North Queensland Conference 2024

The 2024 North Queensland Conference on Hamilton Island will explore the theme of “Unearthing the hidden gems of the water industry in the north: showcasing excellence and sharing opportunities for progress.” 

Water is critically essential to life in North Queensland and the region is fortunate to be blessed with natural water jewels such as the Great Barrier Reef, unique waterways and diverse wetlands. The roadmap to economic growth and regional wellbeing is deeply linked to water and presents opportunities to be transformative in addressing the complex challenges such as extreme climate conditions, increasing pressures on the cost to serve, planning and delivery of critical infrastructure projects and skills shortages.

Embedded in this is a need to learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the original custodians of the land and water to enable communities in the North to sustainably manage our shared water resources. The conference seeks to provide a forum where we can showcase the facets of the water industry and allow our stories of resilience, strength and adversity shine through SHARED experiences, CONNECTED membership and INSPIRED individuals.

Program

Program highlights:

	Keynote speaker: Rachel Brophy  As an experienced CEO, Rachel is an accomplished strategist and change agent, with strong political nous and a focus on people and key stakeholders. Having worked across State and Local Government and NGO’s, Rachel has a breadth of policy and service reform experience including community services, aged and disability services, youth services, tourism and economic development, sport and recreation, and major events. Rachel will be speaking on Lessons Learned through Disaster Resilience, Strength and Adversity on Day 1.
	Keynote speaker: Fiona Pelling Fiona is the Community Relations Manager at North Queensland Cowboys Community Foundation. With a career deeply rooted in community engagement and relationship management, Fiona brings over 16 years of experience in fostering meaningful connections between the club and its stakeholders. Fiona will speak on Meaningful Community Engagement for Long Term Outcomes on Day 1.
Workshop: "Mental Health Leadership for Psychological Safety" Sponsored by Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), this keynote session will feature an overview from Peter Gee, Manager Performance Improvement, WSAA sharing research of what WSAA organisations are doing to manage their psychosocial risks. Belinda Chapman, Leadership Coach and Trainer, will facilitate a workshop to explore: the common psychosocial risks in your workplace, what this means for your mental health and strategies to address these risks. Come along to join the conversation and walk away with practical strategies for your health and wellbeing.
	Workshop leader: Belinda Chapman  During her 20+ years in the water industry, Belinda has had many different roles ranging from field scientist, to program manager for integrated water cycle management projects and more. By utilising key leadership qualities, Belinda works collaboratively to deliver successful projects and realise intended outcomes.
	Workshop facilitator: Peter Gee  Peter Gee is the Manager of Performance Improvement at the Water Services Association of Australia. He oversees WSAA’s People and Capability Board Committee and leads diverse business improvement projects within the urban water industry. His projects include industry health and safety frameworks, digital maturity, national competency frameworks, and supply chain analysis.

Event Details

Conference & Exhibition

Welcome Networking Function 

Conference Dinner [sponsored by Premise]

Island Map 

See the map of key locations here: 

Registration

All registration types include:
- All day catering on Tuesday 30 July and Wednesday 31 July.
- Conference dinner on Tuesday 30 July.
- Optional add on for Welcome Networking Function on Monday 29 July.
Note: There is no day-only registration type

If you wish to find out more about AWA's membership benefits, contact membership@awa.asn.au.

Activities on the Island 
There will be plenty of activities on the island. Create your own unforgettable experiences through the Hamilton Island app, available for download on both the App Store and Play Store.

Exhibition
To find out about exhibition opportunities, contact Michael:

Sponsorship
To find out about sponsorship opportunities, contact Troy:

Flights 
Please book early to avoid to ensure your preferred travel dates are available. 

Accommodation 
Discounted accommodation is available on the Island: http://www.hamiltonisland.com.au/conferences/awa2024

Arrival information for Reef View Hotel and Palm Bungalows
Collect your bag tag from the Reef View Hotel/Palm Bungalows desk. Take your luggage with the attached bag tag to the buses for your transfer to the Reef View Hotel.

Departure information for Reef View Hotel and Palm Bungalows
Check-out time is 10.00am. On the morning of your departure take your luggage and personal items to check out. Visit the concierge to confirm your bus departure time. Please be at the main entrance of the hotel 10 minutes prior to your bus departure time.
If you are travelling by ferry to the mainland, hand luggage to Cruise Whitsundays staff before boarding the boat.

For more information please contact:
EVENT:
Carlie Sargent, QLD Member Engagement Manager | Ph: 02 9467 8451 | E: csargent@awa.asn.au
Laura Steffan, Senior Events Manager | P: 02 9467 8408 | E: lsteffan@awa.asn.au
EXHIBITION: 
Michael Silber, Exhibition and Events Manager | P: 02 9467 8428 | E: msilber@awa.asn.au 
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
Troy Waite, Partnerships and Sponsorships Manager | P: 02 9467 8426 | E: twaite@awa.asn.au