How you made 2025 one of our biggest years yet

As we close out the year, it’s worth taking a moment to look back at everything our community and Action Network have achieved together. From pushing for a safer, fairer energy transition, to standing up for rivers, justice and Treaty, to building new alliances across the state, this was all made possible with your support.

Here’s a snapshot of what our organisers, supporters and volunteers have been driving across Victoria.

If you are keen to support our work further, consider joining our [Action Network] or [donating]. It takes a village to carry out the work of changing our world, and each one of your contributions, makes it possible.

2025 in Review

The Nuclear Free Gippsland Campaign

At the start of this year we helped make Nuclear a no-go for Gippsland with the Nuclear Free Gippsland Alliance. When Peter Dutton announced his plan to build nuclear reactors across Australia, one of the proposed locations was the Loy Yang coal power station site in the Latrobe Valley, just 7km from the center of Traralgon.

We joined with local environmental and community groups to form the Nuclear Free Gippsland Alliance to push back against the proposal. We held rallies, marches, sit ins, and knit-ins, with the Nannas Against Nuclear.

In March, locals again took to the streets on the anniversary of the Fukushima disaster, highlighting the safety risks to Traralgon township. In April, we held the ‘Got questions About Nuclear’ community forum in Morwell, alongside the ‘Got Questions About Nuclear’ booklet which was distributed to hundreds of homes.

Dutton’s nuclear plan got a resounding no from the people of Australia at the federal election. You can read more about our campaign [here].

Getting off gas: electrification sparks new energy in 2025

Our gas campaign really heated up this year. We helped reshape Victoria’s energy future by tackling the state’s outdated gas system on multiple fronts. We helped secure world-leading commitments from the state government: ending new gas connections, phasing out gas hot water, and lifting rental standards so that the people who most need lower bills and healthier homes aren’t left behind.

You can watch our explainer here about what the changes mean for households and business.

Our Electrifying Victoria booklet which is distributed to MPs across the state, has been a critical tool in building political understanding and momentum for cleaner, cheaper, all-electric homes. This briefing has helped decision-makers grasp both the risks of clinging to gas and the opportunities of an orderly, people-centred transition. Thanks to all the volunteers who deliver the booklet and have conversations with their MPs each month.

We’ve also been on the ground, conducting the Electrification Survey. We’ve spoken to hundreds of Victorians so far, about their needs and understanding when it comes to household electrification

If you want to get involved, you can join the electrification survey team [here].

Healthy Rivers

This year, we worked with the Murray–Darling Conservation Alliance (MDCA) to put rivers on the agenda during the federal election. We focused on two marginal Adelaide seats, running community events, media campaigns, billboards and front-page ads to make the case for healthy rivers. While no new commitments were secured during the campaign, this work laid important groundwork for the term ahead. With Labor returned to government, our inland rivers were spared the risk of winding back water buybacks – but the task now is to push for a far more ambitious vision that truly restores the Basin to health.

In November, that momentum delivered a crucial win. The federal government committed to purchasing an additional 130 gigalitres of water (around 52,000 Olympic pools!) for the southern Murray–Darling Basin – water that should have reached wetlands last year. This is life-saving for places like the Coorong, where salinity control is essential to the survival of this internationally significant ecosystem. After a decade of near-inaction, Labor has now recovered around 200 GL through voluntary buybacks, supporting both river health and regional communities.

There’s still a long way to go, but this year marked a vital step. Next, we’ll be campaigning to restore more natural flows across the Basin – with the 2026 Basin Review and 2027 Water Act Review as critical moments for change.

Standing up for Treaty

After decades of First Peoples’ resilience, leadership and activism, Treaty with First Peoples is now law in Victoria – a historic step toward truth, justice and self-determination. Treaty recognises First Peoples’ enduring connection to their lands, cultures and communities, and creates a framework for First Nations people to make decisions on the issues that affect them.

For our environment, Treaty holds profound importance. By listening to those who have cared for Country for millennia, it opens new pathways to protect land, water and climate, grounded in deep cultural knowledge and responsibility to future generations.

Environment Victoria has been an active ally on this journey, mobilising supporters for the Walk for Truth and standing alongside First Peoples at critical campaign moments. As this next chapter unfolds, we remain committed to backing First Nations leadership and ensuring Treaty delivers real, enduring change.

Winter Strategy Summit

In July we brought together our biggest group of activists and volunteers from right across the state for our Winter Summit.
Nestled out in beautiful Neerim South, we workshopped campaign strategy, shared skills, built new working groups, and mapped out how we grow people power over the next 12 months. The energy of the event was a reminder that our movement isn’t just reactive, it’s about building long-term people power by building people up.

Seeding the Western Melbourne Alliance

In Melbourne’s west we’re focused on building long-term community power that lasts beyond any single campaign. Over the year, our dedicated Community Organiser, Angela Ashley-Chiew, began weaving together a broad-based alliance across the region, connecting unions, neighbourhood houses, multicultural and faith communities, community organisations and local environment groups around shared values and a commitment to the common good.

We did this through deep listening and relationship-building more than 75 conversations across community including many multicultural leaders, discussing how to organise in our communities to build people power. In August, our first Our West, Our Future workshop in Werribee brought 25 leaders from 18 organisations together, with many stepping forward to continue the alliance building work – a strong foundation for a more united, fairer and climate-resilient west.

Renew Australia for All

As part of the ‘Renew Australia for All’ alliance, we helped secure $2.3 billion in rebates for household batteries, with another $5 billion top up funding just announced.

Renew Australia for All is a powerful alliance of social services, unions, faith groups, community organisations, industry partners and environmental groups like ours, all working together to push for a fairer, more secure future for everyone in Australia.

Throughout 2025, the alliance advocated for government support to make solar, batteries, home insulation and efficient electric appliances accessible to all — including renters, migrants and low-income households. Modelling showed this shift could save more than $23 billion on national energy bills annually, cut pollution and create thousands of jobs.

In the lead-up to the federal election, we worked closely with Victorian Trades Hall Council and local groups like Lighter Footprints and Chisholm Climate Action Network to establish a strong campaign presence in the eastern Melbourne electorates of Chisholm, Deakin and Menzies and show community demand for clean energy and renewable-powered electric homes.

Be part of the movement that makes this happen

None of these wins happen on their own. They’re built by thousands of everyday people stepping up in ways big and small.

Join the Action Network

Our core organising community is growing fast. If you want to get more involved — whether that’s local groups, rapid-response actions, skills development, or campaign teams — now’s the perfect time to join.

→ [Join the Action Network here]

Chip in to power the work

We’re heading into a critical election year, and there’s still time to make a contribution before the end of 2025. Every donation helps us organise, train, mobilise and keep pressure on decision-makers.

→ [Donate today — every dollar strengthens our movement.]

Here’s to everyone who contributed, showed up, shared their story, volunteered, donated, or backed someone else to take action. Together, we’re building a fairer, cleaner, more just Victoria.