Flinders University enjoys its position as a leader in society, initiating positive change by engaging with diverse business sectors, government and the wider community through events, programs and collaborations. Powerful examples of Flinders outreach have led to policy development and innovations, placing the University’s teaching and research achievements at the forefront to help build a better world for all.
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Student Association Environment Officer environment.officer@flinders.edu
A selection of Flinders’ exciting recent innovations and collaborations with local organisations include:
As a Platinum member of the Committee for Adelaide, Flinders University is heavily involved in the SA Zero initiative. This initiative is Adelaide’s’ first net zero cluster for public-private-academia collaboration with the mission to accelerate South Australia’s zero carbon and zero waste pathways.
Flinders University leads the SA Discovery Farms collaboration with the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) and 40 partners, supported through an $8 million Australian Government Future Drought Fund grant (2024–2029). Four long-term trial sites have been established (Minnipa Agricultural Centre, Loxton Research Centre, Struan Research Centre, and Turretfield Research Centre), alongside 35 commercial Innovator Sites across South Australia. These trials focus on climate-resilient practices including tailored grain and feed systems, soil health enhancement, precision livestock strategies, virtual fencing, moisture-sensing seeding, and plant genetics for drought adaptation. A co-design approach with farmers, advisers, and researchers underpins the initiative, ensuring locally relevant solutions. The project connects farming systems across multiple rainfall zones and employs a multidisciplinary team addressing agronomy, soil microbiome, hydrology, AgTech, and participatory social science.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) and Wellbeing SA collaborates with Flinders University's Centre for Social Impact (CSI) on the Secure Food Systems Project, which aims to develop a whole-of-government response to food insecurity in South Australia. Key activities include consultations with people with lived experience of food insecurity and engagement with the food relief sector to inform the creation of a discussion paper proposing evidence-based policy and actions, leading to initiatives like the Social Supermarket Program. The collaboration includes research on the role of social systems in supporting communities experiencing food insecurity.
The Goyder Institute for Water Research develops sustainable, innovative, and integrated solutions to address complex water management challenges. Through collaboration between government, industry, and leading researchers, the Institute drives evidence-based policy and tackles climate challenges, including through the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre.
Flinders University plays a vital role in the CLLMM Centre, supporting a locally driven research program that emphasises inclusivity and collaboration. The Centre actively engages First Nations peoples and regional communities in designing, delivering, and sharing knowledge to guide regional decision-making. This partnership ensures traditional knowledge informs research on climate impacts, conservation, and sustainable water management.
The CLLMM region, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, is home to nationally threatened and iconic species and holds deep cultural significance for the Ngarrindjeri and South-East First Nations communities. Projects such as Blue/Teal Carbon (climate mitigation) and Iconic Species (threatened species and biodiversity) are led by or involve Flinders researchers, staff, and students in innovative research that supports conservation and climate action.
Community engagement is central to the program, with local education initiatives, school programs aligned to the Year 10–12 SACE curriculum, volunteer opportunities, and knowledge-sharing events (including an annual science forum), designed to empower the community and promote sustainable environmental stewardship.
As one of Australia's longest-standing initiatives in disaster preparedness and resilience, the Torrens Resilience Initiative (TRI) provides evidence-based research, tools, and training to organisations, communities, and governments across Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Their work includes the Community Disaster Resilience Scorecard (implemented in councils such as Melton and Wyndham), enhancing preparedness for natural hazards, as well as providing guidance on resilient infrastructure, including for example generator selection for aged-care facilities to maintain critical services during emergencies. TRI is currently working on a co-designed Sustainability & Resilience Toolkit for Events, to support safer and adaptive event planning, and runs targeted training programs (e.g., Climate Risk and Disaster Resilience for Local Government), offering face-to-face, tailored workshops for councils to inform and support regional disaster risk management and early warning efforts.
Flinders University’s annual Future Energy Week showcases innovation and collaboration in clean energy through panels, workshops, and keynote sessions. The event, Promoting the Future for Clean Energy, convenes leaders from government, academia, industry, and the community to explore practical pathways for decarbonisation, equitable energy transitions, and resilient infrastructure. The session highlighted the importance of cross-sector partnerships and evidence-based approaches to accelerate progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), through renewable energy, energy efficiency, and inclusive policy design.
The College of Medicine and Public Health examined increasing difficulties facing people from refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds to enter local housing markets making resettlement increasingly difficult, and provide recommendations. In an additional project they developed a co-produced framework to better support the mental health of young refugees.
Within this SA Drought Hub initiative, Flinders University partnered with SARDI, grower groups, and landscape boards to explore how farmers engage with drought-resilience innovations. From October 2023 to March 2024, researchers conducted a survey and 26 in-depth interviews, revealing key thematic barriers and enablers. Findings highlight strategies that can improve the adoption of climate-resilient practices and technologies, such as enhancing communication channels, co-designing with communities, and tailoring resources to local contexts. These results are actively informing outreach, extension services, and educational materials aimed at supporting climate adaptation in regional farming communities. The final report is publicly available.
Flinders University participates in international research collaborations and reviews comparative approaches to develop international best practice. Key recent examples include:
Flinders is an active member of ACTS (Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability). Staff from the Flinders sustainability team participate in SDSN/ACTS collaborations, e.g. in the working group on Mainstreaming education for SDGs 2024, an initiative across Australia and New Zealand. Flinders is also part of the Innovative Research Universities Sustainability Group which provides an opportunity for IRU universities to share and provide lessons learned on various sustainability initiatives, programs and projects.
Flinders University has strengthened its global sustainability impact through a formal partnership with the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), a leading international research organisation focused on forestry and agroforestry. This collaboration, formalised via a Memorandum of Understanding, supports joint research and data initiatives aimed at transforming food systems to be more sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient.
Professor Thuy Pham, a food systems researcher at Flinders University, is leading efforts to explore nature-based solutions and regenerative agriculture practices in collaboration with CIFOR-ICRAF. Her work focuses on gathering and analysing data to support the transition to eco-friendly food systems, contributing directly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Through this international partnership, Flinders researchers are actively participating in global efforts to measure and accelerate progress toward the SDGs, exemplifying the university's commitment to evidence-based sustainability leadership.
Flinders University continues to lead global research on the environmental impacts of population growth. In 2024, Professor Corey Bradshaw and international collaborators from Spain, Mozambique, and the United States published a major study examining long-term sustainability outcomes linked to demographic trends. The research highlights how population policies, combined with climate action and biodiversity protection, can shape more resilient futures. This collaboration contributes to international best practices in sustainability planning and supports progress on SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Flinders University experts worked with Chinese and other Australian researchers on three major international studies to assess the effects of droughts on heatwaves, vegetation health and soil salinity. In partnership with Tsinghua University and the China Institute of Water Resources, Flinders University researchers advanced drought resilience research with a report in 2024 using machine learning to assess climate variability across Australian cities. This international collaboration supports improved water management strategies and climate adaptation planning, with findings informing both Australian and Chinese policy frameworks. The project exemplifies cross-border knowledge exchange to strengthen SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Flinders University’s Jeff Bleich Centre continues its collaboration with the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science, focusing on the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and democratic resilience. This renewed partnership explores ethical frameworks and governance models to guide responsible AI development and protect democratic institutions. The research contributes to global standards for digital sustainability and supports SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).
Through The Australian Water Partnership, Flinders University’s Dr Eddie Banks has worked on of humanitarian outreach projects with Geoscientists without Borders in Arnhem Land Australia and Laos PDR, providing access to sustainable water supplies for those in need.
Flinders University collaborates with Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) to foster student volunteering programs and research programs, and drives innovative educational activities for the wider community, including alumni, local community, displaced people and refugees. Recent examples include:
Flinders University’s Passport to Recovery initiative continues to support bushfire-affected communities on Kangaroo Island through education, citizen science, and collaborative outreach. In 2024, the program expanded with Reef Rewind, Australia’s first citizen science oyster reef restoration project, engaging locals and visitors in marine monitoring to restore biodiversity and improve water quality. The initiative also provides education on resilience, including bushfire fuel load monitoring and carbon footprint awareness, tailored to local needs.
In recognition of its impact, Passport to Recovery was awarded the 2025 Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science, celebrating its engagement of over 5,000 participants from 47 countries.
Flinders students and alumni have contributed through volunteer programs, app development, and community engagement, while partnerships with NGOs and local organisations ensure the initiative supports SDGs 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 13 (Climate Action), and 14 (Life Below Water). By combining environmental restoration with educational outreach, Passport to Recovery empowers displaced and affected communities to build a more sustainable future as part of their bushfire recovery.
Flinders University’s Centre for Social Impact continues to work with NGOs and government agencies to address homelessness through evidence-based programs. Building on the success of the Aspire Program, which connected hundreds of people experiencing chronic homelessness to stable housing, Flinders researchers released the Ending Homelessness Toolkit for Local Government in 2024. Developed in collaboration with the Local Government Association of South Australia and the SA Alliance to End Homelessness, the toolkit supports councils in responding to disaster-related housing stress and advancing culturally safe, community-led solutions. This work reflects ongoing collaboration with NGOs such as Hutt St Centre and Social Ventures Australia, and contributes to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 1 (No Poverty).
The student-led Optometry Clinic at Baptist Care SA’s WestCare Centre continues to provide essential eye care services to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. In partnership with Sight For All and Flinders Health2Go, the clinic offers bulk-billed eye exams and free prescription glasses, supported by donations from industry suppliers. Flinders University optometry students deliver care under supervision, gaining hands-on experience while improving access to health services for vulnerable populations. The clinicis ongoing, with streamlined referrals to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and ongoing outreach to support SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
The Flinders Legal Centre, a legal clinic featuring experienced solicitors supervising Flinders University Law student interns and recent graduates, provides free, independent and confidential legal advice for the community, working in collaboration with local neighbourhood centres.
The Flinders STEM Outreach program for high school teachers and students provides free workshops on campus and in schools, as well as teacher training. Their workshops include sustainability-focused programs (e.g. around renewable energy, water management and environmental health) and access to industry events and participation at expos, conference, open days and science-related events, including Science Alive!
Flinders University is dedicated to make our cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. As part of a vibrant society, sustainability at Flinders University encompasses cultural heritage, arts and its wider communities. These are some of our initiatives:
Flinders University is an active contributor to creative arts in many different ways and is actively involved in preserving cultural heritage.
There are plenty of opportunities for our Flinders community to be involved in sustainability on campus.
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