Relationships with Regional NGOs and Government for SDG Policy

As the Hunter region’s premier research organisation and facility, the University of Newcastle is directly consulted on policy in all major areas impacting the many local communities in which we are active, and the regions in which our campuses are located. We provide direct input into local government SDG policy and planning through our partnership with the City of Newcastle Council.

We are a foundation partner in the cross-sectoral Hunter Region SDG Taskforce, which includes NSW State Government, Newcastle City Council, and regional non-government organisations such as the Samaritans. This taskforce connects civic, academic, and business leaders who are focused on collaborating to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the Hunter Region.

CIFAL Newcastle, hosted by the University of Newcastle and part of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) global network, plays a pivotal role in facilitating regional SDG engagement.

Through CIFAL Newcastle, the University works directly with national government agencies, such as DFAT, state government agencies such as NSW Sustainability Advantage and NGOs across the Hunter region to identify local challenges, co-develop policies and strategies, model likely futures with and without interventions, monitor and report on progress, and enable adaptive management practices aligned with the SDGs.

In 2024, the University led a co-design process with over 120 stakeholders to develop and publish the Hunter SDG Dashboard, which presents metrics for 54 indicators aligned with the SDGs. This dashboard serves as a regional evidence base to:

• Identify local challenges and opportunities
• Inform policy and strategy development
• Model potential futures with and without interventions
• Monitor progress and report on outcomes
• Support adaptive management and decision-making

This Dashboard is used by local government to inform policy and service provision.

Through these initiatives, the University of Newcastle plays a central role in enabling data-driven, adaptive and collaborative management approaches to sustainable development in the region