations are mobilising to drive tangible, lasting environmental change on the ground 

How can the South West meet growing pressure for tourism, housing and infrastructure while protecting the natural places, cultural landscapes and community values that make the region unique?

This session explores the ongoing tension between development and conservation through real-world coastal planning debates and high-profile campaigns to defend Smiths Beach, Save Scott Reef and protect the Kimberley from Fracking.

Drawing parallels between lived experiences in the South West and lessons from the Kimberley, the discussion brings together campaign, planning, and coastal perspectives to examine what responsible development looks like when biodiversity, community identity, and Country are treated as non-negotiable priorities. 

This panel discussion will bring together diverse voices working to protect and restore South West Western Australia’s unique environments while exploring the deeper changes needed to secure their future.

Framed by the theme Protect, Restore, Transform, the conversation will move from urgent local threats to the power of collective action, highlighting how First Nations knowledge, community leadership, conservation science and cross-sector collaboration can shape a more resilient and connected region.