Our communities are facing rising costs, housing pressure, insecure work, long commutes, inadequate public transport and the growing impacts of climate change.
People and organisations are already working hard to support their communities. But too often, we are working separately, and the people most affected by decisions have the least say in making them.
Our West Our Future Alliance brings organisations together to build relationships, develop community leaders and take action on the issues that matter most to our communities.
Multicultural and faith communities, unions, neighbourhood houses, community support and advocacy organisations, climate and environmental organisations are helping to build the Alliance.
Together, we are building the relationships, leadership and collective power to:
- listen to the experiences and priorities of our communities
- strengthen leadership within our organisations
- work across cultures, communities and areas of interest
- take action together for a fairer, stronger and more connected west.
This alliance is committed to working together over the long term. We welcome organisations throughout Melbourne’s west to connect with us and explore how they could be involved.
Learning from a long tradition of community organising
Our West Our Future Alliance draws on a tradition of broad-based community organising developed over more than 80 years. It brings diverse organisations together to build relationships, develop leaders and combine their strength to act for the common good.
We are learning from alliances including Real Deal Geelong, Queensland Community Alliance, Sydney Alliance, Hunter Community Alliance, Te Ohu Whakawhanaunga, Citizens UK and One LA-IAF.
Their experience shows what becomes possible when communities organise and act together over time.
Our first public gathering: the Werribee Assembly
270 leaders from 70 organisations at the Our West Our Future - Werribee Assembly. Photo by Julian Meehan.
On 15 September 2026, 270 leaders from 70 organisations came together for the Alliance’s first public gathering—the Werribee Assembly.
We centred the stories and experiences of community members, built new relationships between our organisations and made visible the collective power already present in our communities.
Political representatives joined community leaders at their tables. They were invited to listen, show what they had heard and publicly commit to meeting with the Alliance and working together on solutions.
Our West Listens: listening, organising and acting together
Our West Listens is our community listening campaign, but it is not another consultation. We are listening to build relationships, develop leaders and identify where communities have the energy to act together.
By April 2027, organisations in the Alliance aim to listen to 1,000 people across Melbourne’s west.
Community leaders sharing stories about pressures over table talks at Our West Our Future assembly. Photo by Julian Meehan
Leaders from participating organisations are learning how to hold conversations within their own communities, in ways that suit their cultures, relationships and existing gatherings. These may be small-group Table Talks, one-to-one conversations or other ways of bringing people together to share their experiences.
Through shared training, practical tools and ongoing support, organisations are building their capacity to listen, organise and lead action in their communities.
Listening is the beginning, not the end. What we hear will help the Alliance identify shared priorities, research possible solutions, take action and evaluate what we achieve—before listening and organising again.