Mapping South-East Queensland fashion and textile networks for circular communities

The report Mapping South East Queensland fashion and textile networks for circular communities provides an analysis of the fashion and textile manufacturing industry in South East Queensland (SEQ), and a strategy to achieve circular communities in the sector. It responds to the urgent need for a solution that deals with textile waste in the clothing industry.

The report reveals the geographical distribution of fashion and textile businesses, their concentration in specific areas of the Greater Brisbane Region (GBR), their businesses dimension and their practices in procuring textiles. Data is extended also to wider areas to include the South East areas.

Queensland is the second largest Australian state by area, with industry and businesses concentrated in SEQ, and is the third largest state behind New South Wales and Victoria for cut and sewn textile production in Australia (AFC 2021). As for the rest of Australia, Queensland's clothing and textile industry is fragmented into micro businesses and SME. The report advocates for a strategy of implementation and support of circularity in regional areas where activities that focus on materials for sustainable transition, as well as solutions such as mobility and housing, maximise ecosystems and human well-being functioning in a sustainable way. It presents the case for a transition toward alternative urban regeneration where people are at the core of a sustainable and creative transformation.