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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 | - | - | - | - |
2027 STRATEGIC SUMMIT AGENDA
Day 1 | 14 July Wednesday
INVEST & BUILD
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Turning Australia's wind energy ambition into investment, infrastructure and projects.
09:00 - 09:10
10 mins
Acknowledgement of the Country & Welcome Remarks
09:10 - 09:30
20 mins
[Ministerial Opening] Victoria's Wind Energy Future: Unlocking Investment & Infrastructure at Scale
Core: How can Victoria turn its wind energy ambitions into investment, infrastructure and projects delivered at scale?
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Victoria's wind energy priorities, targets and long-term vision
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Creating investor confidence and unlocking capital at scale
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Accelerating transmission and enabling infrastructure
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Turning policy ambition into projects, jobs and long-term economic growth
09:30 - 09:50
20 mins
[Strategic Keynote] National Energy Policy & Market Outlook: Setting the Direction for Australia's Wind Industry
Core: What policy, market and investment conditions will shape Australia's next phase of wind energy growth?
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Building investor and industry confidence
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Turning policy ambition into project delivery
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Strengthening social licence for wind development at scale
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Creating conditions for wind to scale
Matthew Brine
Deputy Secretary, Energy
Department of Climate Change, Energy,
the Environment and Water
09:50 - 10:10
20 mins
[Strategic Keynote] The ISP Roadmap: Wind's Critical Role in System Strength, Transmission & Investment
Core: As ISP 2027 provides the latest data-driven blueprint for Australia's energy future, what are the critical structural reforms and physical infrastructure investments required to unlock the existing wind pipeline, regardless of how the near-term generation forecasts shift?
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Identify and evaluate existing grid bottlenecks
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Connection reform progress: faster, transparent processes ahead
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Provide a tangible system strength infrastructure roadmap
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ISP provides certainty for bankable investment
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Market reform enables wind-storage coordination and stability
Morning Break
10:40 - 11:30
50 mins
[Executive Leadership Panel] Powering Australia's Wind Future: Industry Leadership, Investment and the Path to Delivery
Core: How can industry leaders turn Australia's growing onshore and offshore wind ambition into investment, projects and economic growth?
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From onshore foundations to offshore opportunities
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Building investor and industry confidence
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Turning policy ambition into project delivery
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Creating conditions for wind to scale
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Resolving transmission constraints across hybrid projects
Senior Executive
Tilt Renewables
11:30 - 11:50
20 mins
[Leadership Fireside] Victoria Outlook: From Targets to Projects - What Needs to Change?
Core: What needs to change for Victoria to turn renewable energy targets into investable, deliverable projects at scale?
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Making Victoria more attractive to renewable investors
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Addressing barriers slowing renewable project delivery
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Planning transmission for Victoria's renewable growth
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Balancing affordability, reliability and decarbonisation priorities
11:50 - 12:20
30 mins
[Leadership Roundtable] State Energy Leaders: Where Will Australia's Next Wave of Wind Investment Come From?
Core: How are state governments creating the policy, infrastructure and market conditions needed to accelerate wind investment and development?
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Federal-State Coordination: Can EPBC and state approvals achieve true "one-stop" coordination?
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Planning & Infrastructure: How can states better align REZs, transmission and projects?
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Managing ISP Delays: What alternatives exist if ISP delays critical REZ development?
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Investment Competition: How can states attract the next wave of wind investment?
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Project Certainty: What settings are needed to strengthen investor confidence?
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From Targets to Projects: How can states accelerate construction-ready wind projects?
Lunch & networking break
DAY 1 Afternoon
13:30 - 14:20
50 mins
[Panel] Transmission Deep Dive: Breaking the Wind Connection Bottleneck
Core: How can Australia break the connection bottleneck and deliver wind projects faster, with greater certainty?
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Connection Bottlenecks: What is driving today's connection delays?
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Project Certainty: How are delays affecting investment and FID?
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Connection Reform: What reforms can make connections faster and more predictable?
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Transmission Delivery: What is delaying network construction and energisation?
14:20 - 14:40
20 mins
[Strategic Keynote] The New Demand Equation: Can AI & Industry Unlock Australia's Next Wave of Clean Energy Investment?
Sabooh Whitelaw
Associate Vice President, Utility & Energy
AirTrunk
14:40 - 15:30
50 mins
[Investor Panel] What Will Unlock Australia's Next Wave of Wind Investment?
Core: What will give investors the confidence, certainty and returns needed to turn Australia's wind pipeline into new investment?
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Investment Barriers: What barriers are currently slowing capital into wind?
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Project Bankability: What separates a promising project from an investable one?
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Revenue & Risk: Where do revenue and risk uncertainties remain?
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Social Licence: How is social licence assessed and valued?
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Approval Delays: How do approval delays affect financing and capital costs?
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Connection Queues: How are connection delays affecting investment decisions?
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Unlocking Scale: What changes would unlock investment at scale?
Joe Harber
Executive Director, Wind
Clean Energy Finance Corporation
Fiona McIntyre
Chief Financial and Investments Officer
RWE Renewables Australia
Daniel Beaver
Executive Director
Foresight Australia
Darren Brown
Co‑MD, Renewables
Octopus Australia
Rachel Chia
Managing Director, Head of Project Finance for APAC
Deutsche Bank
Coffee Break
16:00 - 16:50
50 mins
[Offshore Wind Leadership Panel] From Auction to Investment: Turning Australia's First Offshore Wind Projects into Reality
Core: With Australia's first offshore wind auction underway, what will it take to turn awarded projects into investment and construction?
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What will make auction outcomes genuinely bankable?
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How quickly can successful projects reach FID?
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What risks remain after auction award?
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What must government and industry do next?
16:50 - 17:10
20 mins
[Industry Spotlight] From Offshore Wind to System-wide Demand
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Reserved for Premium Sponsor
17:10 - 18:00
50 mins
[Leadership Panel] From Roadmap to Reality — Delivering Australia's Energy Transition at Scale
Core: How can Australia turn its energy roadmap into coordinated investment, infrastructure, market reform and delivery at the pace required?
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Coordinating investment: How can government, investors and industry align investment decisions?
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From planning to delivery: How can long-term plans translate into projects faster?
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Removing barriers: Which policy and regulatory barriers need urgent reform?
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Leadership & accountability: Who needs to lead Australia's next phase of energy delivery?
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If you could change one thing to accelerate the transition, what would it be, and when will your organisation start?
18:00 - 18:05
05 mins
Closing Remarks
18:05 - 19:05
60 mins
