The date and location will be confirmed soon and shared with members. Registrat ion will reopen once the date is set.
\n \nThanks for your patience — we look forw ard to seeing you in November.
DESCRIPTION:Postponed to November — date to be confirmed\n \n \n Our open meeting for all Fairfax Matters member s\, planned for Saturday 24 October\, has been pos tponed to November. It will now be our end-of-year update and get-together.\n \n \n \n The date and location will be confirmed soon and shared with me mbers. Registration will reopen once the date is s et.\n \n \n \n What we'll cover\n \n \n \n Member agenda items — items raised by members\n Candida te EOI update — where the Expression of Interest p rocess is up to\n Plan of events — what's coming and how to get involved\n Volunteer invitations — host a Kitchen Table Conversation (KTC)\, join th e events team or other working groups\n Member-le d initiatives — suggest activities\, issues or eve nts you'd like to lead\n \n \n Thanks for your pat ience — we look forward to seeing you in November. \n \n CATEGORIES:Meeting CALSCALE:GREGORIAN DTSTAMP;TZID=Australia/Brisbane:20261024T140000 DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Brisbane:20261024T140000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Brisbane:20261024T153000 URL:https://www.fairfaxmatters.org.au/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=298 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:CiviCRM_EventID_299_c9b0f7705e051e9f819c727badddd54f@www.fairfaxmatters.org.au SUMMARY:Hub Catch-up - How would you spend $5m in Fairfax? X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:We have a new survey out now: what matters to you ? If you had $5 million to spend on our c ommunity\, what would you spend it on? Have your say in the Wh at Matters Most in Fairfax? survey.
\nT
hen join us for a hub catch-up wi
th Buderim and Maroochydore supporters at the
Here's what we'll be talking about:
\nBe part of a growing movement of people coming tog ether to do democracy differently. Bring a friend. Everyone is welcome.
\nDate: Monday 26 October 2026
Time:
RSVP: Register below\, or email hello@fairfaxmatters.org .au
DESCRIPTION:We have a new survey out now: what matters to you? If you had $5 million to spend on our community\, what would you spend it on? Have your say in the What Matters Most in Fairfax? survey (https://www. fairfaxmatters.org.au/what-matters-most-in-fairfax -have-your-say/).\n \n \n Then join us for a hub c atch-up with Buderim and Maroochydore supporters a t the Buderim Tavern. Pop in any time between 5:00 and 6:30pm. Come for one drink\, something to eat \, or stay for the whole time.\n \n \n Here's what we'll be talking about:\n \n \n \n The new survey : what matters to you?\n The actions we could take together\n The platform we should develop for the 2028 election\n \n Be part of a growing movement of people coming together to do democracy differen tly. Bring a friend. Everyone is welcome.\n \n \n Date: Monday 26 October 2026\n Time: Drop in any t ime\, 5:00 to 6:30pm\n Venue: Buderim Tavern\, 81 Burnett St\, Buderim QLD 4556\n \n \n RSVP: Regist er below\, or email hello@fairfaxmatters.org.au\n \n CATEGORIES:Meeting CALSCALE:GREGORIAN DTSTAMP;TZID=Australia/Brisbane:20261026T170000 DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Brisbane:20261026T170000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Brisbane:20261026T183000 LOCATION:81 BURNETT STREET\n Buderim Tavern\n Buderim\, QLD 4556\n Australia\n URL:https://www.fairfaxmatters.org.au/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=299 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:CiviCRM_EventID_282_c9b0f7705e051e9f819c727badddd54f@www.fairfaxmatters.org.au SUMMARY:$368 Billion and Counting: Who Decides Australia’s Defence? X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:AUKUS: Five Years On. Is It Still the Right Deal for Australia?
\n \nIn September 2 021\, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced AUKU S\, a security partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom that commits Australia to a cquiring nuclear-powered submarines. The Albanese Labor government has kept the program going.
\n \nThe official estimate now stands at up to $ 368 billion over three decades\, and there is no g uarantee it won’t grow further. Meanwhile\, the su ccess of cheap drones and satellite systems in rec ent conflicts has raised serious questions about w hether large crewed submarines are still the right technology for Australia’s defence.
\n \nT he world looks very different from how it did in 2 021. How have our relationships with the US\, the UK\, China and our region changed? What does that mean for a partnership built on assumptions that w ere made five years ago?
\n \nParliament ha s not held an inquiry into AUKUS\, so a group of f ormer MPs\, retired defence officers\, strategists and academics set up an independent one. Led by P eter Garrett\, the AUKUS Public Inquiry held heari ngs across the country and received more than 1\,0 00 public submissions. Its final report is due on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
\n \nJoin us to talk through what the report finds\, and what it c ould mean for Australia’s security\, our budget an d our place in the world.
\n \nDoor s open 5:30pm for a 6:00pm start\, finishing at 8: 00pm.
\n \nSpeakers have 20 minute s each\, with lots of time for questions and discu ssion. Bring your questions.
\n \nDr Ross Gwyther
— keynote speaker
\n Treasurer of th
e Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN
)\, a national network of community\, church\, uni
on\, peace and environment groups advocating an in
dependent Australian foreign policy built on the p
eaceful resolution of conflict. Ross holds a PhD i
n physics from the University of Queensland and ha
d a long career as a geophysicist at UQ and CSIRO\
, followed by ten years as an organiser with the N
ational Tertiary Education Union. He has been acti
ve in the labour\, environment and peace movements
for more than 50 years\, including as a founding
committee member of the Anti-Uranium Campaign (197
6) and People for Nuclear Disarmament (1983)\, and
has played prominent roles in Just Peace and IPAN
.
Andrew Bartlett — keynote sp
eaker
\n Former Queensland senator a
nd President of the War Powers Reform group\, whic
h campaigns for Parliament\, rather than the execu
tive alone\, to decide when Australia goes to war.
Andrew represented Queensland in the Senate for t
he Australian Democrats from 1997 to 2008\, includ
ing as party leader from 2002 to 2004\, and return
ed to the Senate in 2017–18 as a Greens senator. H
e has since worked as a researcher and academic on
migration issues and as a community radio broadca
ster\, and brings long experience of parliamentary
scrutiny of defence and security decisions.
The panel will be convened by Peter Trask.< /p>\n \n
Register either by clicking the regist er button\, or send an email REGISTER ME to hello@ fairfaxmatters.org.au with your name and mobile ph one number.
DESCRIPTION:AUKUS: Five Years On. Is It Still the Right Deal f or Australia?\n \n \n \n In September 2021\, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced AUKUS\, a secur ity partnership with the United States and the Uni ted Kingdom that commits Australia to acquiring nu clear-powered submarines. The Albanese Labor gover nment has kept the program going.\n \n \n \n The o fficial estimate now stands at up to $368 billion over three decades\, and there is no guarantee it won’t grow further. Meanwhile\, the success of che ap drones and satellite systems in recent conflict s has raised serious questions about whether large crewed submarines are still the right technology for Australia’s defence.\n \n \n \n The world look s very different from how it did in 2021. How have our relationships with the US\, the UK\, China an d our region changed? What does that mean for a pa rtnership built on assumptions that were made five years ago?\n \n \n \n Parliament has not held an inquiry into AUKUS\, so a group of former MPs\, re tired defence officers\, strategists and academics set up an independent one. Led by Peter Garrett\, the AUKUS Public Inquiry held hearings across the country and received more than 1\,000 public subm issions. Its final report is due on Wednesday 4 No vember 2026.\n \n \n \n Join us to talk through wh at the report finds\, and what it could mean for A ustralia’s security\, our budget and our place in the world.\n \n \n \n Doors open 5:30pm for a 6:00 pm start\, finishing at 8:00pm.\n \n \n \n Speaker s have 20 minutes each\, with lots of time for que stions and discussion. Bring your questions.\n \n \n \n Our keynote speakers\n \n \n Dr Ross Gwyther — keynote speaker\n \n Treasurer of the Independe nt and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN)\, a natio nal network of community\, church\, union\, peace and environment groups advocating an independent A ustralian foreign policy built on the peaceful res olution of conflict. Ross holds a PhD in physics f rom the University of Queensland and had a long ca reer as a geophysicist at UQ and CSIRO\, followed by ten years as an organiser with the National Ter tiary Education Union. He has been active in the l abour\, environment and peace movements for more t han 50 years\, including as a founding committee m ember of the Anti-Uranium Campaign (1976) and Peop le for Nuclear Disarmament (1983)\, and has played prominent roles in Just Peace and IPAN.\n \n \n \ n Andrew Bartlett — keynote speaker\n \n Former Qu eensland senator and President of the War Powers R eform group\, which campaigns for Parliament\, rat her than the executive alone\, to decide when Aust ralia goes to war. Andrew represented Queensland i n the Senate for the Australian Democrats from 199 7 to 2008\, including as party leader from 2002 to 2004\, and returned to the Senate in 2017–18 as a Greens senator. He has since worked as a research er and academic on migration issues and as a commu nity radio broadcaster\, and brings long experienc e of parliamentary scrutiny of defence and securit y decisions.\n \n \n \n The panel will be convened by Peter Trask.\n \n \n \n Register either by cli cking the register button\, or send an email REGIS TER ME to hello@fairfaxmatters.org.au with your na me and mobile phone number.\n \n CATEGORIES:Conference CALSCALE:GREGORIAN DTSTAMP;TZID=Australia/Brisbane:20261111T180000 DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Brisbane:20261111T180000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Brisbane:20261111T200000 LOCATION:34/36 Alexandra Parade\n Maroochy Surf Club\n Maro ochydore\, QLD 4558\n Australia\n URL:https://www.fairfaxmatters.org.au/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=282 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR