"Neighbourhood Houses build up powerful networks in the community, providing so many essential supports" - Opinion piece in The Mercury, 28 August 2025

Every shared cup of tea, every class run, every connection made builds a fabric of trust and belonging, writes Simone Zell.

This week, more than 130 Tasmanians will gather in Kingston for the annual Neighbourhood House Conference. House managers, community workers, volunteers, and partners - people who form the backbone of a statewide network - will come together to celebrate achievements, deepen skills, and reflect on what it means to keep communities strong in times of challenge and change.

The gathering is more than an event; it’s a symbol of what happens when Tasmanians unite. We do more than share stories, we affirm a vital truth: communities are not passive recipients of services. They are active partners, rich in assets and capabilities that institutions alone cannot replicate.

Across Tasmania and globally, traditional public service models are under strain. These systems often treat citizens as clients and governments as providers, leading to overburdened services, growing mistrust, and professional burnout. This “do to” approach has reached its limits.

Neighbourhood Houses offer a different way: “doing with.” They embody Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), which starts with strengths, not deficits. They ask what people can do, not what they lack. They create spaces where people contribute as well as receive.

This isn’t theory, it’s lived reality. A newcomer joins a group to learn a skill and ends up leading it. A volunteer who once needed help now teaches digital literacy. A community garden evolves into a network of shared recipes and food exchange. These everyday transformations are sparked by Neighbourhood Houses.

Tasmania’s small size is often seen as a barrier to scale. We see it as an advantage. Here, people and places are deeply interconnected. Trust, belonging, and resilience are built through everyday encounters in small communities.

Neighbourhood Houses reflect this Tasmanian strength. Each House is unique, shaped by its local community, yet together they tell a bigger story: that belonging and contribution are the foundations of a thriving society. They are the beating heart of local life, places where people find their feet, build social networks, and work together to solve problems.

The impact goes beyond individuals. International evaluations of ABCD approaches show impressive returns - sometimes more than $14 for every $1 invested. In Tasmania, the dividends are seen in stronger mental health, increased participation, greater inclusion, and renewed trust in institutions.

Neighbourhood Houses don’t replace government or community services, they complement them. They act as bridges, connecting people with essential supports. They are trusted allies in places where government systems can feel distant.

This model of partnership is crucial. Communities rely on government for services, but services also rely on trusted community hubs and associations to reach people in relational, human, and place-based ways. When we adopt community-first approaches - local and state governments working together with communities - we find durable solutions to local issues and unlock the full potential of our people and places.

Cormac Russell’s visit to Tasmania is part of a collaboration involving Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania, the Local Government Association of Tasmania, Department of Health’s Healthy Tasmania, and Collaboration for Impact. This week features a series of gatherings aimed at strengthening relationships that foster thriving communities and committing to carry this work forward into the future.

The shift we need is simple but profound: from institution-first to community-first, and from issue-based responses to place-based ones. Neighbourhood Houses already show us what this looks like.

Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania’s brand story says it best: “We are the heart of our community - where local connections create lasting change.” That’s not a slogan, it’s a daily practice.

Every shared cup of tea, every class run, every connection made builds a fabric of trust and belonging. These invisible threads hold communities together. They can’t be contracted out or scaled from above. They must be woven locally, by neighbours, over time.

As Tasmania faces economic uncertainty, social pressures, and demographic shifts, the case for investing in what works is stronger than ever. Neighbourhood Houses are not a “nice to have.” They are central to a resilient Tasmania.

This week in Kingston, the network gathers not just to celebrate, but to chart the road ahead. Their work reminds us that wellbeing isn’t delivered solely by hospitals, schools, or offices - it’s built through everyday acts of connection and contribution.

Neighbourhood Houses are place-makers, trust-builders, and quiet leaders of systemic change. They show us that communities are not problems to be fixed, but partners to be embraced. If we are wise, we will continue to back them. Not only because they save money, but because they reflect the best of who we are as Tasmanians: connected, resilient, and determined to shape a future together.

Simone Zell is the chief executive of Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania.