Sustainability Victoria is backing councils across regional Victoria to turn circular economy thinking into action - and results. Recent work in the Mallee demonstrates how targeted capability building, strategic funding, and SV's brokerage role can convert early ideas into lasting infrastructure.
Practical training, long-term change
In May, Sustainability Victoria delivered two circular economy workshops in Mildura, bringing together staff from across council departments - including procurement, engineering, sustainability and resource recovery.
To date, more than 250 participants from 47 councils have taken part in the Circular Economy 101 Workshops, which are designed to introduce the circular economy as a practical, business-focused approach to boosting economic resilience, supporting regional prosperity, and reducing environmental impact.
The training, held at the EcoLiving Centre (itself an SV-funded initiative from over a decade ago), gave participants the tools to identify circular opportunities within existing procurement and operations processes.
'Workshops like these shift thinking and practice at the same time,' said Jessica Morthorpe, SV's Regional Engagement Lead. 'We equip councils to apply circular principles in real-world scenarios - and we create the internal networks to support those shifts over the long term.'
Workshops covered both foundational circular economy knowledge and procurement-specific tools and case studies, with strong emphasis on cross-team engagement. Similar sessions have been rolled out across regional Victoria - including Warrnambool, Mansfield, and Bass Coast - to build capability and opportunity across Victoria.
