The year is 2046, twenty years since the great societal, environmental and financial crash, known today as the ‘Great Cock Up’ after the actions of the now disgraced group of septuagenarian male world leaders in 2026!
Since then, when traditional lands and countries across the globe started electing women-led governments to re-build and re-frame their societies, putting citizens back at the heart of decision-making and power-broking, the planet and its people have witnessed extraordinary change.
Hear from four leading Cairns based change makers on what FNQ looks like in 2046 as a consequence, in a session facilitated by host of ABC Big Ideas Natasha Mitchell.
Speakers
Dr Rana Dadpour
Dr Rana Dadpour is a Research Fellow at The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, where she studies how people and communities respond to risk, uncertainty and socio-environmental change. Her work uses surveys, interviews and participatory mapping to connect community experience with policy and practical action. She has worked with migrants, regional communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and has published in leading international journals. Rana is also the founding director of AUSIRAN, an advocacy group for Australian Iranians. Her work has been recognised with the Jerzy Zubrzycki Award for Social Impact and a Planning Institute of Australia Commendation.
Claudia Kurowski
Claudia Kurowski is a young leader from Cairns in regional Queensland, driven by a passion for public service, youth advocacy and creating meaningful opportunities for others. She is committed to ensuring young people—particularly young women and girls—have a genuine voice in the decisions that shape their futures, while breaking down barriers to leadership, politics and traditionally underrepresented spaces. Believing that leadership is measured by service rather than titles, Claudia has dedicated much of her time to advocating for equity, strengthening youth representation and building stronger communities. She currently serves as the Youth Mayor of Cairns and was recognised as the 2026 Cairns Young Citizen of the Year and the 2025 Cairns Young Woman of the Year for her contribution to civic leadership and community service.
Francoise Lane
Francoise Lane is a descendant of the Meriam and Kaurareg peoples of Zenadth Kes and lives and works on Yindiji Country (Gordonvale, Far North Queensland). As a multidisciplinary artist, curator and designer her creative practice straddles the intersection of art and design. Her practice draws upon her family’s cultural values of respecting and caring for land, sea and community. She is co-founder and director of Indij Architecture and Design an award winning architectural practice bringing Indigenous design values into built environment projects.
Most recently, Francoise was Artistic Director of Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (2022 to 2024), Queensland’s largest and most celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island arts and cultural event. She is committed to elevating the voices of First Nations creatives to raise the social conscience of the broader community. Her exploration of new approaches in the creation, understanding and valuing artworks in the genre of contemporary Indigenous art has seen her awarded the 2022 HIAP Helsinki Residency from the Australia Council for the Arts. She is a 2016 British Council Accelerate Alumni, Edinburgh Creative Collaborations Award (2018) finalist and NIFA Collaborations Award (2022) nominee. Lane is an Indigenous Art Code Board member and inaugural NSW GA State Design Review Panelist.
Anita Veivers
Anita Veivers is the Executive Director of Centacare FNQ, where she has the privilege of leading a diverse team delivering mental health and wellbeing, children and families, early learning, aged care, multicultural and community services across Far North Queensland.
With more than 35 years' experience in the community sector, Anita is passionate about working alongside communities to find practical solutions that make a real difference in people's lives. She believes the best ideas come from listening, building strong relationships and bringing people together around a shared purpose. Throughout her career, Anita has worked with governments, schools, businesses and community organisations to develop services that respond to local needs and create opportunities for people to thrive. Whether supporting families, improving access to mental health services, strengthening local workforces or helping older Australians remain connected to their communities, her focus has always been on creating places where people feel valued, supported and able to flourish.In addition to her role at Centacare FNQ, Anita is Chair of the Cairns Regional Jobs Committee and a Board Member of Regional Development Australia Tropical North, where she enjoys contributing to strategic conversations about the future of our region and how we can work together to build strong, connected and resilient communities. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Anita is proud to call Far North Queensland home and feels fortunate to work alongside passionate people who are committed to making the region an even better place to live, work and raise a family.
Facilitator
Natasha Mitchell
Natasha Mitchell is a multi-award-winning journalist, Radio presenter and Podcaster. She hosts ABC National Radio flagship live events radio show and podcast BIG IDEAS and was founding host and producer of the blockbuster radio show and one of Australia’s first podcasts, All in the Mind, for a decade. She hosted the ABC’s flagship daily social affairs Life Matters, and was founding host and producer of Science Friction, awarded Best Science and Medicine podcast at the Australian Podcast Awards.
Natasha served as vice president of the World Federation of Science Journalists and was recipient of a prestigious MIT Knight Fellowship. Her science, mental health and human rights journalism have received many accolades, including the overall Grand Prize and four Gold World Medals at the New York Radio Festivals.