A community-led response to a moment of real change.
NNEST didn't start with a plan. It started with conversations — across kitchen tables, at the pub, on the footy oval, in meetings, over more than 18 months of listening.
Noojee is a small town in West Gippsland with a big identity — shaped by the forest, the river, the families who've been here for generations, and those who've recently arrived looking for something different. Native timber harvesting has ended. Our primary school has closed. Visitor patterns are shifting. Through all of it, one thing has become clear: the community wants to shape what comes next.
NNEST — Nurture, Nature, Education and Sustainable Tourism — is the form that response is taking. We're a community-led, not-for-profit association that intends to activate the Noojee Library as a shared hub for wellbeing, learning, creativity, and connection with the natural world. The former Primary School site sits in our long-term horizon, as a future expansion subject to community appetite and funding.
We're not trying to replace what was. We're building something that fits who we are now — and what the next generation will need.
How we're governed
Our governance is intentionally community-led. The community sits at the centre and serves the community — not the other way around.
NNEST Inc. operates under the standard Model Rules for Incorporated Associations published by Consumer Affairs Victoria, under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic).
Our committee
Elected at our inaugural meeting on 30 April 2026:
- President — Jess Barrett
- Secretary — Cam Incoll
- Treasurer — Linda Devenney
Additional ordinary committee members will be appointed as the association grows.
Our partners & community network
NNEST is currently building a network of local and regional partners who are interested in delivering nature-based experiences in and around Noojee.
These partnerships are designed to foster collaboration between facilitators, local businesses, and the community — creating meaningful, place-based experiences that highlight the region's natural assets while supporting local connection and economic sustainability.
We're also working in relationship with Baw Baw Shire Council and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) on the local forestry transition.