Live interactive session

Civic hackathon

Reimagining how councils build civic capability and belonging at a local level

  • Format

    Online & live

  • Date

    Thursday, 22 October 2026

  • Cost

    Free

  • Time

    12:30pm to 2:00pm (AEST)

    Register and secure your seat  

    Civic Hackathon - Locale Learning

    Reimagining local democracy

    What could councils do differently to help people understand, experience and participate in local democracy?

    Join us for a 90-minute online civic hackathon to explore this question together.


    This will be an interactive brainstorming session bringing together people interested in local government, community engagement, civic participation and stronger local communities.


    Rather than trying to come up with all the answers, we'll map the opportunities, challenge current approaches and generate practical ideas that councils could try.

    What we'll explore together

    The Hackathon will focus on three core questions - and we'll think, map, share and generate ideas together.
    Three central questions:

    • WHEN do people learn about local democracy?

    • WHAT are the places and spaces where councils can build civic belonging?

    • WHO has a role to play in building civic capability?

    Who should join

    This event is open to anyone interested in strengthening local democracy and civic participation, including:

    • Local councillors 
    • Community engagement practitioners
    • Civic and democratic educators
    • Civil society organisations
    • Council staff 
    • Researchers and academics
    • Community members 
    You don't need to be a local government expert. We're particularly interested in bringing different perspectives into the conversation.

    Your hosts

    The Civic Hackathon is being hosted by the Locale team who together bring decades of experience in working in local communities.

    Emma Broomfield

    Founder & lead facilitator

    Emma is the founder and lead facilitator of Locale Learning, with more than 20 years’ experience in the local government sector and a strong belief in the power of local democracy to build stronger communities. A trained lawyer, mediator, conflict coach and engagement specialist, she has worked with hundreds of councillors in over 30 LGAs across Australia. Emma is passionate about connecting the flywheel of democracy: strengthening the links between communities, elected representatives and councils so people can participate, contribute and shape the places they call home.

    Cinnamon Dunsford

    Planning & engagement specialist

    Cinnamon is a community engagement specialist with deep knowledge of the NSW planning system and a passion for community-led and grassroots approaches to planning. With extensive local government experience, she brings warmth, curiosity and inclusive facilitation to her work, helping communities and councils have better conversations about the places they share. As a qualified planning mentor, Cinnamon also supports councillors to build their confidence and foundational knowledge of the planning system and  is committed to improving civic literacy in communities.

    Steve Thompson

    Local government expert

    Steve brings more than 20 years’ experience working across local government projects, with expertise spanning public land management, strategic planning, community engagement, grant funding and project delivery.  He brings a practical understanding of how councils work, including the political and community dimensions of local decision-making. Steve is passionate about navigating this complexity to help councils, elected representatives and communities turn ideas into meaningful outcomes for local communities.

    The practical stuff

    Register

    You’ll receive the Zoom link for the event

    Attend

    Thursday, 22 October 2026
    12:30pm to 2:00pm (AEST)

    Participate

    Join us and other civic innovators in a non-partisan space.
    By joining the Hackathon, you agree to be part of a non-partisan, respectful, and supportive space. You pledge to:

    🔶 listen with curiosity

    🔶 speak with care & respect

    🔶 value the wisdom each person brings

    Who we are and why we care

    At Locale Learning, we believe in humanising the political experience and supporting locally elected leaders to reach their leadership potential. 

    We are an Australian-based non-partisan political leadership accelerator working with local government councillors. Our mission is to build the capacity of impactful leaders for the communities they serve. 

    We're the sister arm of Locale Consulting and together bring decades of experience in working with councils and communities.
    Locale Learning

    Stay connected

    • contact@localelearning.com.au
    • 0421 180 881

    Quick links

    Leadership accelerators
    Workshops
    Coaching & mentoring

    Tailored advice

    Webinars

    Articles

    Who are you?

    Council

    Candidate

    Policies

    Terms and conditions

    Privacy

    Cookies

    We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands where we work, live, and care. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of all First Nations people and acknowledge their deep continuing connection to Country, culture and community. 

    All rights reserved. Locale Learning (c) 2023 - 2026
    Created with