Post-Growth Australia Podcast

After a two-month break, PGAP returns with a live recording of the Albany community forum: “How do We Plan for Albany's Growth: Perspectives on Degrowth and eco-friendly design.” This event was coordinated by the Albany Community Environment Centre (ACEC) to address the ‘big picture issues’ impacting many of the single-issue conservation campaigns impacting one of Australia’s fastest growing regio...

In this episode of PGAP, host Michael Bayliss welcomes special guest Peter Tait, convenor of the Canberra Alliance for Participatory Democracy . Peter discusses the critical importance of citizen participation in the democratic process and how citizen assemblies have great potential in building momentum on issues such as planned Degrowth and population policy. Peter Tait has been a General Practit...

This year, the New Economy Network Australia (NENA), launched a new podcast, ‘Voices of the New Economy’ hosted by Dr Tiyana Jovanovic. For this very special episode of PGAP, we catch up with Tiyana to tell us more about this new exciting podcast series, and how podcasting is an important storytelling tool to encourage and facilitate change. Also in this episode: Tiyana explores her journey within...

Recent events have brought to the surface how vulnerable Australia is to energy shortages with only 30 days of stockpiled oil reserves. Within the context of these tentative times, it is important that we re-explore alternative energy options. Scott Witheridge is an Environmental Engineer and Author of the book "The Post Fossil Fuel Era". The book is a deep investigation into the next frontier of...

“By disaster or design a Post Growth world is coming…because if we don’t do anything, the systems we depend on will collapse. Let’s not let that happen, let’s design our way to a better system.” In this episode of Post Growth Australia Podcast, we welcome special guest Matt Orsagh, from the Arketa Institute for Post Growth Finance , and author of the blog ‘ Degrowth is The Answer ’. Matt and his c...

“The foundational elements of neoliberal economics is false” – Marcus Champ Welcome to 2026 and a brand-new season of Post Growth Australia Podcast! With co-host Mark Allen on travel leave, host Michael Bayliss (with his degrowth cap on) opens the episode with some mixed feelings in welcoming the new year. Since 2025, humanity has breached planetary boundaries, shifted more of our collective wealt...

In this final episode for Season Seven, co-hosts Mark Allen and Michael Baylis s catch up for a short, freewheeling conversation to wrap up a busy year. In June 2025, Michael and Mark participated in a community consultation weekend on the future development of North Albany. Michael later presented his observations at the Albany Community Environment Centre forum ahead of the City of Albany electi...

Did you know that in 2024/2025, 3.4 million solar panels were decommissioned? Did you also know that up to 99% of solar panel material is recyclable? In this episode, we welcome Darren Johannesen , Executive General Manager of Sustainability at Smart Energy Council . We discuss the recent success of Smart Energy Council’s Solar PV Recycling and Products Stewardship Program as an example of urban m...

The clock is ticking as we face an imminent agricultural crisis. It is likely that we only have around sixty global harvests left until the world's top soils are depleted. Regenerative agriculture offers many potential and practical solutions toward a more sustainable relationship between food production and environmental stewardship. However, sustainable farming is a broad church with many differ...

For part two of our conversations with the Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE) we welcome special guest Matthew Washington, co-director of CASSE NSW INC. This episode is a freewheeling conversation across a variety of post-growth issues, most pertinently how we can advocate for Steady State Economies in a time of global instability and tension. This episode refers to an...

Across the next two episodes of PGAP, we will be showcasing the good work from CASSE NSW Inc ., who are advocating for the steady state economy in Australia. For this episode, we interview Phil Jones, Treasurer and Secretary, as he shares with us the progress of government reports and inquiries into the Circular Economy. Furthermore, why it is crucial that we encourage the government to take serio...

In the lead up to World Population Day (WPD) 2025, we welcome back Val Allen, who was previously a panel guest for the PGAP episode “ 3 Women 2 Countries 1 Message: World Population Day 2022 .” Three years later, Val has a new book out – “HOW MANY IS ENOUGH?” -just in time for World Population Day 25. She is also in the process of finalising a new documentary “TICK TOCK BOOM BANG” due later this m...

In this episode of PGAP, we’re joined by Michael D.B. Harvey, author of " The Age of Humachines: Big Tech and the Battle for Humanity’s Future ." Harvey offers a sobering perspective on the trajectory of modern technology - not towards a Star Trek-style utopia but into a hyper-neoliberal, corporate-driven dystopia shaped by Big Tech. His analysis strikes a chord with the Post-Growth community, whi...

In this latest episode we speak with scientist, researcher and author George Tsakraklides about the deeper roots of humanity’s many crises. Drawing on his rich scientific background and corporate insight, George explores how our evolutionary wiring, societal structures and cultural narratives hinder meaningful change. We unpack the psychological forces driving self-destruction, the limitations of...

Susie Russell is a long-time activist and campaigner for protecting Australia’s forests who holds committee positions in The North East Forest Alliance , the North Coast Environment Council , 4Nature and The Rainforest Information Centre . Susie was awarded the Miles Dunphy Award in 2024 and soon after was arrested as part of the Save Bulga Forest movement for obstructing logging in endangered gli...

In 2024, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) held a panel discussion on Degrowth as part of their Centre for Ideas series. The panellists were Tommy Wiedmann (Professor of Sustainability Research), Bronwen Morgan (Professor of Law and member of NENA), and Sabrina Chakori (CSIRO researcher). The discussion was hosted by former Deputy Lord Mayor and author of Glimpses of Utopia, Jess Scully. Th...

Isaac Kabongo is the CEO of the Uganda-based Ecological Christian Organisation ( ECO ), a faith-driven initiative dedicated to fostering environmental stewardship at the grassroots level. ECO works to integrate sustainability with community-led action, including raising awareness about family planning and contraception. By reframing the relationship between Christianity, family planning, and discu...

In late 2024, Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) proudly welcomed Professor Anne Poelina as its newest Patron. This mini-episode features the audio recording from a video interview that co-host Michael Bayliss conducted with Anne as part of SPA's Meet the Patrons series. An abridged version of this interview is available on YouTube . As a Nyikina Warrwa Traditional Owner from the Kimberley reg...

In this episode of Post-Growth Australia Podcast (PGAP), we pay tribute to Dr. John Coulter, who sadly passed away in September 2024. John Richard Coulter (3 December 1930 – 6 September 2024) was a trailblazer in the conservation movement, most notably serving as Leader of the Australian Democrats in the early 1990s. In 1971, he organised an open letter published in The Australian newspaper, addre...

The aftermath of the US election has left many of us in a state of shock. Voters were faced with a stark choice between more growth-based neoliberalism or alt right extremism, choosing the latter. It was a great day for billionaires either way. As Australia looks to face a very similar choice in mid-2025, it is clear that activists must take stock, recalibrate and work together effectively to advo...

Welcome back to a brand-new Season Seven of Post Growth Australia Podcast! As our world teeters on the edge of an increasingly perilous environmental future—extending beyond climate change—we must ask: what does true sustainability entail? How far are we from it, what are the root causes of our current trajectory, and what paths could lead us there? Rod Taylor (author, columnist, radio host) asks...

For the season six finale, PGAP welcomes three core members of Degrowth Network Australia: Sandy Gonzalez de la Vega Gonzalez, Tonié Field and Jess Prescott. According to the Degrowth blog : "As degrowth becomes a more familiar term worldwide, a loose informal network of Australian degrowth activists, scholars and advocates has emerged into the formal Degrowth Network Australia (DNA)." Although a...

The way we design and plan our cities and towns significantly influences our daily lives, which, in turn, affects our carbon emissions and ecological footprints. Australia's continually expanding cities are a striking example of this, illustrating the consequences of an unrelenting pursuit of growth. Fortunately, there are a few urban planners who recognise that transitioning to a degrowth, steady...

In this mini episode, Post-Growth Australia Podcast reunites with Dr. Shane Simonson. Last time we spoke with Shane in PGAP season 3 , he gave us a tour of his 'Zero Input Agriculture' farm in Queensland. We caught up with Shane to get an update of the farm - including the addition of some new four legged residents - only to discover that Shane has branched out accross many projects including: Coh...

Welcome to PGAP’s “World Population Day 2024” special, where your co-hosts Mark Allen and Michael Bayliss share their recent musings on sustainable population. World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. Our ‘manifesto’ on the population debate can be read on the PGAP blog: “ To populate or not to populate? Ho...