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AGENDA AT A GLANCE
Session | Room | 2026/7/8 morning | 2026/7/8 afternoon | 2026/7/8 evening | 2026/7/9 morning | 2026/7/9 afternoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Industry High-level Breakfast (Invited only) | TBC | 07:30-08:30 | - | - | - | - |
Strategic Summit | Goldfields Theatre Ground Floor, Exhibition Centre | 09:10-12:15 | 14:00-18:05 | - | 09:10-12:25 | 14:00-16:55 |
Unlocking Wind Capital Forum | Eureka 3 Ground Floor, Exhibition Centre | 09:20-12:50 | - | - | - | - |
Regional Development Forum | Eureka 3 Ground Floor, Exhibition Centre | - | 14:30-17:40 | - | - | - |
Happy Hour | Exhibition Bays via Door 9/10 Ground Floor, Exhibition Centre | - | - | 18:00-19:00 | - | - |
Gala Dinner | Melbourne Room 1 Level 2, Convention Centre | - | - | 19:00-21:30 | - | - |
WindGrid Transmission Forum | Eureka 3 Ground Floor, Exhibition Centre | - | - | - | 09:00-12:53 | - |
Offshore WindTECH Summit | Exhibition Bays via Door 9/10 Ground Floor, Exhibition Centre | 10:00-12:25 | 14:05-17:05 | - | - | - |
Onshore WindNEXT Summit | Exhibition Bays via Door 9/10 Ground Floor, Exhibition Centre | - | - | - | 09:30-12:40 | - |
Women in Net-Zero Future | Exhibition Bays via Door 9/10 Ground Floor, Exhibition Centre | - | - | - | 10:00 – 12:00 | - |
Start-up Innovation Challenge | Exhibition Bays via Door 9/10 Ground Floor, Exhibition Centre | 10:30-12:00 | - | - | - | - |
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FORUM
Connecting Regions. Driving Green Growth. Empowering People.
Australia's wind build-out is transforming regional economies, communities and infrastructure. Regional Development Forum brings together governments, developers, landholders, communities and workforce leaders to explore how regions can attract new investment, strengthen local supply chains, create skilled jobs and unlock long-term economic opportunities, ensuring renewable energy development delivers lasting value to the communities and regions powering Australia's energy transition.
Day 2 | 15 July Thursday
14:00 - 14:10
(10 mins)
Welcome Remarks
14:10 - 14:50
(40 mins)
[Panel] Beyond Wind Farms: Creating Long-Term Prosperity in Regional Australia
Core: How can wind energy become a long-term economic driver for regional Australia?
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Long-Term Economic Value — Turning wind projects into lasting regional economic growth
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Local Business Opportunities — Enabling regional businesses to capture more project value
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Infrastructure Investment — Using energy infrastructure to catalyse broader regional development
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Regional Economic Diversification — Unlocking new industries, investment and business opportunities
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Lasting Community Benefits — Ensuring renewable energy delivers enduring value beyond construction
14:50 - 15:30
(40 mins)
[Panel] Building Regional Capability: Jobs, Skills & Local Supply Chains
Core: How can regional communities build the workforce, skills and local supply chains needed to capture the opportunities of the clean energy transition?
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Workforce Readiness — Preparing regional workers for emerging clean energy opportunities
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Skills & Training — Building pathways through apprenticeships, TAFE and industry partnerships
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Local Supply Chains — Increasing regional participation in renewable energy procurement
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SME Capability — Helping local businesses scale and meet project requirements
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Long-Term Workforce Retention — Attracting, developing and retaining skilled regional workers
Lisa Maro
Industry Engagement Manager
Industry Capability Network - Victoria
Networking Break
15:50 - 16:30
(40 mins)
[Panel] Regional Voices: What Communities Want from the Energy Transition
Core: What do regional communities expect from renewable energy projects beyond clean electricity?
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Community Expectations — Understanding what meaningful regional benefits look like
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Benefit Sharing — Creating fair and lasting value for host communities
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Community Participation — Giving communities a meaningful voice in project development
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Trust & Transparency — Building stronger relationships through open engagement
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Regional Priorities — Aligning renewable energy projects with local needs
Mark Hudson
Head of Engagement
WestWind Energy
16:30 - 16:40
(10 mins)