Net:Zed — Transitioning Economies, Your Voice, Your Say (Hunter)

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Welcome
Why Students Voice Matters
How the program works
The five transition themes
Assessment & digital credentials
The Net:Zed Speaker Channel

Supporter

Net Zero Economy Authority

Program

Net:Zed

Launch Date: August 17, 2026

Net:Zed — Transitioning Economies, Your Voice, Your Say (Hunter) is a six-lesson, real-world inquiry program for Years 7–11 students across the Hunter Region. Students hear from industry, government and community speakers shaping the region’s economic and energy transition, choose a transition theme, develop an original idea in response to a real enquiry question, and present it to their peers — and, for selected ideas, to program supporters at the Net:Zed Showcase.

The decisions about what replaces coal in the Hunter are being made this decade. Most of them are being made without young people at the table. This program is one way to change that.

Why Students Voice Matters

The Hunter’s economic and energy transition is already underway — it isn’t a question of if, but when and how well. Coal-fired power station closure dates and mine consents are already set; 115km of new transmission lines and the region’s Renewable Energy Zone are being built now.

Those decisions are mostly being made without young people at the table. This program exists so their ideas become part of the conversation shaping the region whic they will inherit.

How the program works

Across six lessons students will build understanding, make a choice, and create something thier own:

Lessons 1–2 — hear from national and local voices on Net Zero and the Hunter’s transition.
Lesson 3 — choose one of five transition themes.
Lesson 4 — go deep on the theme, hearing from connected speakers and collecting evidence.
Lesson 5 — develop an idea against the assessment rubric.
Lesson 6 — present theri idea. Any medium is valid: song, film, artwork, proposal, prototype or spoken presentation.

Every lesson runs the same engine — Golden Threads → Watch → Discuss → Reflect → Wrap — so once you know the pattern, you can focus on the thinking.

The five transition themes

The themes were chosen by the Net:Zed Student Advisory Group — Year 10–12 students from across the Hunter — not by adults deciding what young people should care about.

Future Workforce — jobs, skills & career pathways.
First Nations Voices — inclusion, knowledge & voice.
Student Voice & Agency — communication & participation.
Community Resilience — supporting people through change.
Loveable Communities — future of the region & lifestyle.

Assessment & digital credentials

The final presentation is assessed by the Net:Zed team (not the classroom teacher) against a four-criterion rubric — Theme Connection, Why It Matters, The Idea, and Success Criteria — worth 10 points each, 40 in total. It scores the presentation only.

All students who participate and present receive a verified digital credential, Regional Transition Contributor, issued by Education Networks, endorsed by Net:Zed and recognised by the Net Zero Economy Authority (Australian Government). Facilitating teachers receive the Program Facilitator credential. Every participant is credentialled regardless of whether their idea is selected for the Showcase.

The Net:Zed Speaker Channel

All interview videos are hosted on the Net:Zed Speaker Channel on Vimeo, organised into the lesson sequence and by theme. “Meet the Speakers” content — personal intros and favourite-subject answers — lives there too.

Lesson interviews: vimeo.com/showcase/netzed (password: netzed007)
Meet the Speakers & theme content: vimeo.com/showcase/speakers2026 (password: netzed007)

The program runs across six lessons. Lessons 1 and 2 build understanding — first the national picture of Net Zero, then the Hunter’s own transition. Lesson 3 is a pivot: students choose one of five transition themes. Lesson 4 goes deep on the chosen theme, collecting evidence from connected speakers. Lesson 5 develops that evidence into a presentation-ready idea. Lesson 6 is presentation day, with peer review, Showcase selection and digital credentials.

Every lesson follows the same engine — Golden Threads (things to listen for), Watch, Discuss, Reflect, Wrap — so the structure stays predictable while the thinking deepens.

Lesson 1:

What is Net Zero?

Goal: Introduce the concept of Net Zero and build a shared understanding of why it matters — especially for the Hunter Region.

Duration: ~60 minutes · Format: The lesson engine (Golden Threads → Watch → Discuss → Reflect → Wrap) runs twice — once for David Shankey, once for Matt Kean.

Speakers:

David Shankey — CEO, Net Zero Economy Authority (interviewed by student advisors Hallie & Sam). Primary edit ~6m10s.
Matt Kean — Chair, Climate Change Authority (interviewed by student advisor Rebel). Primary edit ~7m25s.

Resources needed: This teacher guide · Lesson 1 classroom presentation (PowerPoint, 14 slides — read the per-slide speaker notes before delivery) · student workbooks · Microsoft Forms baseline survey link (share before class) · David Shankey and Matt Kean video edits.

Before class: Share the anonymous baseline survey (part of program evaluation, reported to the Net Zero Economy Authority — do not skip). Check the three embedded videos play (slides 1, 7, 10). Read the slide speaker notes.

Lesson 1:

David Shankey (Watch → Discuss)

David Shankey is the CEO of the Net Zero Economy Authority, the Australian Government body responsible for managing the nation's economic transition to net zero. In this interview, conducted by student advisors Hallie and Sam, David explains what net zero actually means using a memorable "bathtub metaphor," describes why decisions about the Hunter's future must be made this decade rather than by 2050, and makes a direct case for young people and communities being part of the planning process. Key quote: "If we're planning these changes without you and every other part of the community, we will definitely get it wrong." This interview was filmed as part of Net:Zed Transitioning Economies, Your Voice, Your Say (Hunter) — a real-world inquiry program connecting Years 9–11 students across the Hunter Region with the leaders and organisations shaping the region's economic and energy transition. Net:Zed is supported by the Net Zero Economy Authority (Australian Government) and Education Networks.

Lesson 2:

SEGMENT 2: Matt Kean (Watch → Discuss)

Golden Threads — read aloud before the video plays:

Matt frames Net Zero as an economic opportunity, not just an environmental obligation. What examples does he give?
He talks about the real cost of NOT acting — what events does he point to? Does this change how you see the urgency?
He says every generation has a defining challenge. What does he say this generation's is — and do you agree?

Key moments to watch for: 04:13 Net Zero definition + economic-opportunity framing (Thread 1) · 05:17 Lismore floods, Black Summer, drought — the cost of inaction (Thread 2) · 11:30 Matt names Singleton directly (flag for Hunter schools — it will land) · 16:37 "every generation has a defining challenge" (Thread 3).

Production note: a glitch was confirmed at 03:19–03:45 — verify it has been removed from the edit before delivery.

Discussion notes: Q1 (opportunity) — were students persuaded; strongest examples? Q2 (cost of inaction) — putting a dollar figure on climate events shifts the argument; name it explicitly. Q3 (every generation) — the richest question; students who feel overwhelmed or that this is unfair are responding authentically — explore rather than correct.

Bridge to name explicitly: David and Matt both say Net Zero matters, but frame it differently — David is inside the machinery of making it happen; Matt is looking at the broader political and economic picture.

Lesson 3:

SEGMENT 3: Reflection & Wrap

Reflection (individual, quiet, 5 minutes):

In your own words, what is Net Zero? (Don't look it up — write what you actually took from today.)
What surprised you most from what you heard today?
What's one question you're leaving this lesson with?

Question 3 matters most — the questions students leave with preview what will drive their engagement through the rest of the program.

Three key ideas to land in the wrap:

Net Zero is a balance — emissions in, absorption out. We're not there yet, but closer than the language suggests.
Timing is everything — decisions about what replaces coal in the Hunter are happening now, not in 2050.
Your voice is missing — both speakers said it. This program is one way to change that.

Lean forward (Lesson 2 preview): "Next lesson we stop talking about Australia's transition and start talking about yours — the Hunter, the people you know, the places you live." Optional between-lesson prompt: talk to someone at home about the Hunter's transition — what do they think is changing, and what are they worried about?

David Shankey Interview

Golden Threads — read aloud before the video plays:
<ol>
<li>David uses a “bathtub metaphor” to explain Net Zero. What is it, and does it make sense to you?</li>
<li>He says decisions about the Hunter’s future must happen this decade — not in 2050. Why does timing matter?</li>
<li>He says: “If we’re planning these changes without you and every other part of the community, we will definitely get it wrong.” Who is the “we” he’s talking about?</li>
</ol>
Key moments to watch for: 01:47 bathtub metaphor (Thread 1) · ~03:50 “those decisions have to be made in the next ten years… not in 2050” (Thread 2) · ~05:07 “if we’re planning these changes without you… we will definitely get it wrong” (Thread 3).
Discussion notes: Q1 (bathtub) — tap = emissions in, drain = carbon absorbed, net zero = flow in equals flow out; value is students putting it in their own words. Q2 (timing) — push for specifics: what decisions, who’s making them (seeds Lesson 2). Q3 (voice) — most open; accept scepticism (“I don’t believe him”) as a valid response worth exploring.

Central West Orana REZ Incursion Program

Stage 4: 2026

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Recognising Effort & Measuring Impact

We recognise the learning and contributions of all participants—teachers, students, and partners—through the issuance of digital badges and credentials across all our programs.

To receive a digital credential, which is endorsed by industry, government, and research partners, students and partners must complete an electronic exit questionnaire. This process allows us to capture valuable insights for continuous improvement across the network.

The value for students lies in the recognition of their achievements, while teachers can use these credentials as validation for professional learning hours, which we support teachers to receive.

For secondary school students, permission from parents and carers will be required. Permission forms, outlining all necessary information, will be available for download in the resources area or provided electronically for teachers to distribute.