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Programme
Riding the waves of change
The 2023 conference programme has been designed by a collective of industry leaders for property professionals like you. Please note this programme is subject to change.
Hon Julie Bishop
Chancellor Australian National University 38th Foreign Minister of Australia and Chancellor of the Australian National University
Biography
Ms Bishop served as Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 until 2018 and was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She has also served as Minister for Education, Science and training, Minister for Women’s Issues and Minister for Ageing.
Prior to entering politics, Ms Bishop was Managing Partner of the national law firm Clayton Utz in Perth. In 2020 Julie was awarded a Fisher Family Fellowship at Harvard University and in 2021 she was awarded the Kissinger Fellowship at the McCain Institute.
In 2022 Ms Bishop was awarded the Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop AsiaLink Medal. Julie is Chair of Telethon Kids Institute, Chair of Prince’s Trust Australia, member of the international advisory boards of Afiniti, Human Immunome Project and the Global Board of Advisors of the Council on Foreign Relations.
She is also the Patron of Shooting Stars (an education programme for young aboriginal girls) and an ambassador for Football Australia’s Legacy ’23 in the lead up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
9:15am, Thursday 21 September
Opening Keynote
As the opening keynote for TPC23, Julie will share experiences from her journey in politics, with insights into her advocacy for diversity and inclusion, her experiences as a woman in government and key highlights and challenges throughout her career so far.
Site Tours
Join us for one of two optional site tours on day one of the Property Conference 2023.
2:00 - 5:00pm Tour One (SOLD OUT)
A tour of two of the most exciting developments in the Gold Coast:
The Star
The 2-billion-dollar masterplan will put residents at the centre of a truly world-class recreational hub comprising four new towers, restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and retail spaces on Broadbeach Island. The first mixed-use hotel and apartment tower opened in 2022. The overall masterplan represents a significant transformation for The Star Gold Coast, bringing sophistication, service, and style to a new level.
HOTA Gallery
Completed in 2021, the HOTA Gallery has a 1000-square metre main exhibition gallery designed for touring exhibitions of international size and scale as well as a children's gallery and 900 square metres of collection storage, workspace and crate storage. Built over 6 levels, the visual arts facility has over 2000 square metres of AAA-rated, international standard exhibition space.
3:30 - 5:00pm Tour Two (NEW)
A tour of RDX Lumina, a state-of-the-art health and research-focused facility to be delivered within the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct.
RDX spans 11,500sqm across nine storeys and features sustainable design, targeting a 6 Star Green Star rating, a first-in-precinct accomplishment. The building offers a mix of clinical, research, laboratory, and specialist consulting spaces. Construction is underway and scheduled to complete mid 2025. With a proposed air bridge link into Gold Coast Private Hospital, RDX is currently the only building within the Lumina precinct to offer clinical connectivity and direct hospital access. With a focus on health, innovation and R&D excellence, the RDX ecosystem provides the opportunity to join the likes of Philips Health and Sonic Healthcare at this world-class facility.
Please note: Site tours are exclusively for TPC23 attendees, but are not included in the TPC23 general admission ticket and will need to be purchased in addition to your registration. Limited spaces are available.
5:30 - 8:30pm Welcome Function
Proudly sponsored by Cottee Parker Architects
Surfers Pavilion 30/34 Ferny Ave, Surfers Paradis
Dress code: Classy casual, beach-themed.
9:00am Conference Opening
Miriama Kamo
Master of Ceremonies
9:05am Welcome
Leonie Freeman
Chief Executive Officer, Property Council New Zealand
9:15am Opening Keynote
Hon Julie Bishop
Chancellor of the Australian National University and 38th Foreign Minister of Australia
10:05am Paramanawa
Meaning refreshment, snack, smoko, morning tea.
10:35am Virtual | An Economic Forecast
Stephen Wu
Economist, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
11:00am Panel | The Catalysts: Inspiring Leadership in Times of Change
- Leonie Freeman, Chief Executive Officer, Property Council New Zealand (moderator)
- Alison Mirams, Executive Chair, Roberts Co
- Amanda Steele, Group Executive Head of Property, ISPT
- Michael Zorbas, Chief Executive, Property Council Australia
11:50am Hear from the Deputy Mayor
Councillor Donna Gates
Deputy Mayor of the Gold Coast
12:05pm Panel | Indigenous Design
- Dr Danièle Hromek, Director, Djinjama
- Dr Rebecca Kiddle, Director, Te Manawahoukura, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
12:50pm Tina
Meaning to have lunch.
2:00pm Case Study | Queen’s Wharf Integrated Resort Development, Brisbane
Naveen Dath
Director, Cottee Parker Architects
2:35pm Virtual | The Managed Retreat
Belinda Storey
Senior Research Fellow, New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute
3:05pm Paramanawa
Meaning refreshment, snack, smoko, afternoon tea.
3:40pm Property Council Advocacy Report Card
Katherine Wilson
Head of Advocacy, Property Council New Zealand
4:00pm Keynote | Courage Under Fire
Rabia Siddique
International Humanitarian Lawyer
5:00pm End of Day One
7:30 - 11:00pm Yardi Mix & Mingle | Miami Street Carnival
Proudly sponsored by Yardi
It could be the back streets of Thailand, Barcelona or New York City, but it's right here on the Gold Coast! Bring your comfy shoes and prepare for an evening of fun, connection and delicious international street food at the Miami Marketta!
Dress code: Street carnival theme - think Rio!
9:00am Keynote: Building Communities
Lucinda Hartley
Urban designer and Co-Founder, Neighbourlytics
9:30am Falling Between the Gaps | Seismic Uncertainties
- Andrew Thompson, Structural Engineer, Holmes Group
- Tim Clarke, Partner & workplace safety specialist, Bell Gully
10:00am Case Study | Suncorp HQ Brisbane
David Lee
Principal, Woods Bagot
10:35am Paramanawa
Meaning refreshment, snack, smoko, morning tea.
11:05am Lessons from Cedar Pacific's Build to Rent Journey
Bernard Armstrong
CEO, Cedar Pacific
11:35am Panel | ESG: Shaping the Sustainable Future
- Alec Tang, Partner - Sustainable Value, KPMG
- Annelies Hodge, ESG Lead Australia, Norman Disney & Young
- Jessica Stewart, Sustainability Manager, Ginninderry
12:15pm Closing Keynote | Guinness World Record Attitude
Erchana Murray-Bartlett
Marathon Runner & Sports Activist
12:45pm Conference Closing
Leonie Freeman
Chief Executive, Property Council New Zealand
1:00pm Farewell Lunch
2:15pm End of Conference
Biography
Stephen is an economist at the Commonwealth Bank in the Australian Economics team. The role involves analysing economic trends in Australia as well as communicating views on the economy and the implications for monetary policy.
Prior to joining the Commonwealth Bank, Stephen was an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia, working in the Economic Analysis Department. He has more than four years of experience as an economist covering both the Australian and global economies. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics (Honours) and Finance and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Sydney.
10:35am, Thursday 21 September
An Economic Forecast
We live in uncertain economic times, when everyone would like to go ‘back to the future’ to see what lies ahead.
While keynote speaker Stephen Wu might not own a DeLorean, he does have the ability to analyse trends, speak to macroeconomic themes and identify a broad range of financial market issues. This is one economic forecast you’d be sorry to miss!
Biography
Alison Mirams is the Executive Chair of boutique tier one construction company, Roberts Co, having also served as the founding Chief Executive Officer. The company was founded in January 2017 and within the first five years had 280 employees and a workbook of over $1.5 billion.
Prior to establishing Roberts Co, Alison led the NSW/ACT regional business unit for Lendlease’s Building business for nearly three years. Prior to joining Lendlease, Alison enjoyed a successful sixteen-year career at Multiplex, rising from Contracts Administrator to Regional Director.
Alison is deeply passionate about addressing the systemic issues that exist in the construction industry and attracting and retaining more women in the industry.
Alison is a member of the TAFE Commission Board and is on the Advisory Board for Aero PM. She received the Laing O’Rourke Businesswoman of the Year award at the 2018 NAWIC NSW Awards for Excellence and holds a Bachelor of Building (Construction Economics) and a Graduate Diploma Urban Estate Management from UTS.
Alison is an active mum to her nine-year-old son.
11:00am, Thursday 21 September
Leadership Panel
Alison will join moderator Leonie Freeman, Chief Executive of Property Council New Zealand and fellow panellists Amanda Steele, Executive Managing Director of Property Management, CBRE and Michael Zorbas, Chief Executive, Property Council Australia for our Leadership Panel.
This panel of city shapers will be discussing the key issues facing the Australasian property industry, and what they and their organisations are doing to leap these obstacles.
Biography
Amanda Steele is ISPT’s Group Executive, Head of Property and is a driven commercial leader with a strong track record in profit growth, transformational change and addressing business problems for investor benefit.
Prior to joining ISPT, Amanda held the position of Executive Managing Director of Property Management at CBRE, was awarded the 2019 NSW Telstra Business Women’s Award and continues to regularly host the property series, The Placemakers. At ISPT, Amanda leads the development and implementation of enhanced asset strategies across ISPT’s 140+ properties including Office, Retail, Industrial, Healthcare and Life Sciences, delivering strong, sustainable returns for investors.
11:00am, Thursday 21 September
Leadership Panel
Amanda will join moderator Leonie Freeman, Chief Executive of Property Council New Zealand and fellow panellists Alison Mirams, Executive Chair of Roberts Co and Michael Zorbas, Chief Executive, Property Council Australia for our Leadership Panel.
This panel of city shapers will be discussing the key issues facing the Australasian property industry, and what they and their organisations are doing to leap these obstacles.
Biography
Mike has worked in property since his first ever job working for former Property Council National President and Australian Property Hall of Fame member, the late Jim Service AO.
Prior to becoming CEO, Mike was our Group Executive of Policy and Advocacy.
Over the past two decades Mike has held senior roles at Lendlease, Stockland and the Liberal Democrats in the UK among other organisations working on public policy, communications and major projects in all Australian States.
He is a current member of the Board of the Sydney Institute and a former Deputy Chair of the Committee for Sydney.
11:00am, Thursday 21 September
Leadership Panel
Mike will join moderator Leonie Freeman, Chief Executive of Property Council New Zealand and fellow panellists Alison Mirams, Executive Chair of Roberts Co and Amanda Steele, Group Executive, Head of Property at ISPT for our Leadership Panel.
This panel of city shapers will be discussing the key issues facing the Australasian property industry, and what they and their organisations are doing to leap these obstacles.
Biography
Donna Gates, Councillor for Division 3 of the Gold Coast and the Gold Coast’s Deputy Mayor has represented northern Gold Coast since 2007 and has been Deputy Mayor since 2012.
Donna has been instrumental in the delivery of significant community facilities, including the Upper Coomera Centre, the Ormeau Centre, the Ormeau Sports Park, Ormeau Skate Park, the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre and the $80 million Pimpama Sports Hub – a major sporting and community precinct to meet the growing population of the northern Gold Coast.
11:50am, Thursday 21 September
Hear from the Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor Donna Gates will give an overview of the City of Gold Coast’s planned and future infrastructure, transport and regional development projects. She will explore how the City aligns these different development workstreams and explain the funding and financing of these large projects.
Be prepared to uncover the lessons learned from her time in office, from someone who knows and understands our industry.
Biography
Victoria is Chief Executive Officer of FoodHQ, an organisation on a mission to grow food and beverage innovation by connecting the science and business of food.
Formerly Victoria was a director in PwC’s Sustainability & Climate Change practice with over a decade of experience in climate change adaptation and mitigation, both in New Zealand and globally.
Prior to joining PwC, Victoria was leading the UK’s COP26 and climate change work in New Zealand and the Pacific. Based at the British High Commission in Wellington, she worked with New Zealand Government and business to enhance ambition for climate change action, leading initiatives with a focus on sustainable finance, nature-based solutions, and transport.
Victoria is a Net Zero strategist and systems thinker who has demonstrated success in driving ambitious climate change action. Working for NZ’s Ministry for Primary Industries, Victoria managed the development of NZ’s international agriculture and climate change strategy. She was instrumental at negotiating the first outcome for agriculture in the UN climate change negotiations as a member of NZ’s delegation and also led the policy work for a split gas approach in the Climate Change Amendment Response Act 2019.
2:25pm, Thursday 21 September
The Managed Retreat
This session focuses on New Zealand’s unique environmental challenges and practical steps to manage climate change. Expert speaker Belinda Storey will share her perspective on lease grants for impacted land. Discussions will revolve around the urgency of action, exploring if it’s too late to reverse the effects. Additionally, key innovations within the market will be highlighted to inspire impactful change.
Rabia Siddique
International Humanitarian Lawyer, Retired British Army Senior Officer, Former War Crimes and Terrorism Prosecutor and hostage survivor
Biography
Rabia has undertaken humanitarian aid work in Asia, South America, Europe and the Middle East, for which she was decorated by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Having survived a hostage crisis in Iraq in 2005 Rabia sued the British Government for discrimination when both the military and government tried to cover up her involvement in the incident, which saw her leading hostage negotiations for the release of two British Special Forces illegally kidnapped and detained by Iraqi based terrorists. Rabia was held hostage for over eight hours and subjected to cruel and unusual treatment in front of her male colleagues. After their eventual rescue Rabia’s colleagues were recognised, psychologically supported and decorated for their efforts and bravery, however Rabia was gagged, ignored and ordered to never speak of the role she played on that fateful day where she almost lost her life.
Rabia’s best selling memoir “Equal Justice: My Journey as a Woman, a Soldier and a Muslim” was published in 2013 and work is currently underway to adapt this to a movie.
Rabia is now a multi award winning story teller, inspirational speaker, leadership consultant, media commentator and human rights advocate. Peace and the sustainability of our planet is what drives her. But her biggest challenge and joy is being a mother to her teenage triplet boys!
4:00pm, Thursday 21 September
Keynote: Courage Under Fire
Entertaining, powerful and engaging, this best-selling author represents a living example of how each one of us can be a force for positive change in our own lives and those around us.
Biography
A well-respected industry leader, Leonie has extensive experience in the New Zealand property industry, having held top positions in both the public and private sector. From creating the concept of what is now realestate.co.nz, to buying and transforming her own residential property management business, helping establish the new Auckland Council, and managing asset development for Housing New Zealand, there’s not many areas of property that Leonie has not touched.
In 2011, Leonie was appointed to the board of NZX listed company Goodman Property Trust, and up until her 2018 appointment as Property Council’s Chief Executive, she dedicated her time to leading an independent philanthropic initiative to solve Auckland’s housing crisis.
Leonie holds a Master of Commerce, majoring in valuation and property management and is a life member of the Property Institute of New Zealand, a chartered member of the Institute of Directors, and a member of Global Women. In 2017 she was awarded the Property Institute’s Supreme Property Award, and the Property Council Auckland Property People Judges Choice Award, and in 2020 she received the prestigious Bledisloe Medal from Lincoln University.
11:00am, Thursday 21 September
Leadership Panel
In addition to opening and closing the conference, Leonie will be moderating panellists Alison Mirams, Executive Chair of Roberts Co, Mike Zorbas, Chief Executive Officer of Property Council Australia and Amanda Steele, Group Executive, Head of Property at ISPT for our Leadership Panel.
This panel of city shapers will be discussing the key issues facing the Australasian property industry, and what they and their organisations are doing to leap these obstacles.
Biography
As Property Council’s Head of Advocacy, Katherine is tasked with leading our advocacy campaigns at both a regional and national level.
Level-headed and engaging, Katherine has both a law degree from Otago University and an arts degree (majoring in politics) from Auckland University. With solid experience as a policy analyst and advisor in Wellington and Auckland, she has extensive networks and solid analytical skills.
Katherine is hugely dedicated, highly intelligent and committed to ensuring the voice of our members is heard at all levels of governance. She’s also relentlessly positive and enjoys a good chat.
3:40pm, Thursday 21 September
Property Council Advocacy Report Card
In this quickfire 15-minute session, Head of Advocacy Katherine Wilson will provide members with a snapshot of Property Council’s current workstreams, what’s on the horizon and how you can get involved to help champion the property industry.
Biography
Lucinda Hartley is an award-winning urban designer, a cofounder of world-leading social analytics company Neighbourlytics, and a globally recognised expert in smart cities and social change.
Named as one of Australia’s 100 Most Influential Women by the Australian Financial Review, Lucinda is a technology leader who offers inspiration and practical advice on the future of living, the future of work and how technology can be a force for good in turbulent times.
Lucinda is an ‘urban futurist’ who has spent the past decade pioneering innovative solutions for improving cities and neighbourhoods, now adopted globally. She helped create the UN Sustainable Development Goals for cities (Goal 11), has delivered more than 100 neighbourhood improvement projects across Australia through her social enterprise CoDesign Studio and is now spearheading world leading technology for measuring neighbourhood lifestyle and wellbeing using digital data, as Founding Director of Neighbourlytics.
Lucinda’s passion for cities and neighbourhoods began in childhood, growing up in Kenya, Zimbabwe and a host of other countries where she saw first-hand how your postcode is as likely to affect your life expectancy as your genetic code. From this point she built a career seeking new ways to live.
9:00am, Friday 22 September
Keynote: Building Communities
Lucinda will be kicking off our final day of conference with an energising keynote that draws on her experience across emerging technology and design, to inspiration and some of the most important questions of our time: how we live, work, connect and build community.
Biography
Tim is a litigation partner specialising in employment and workplace safety law.
He has extensive experience in advising on all aspects of health and safety, including advising clients on responding to notifiable incidents, representing clients in WorkSafe investigations, responding to or defending criminal prosecutions brought by WorkSafe, and appearing at sentencing hearings.
Recent experience includes acting for large manufacturing companies, meat processing plants, oil and gas companies and supermarket chains in WorkSafe prosecutions.
9:30am, Friday 22 September
Falling Between the Gaps | Seismic Uncertainties
This session will delve into MBIE’s seismic risk guidance and its practical implications. Andrew and Tim will highlight the significance of seismic assessments in occupancy decision-making, the debate between %NBS metric and relative vulnerability, making informed risk decisions, understanding the differences between the “Red Book” and “Yellow Chapter,” the importance of DSA assessments, the interplay between EPB and HSWA regimes, and addressing the disconnect between WorkSafe policy clarification and MBIE guidance to reconcile uncertainty in implementation.
Biography
Jessica Stewart is the Sustainability Manager for Ginninderry – a 30-year project that will ultimately be home to 30,000 residents in Australia’s only cross-border master-planned community that extends across the ACT border into NSW.
Jessica holds tertiary qualifications in Engineering and Science from the Australian National University, majoring in Materials and Mechanics, Renewable Energy Systems, Sustainability Science and Science Communication.
Jessica has a passion for building strong, resilient communities and exploring the reasons why people love (and hate) the places where they live, work and play. Through education and energy efficiency, Jessica aims to raise the bar for new developments and Ginninderry in particular, by ensuring that residents maximise their assets, reduce their running costs and design smarter homes.
Jessica has been awarded the National Association of Women in Construction ACT Emerging Leader Award and was named the Property Council of Australia’s ACT Future Leader of the Year in 2017. Jessica was also acknowledged as a Green Star Champion by the Green Building Council of Australia in 2020.
11:35am, Friday 22 September
ESG: Shaping the Sustainable Future
This panel will explore the transformative power of prioritising Social and Governance (S&G) considerations. Key discussions will revolve around fostering value creation, implementing robust sustainability policies, driving positive community impact, addressing climate change through action, ensuring ethical sourcing practices, promoting people wellness, and enhancing staff retention. They will challenge participants to strive for continuous improvement in their sustainability endeavours.
Biography
A well-respected industry leader, Leonie has extensive experience in the New Zealand property industry, having held top positions in both the public and private sector. From creating the concept of what is now realestate.co.nz, to buying and transforming her own residential property management business, helping establish the new Auckland Council, and managing asset development for Housing New Zealand, there’s not many areas of property that Leonie has not touched.
In 2011, Leonie was appointed to the board of NZX listed company Goodman Property Trust, and up until her 2018 appointment as Property Council’s Chief Executive, she dedicated her time to leading an independent philanthropic initiative to solve Auckland’s housing crisis.
Leonie holds a Master of Commerce, majoring in valuation and property management and is a life member of the Property Institute of New Zealand, a chartered member of the Institute of Directors, and a member of Global Women. In 2017 she was awarded the Property Institute’s Supreme Property Award, and the Property Council Auckland Property People Judges Choice Award, and in 2020 she received the prestigious Bledisloe Medal from Lincoln University.
11:00am, Thursday 21 September
Leadership Panel
In addition to opening and closing the conference, Leonie will be moderating panellists Alison Mirams, Executive Chair of Roberts Co, Mike Zorbas, Chief Executive Officer of Property Council Australia and Amanda Steele, Group Executive, Head of Property at ISPT for our Leadership Panel.
This panel of city shapers will be discussing the key issues facing the Australasian property industry, and what they and their organisations are doing to leap these obstacles.
Biography
Erchana Murray-Bartlett is changing the way we perceive what we are capable of. She holds a Guinness World Record by running from the tip of mainland Australia, Cape York, to Melbourne. 150 marathons back to back. No days off.
Through her expedition into the unknown, Erchana not only doubled her fundraising goal for her partner charity, the Wilderness Society, but she also encouraged people from all walks of life to join her on the road, culminating in a story that inspired people to get up and move on a global scale.
Erchana has shown it is possible to maintain a high level of mental and physical performance over an extended time and teaches how having respect for the steps needed to accomplish your goal is the key to achieving it.
12:15pm, Friday 22 September
Closing Keynote | Guinness World Record Attitude
Erchana will be closing the conference on a high over our final networking lunch, sharing her story, offering insight into nailing the Guinness World Record attitude, and unpacking how hard work and self belief is fundamental to an elite mindset. She will discuss the fear of failure (and how to kick it to the curb), as well as how to build your wall of resilience, one brick at a time.
Biography
Award winning journalist, Miriama Kamo, is the presenter and a reporter for TVNZ’s flagship current affairs programme, Sunday and a presenter on TVNZ’s bilingual Maori and English current affairs show, Marae.
Miriama has worked across most of TVNZ’s stable of news and current affairs programmes, including 20/20 and 1 News at Six.
As a newsreader, Miriama has been at the forefront of many major New Zealand events, including the Pike River Explosion, the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary, and the Christchurch earthquakes.
A writer, Miriama’s work is regularly featured on news sites, online publications and in magazines and in early 2018 Miriama had her first children’s book published.
Master of Ceremonies
We are delighted to have Miriama join us for the duration of the conference as our Master of Ceremonies.
Biography
Annelies is an international sustainability and strategy expert working to enhance the ESG practices of Norman Disney & Young and its clients. Prior to NDY, Annelies has held roles as a Senior Advisor in the Strategic Planning Department for the NSW Greater Cities Commission, and as a Senior Manager of CSR & ESG for the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
She has assisted numerous organisations in identifying, understanding and addressing their ESG risks and opportunities in Australia, Europe, Canada and the Middle East. Annelies has significant experience working with ISO14001, OSHAS18001 and LEED EBOM, as well as in strategy, research, management, auditing, communications and business development. She has published and presented widely on ESG topics abroad.
11:35am, Friday 22 September
ESG: Shaping the Sustainable Future
This panel will explore the transformative power of prioritising Social and Governance (S&G) considerations. Key discussions will revolve around fostering value creation, implementing robust sustainability policies, driving positive community impact, addressing climate change through action, ensuring ethical sourcing practices, promoting people wellness, and enhancing staff retention. They will challenge participants to strive for continuous improvement in their sustainability endeavours.
Biography
Dr Danièle Hromek is a Budawang woman of the Yuin nation, aiming to centre Country in the design process in order it can be the driver for the design of the built environment.
Working at the intersection of architecture, urban design, performance design and fine arts, Danièle is a spatial designer, cultural advisor and researcher. Danièle’s research is grounded in her cultural and experiential heritage. It contributes an understanding of the Indigenous experience and comprehension of space, investigating how Aboriginal people occupy, use, narrate, sense, dream and contest their spaces. Danièle’s work rethinks the values that inform Aboriginal understandings of space through Indigenous spatial knowledge and cultural practice, in doing so considers the sustainability of Indigenous cultures from a spatial design perspective.
Danièle is director of Djinjama, whose clients include state and local government, museums and galleries, as well as industry including architects, planners, designers, heritage and engineering firms.
12:05pm, Thursday 21 September
Indigenous Design Panel
This panel will explore the crucial topic of designing for and connecting with indigenous communities. Our panel of experts will discuss indigenous design, challenges faced in NZ and Australia, indigenous procurement, and the positive impact of these approaches. They will highlight successful examples, emphasize the importance of indigenous procurement, and share key considerations and best practices for engaging with indigenous communities. The panel will also address integrating indigenous design principles into mainstream architecture and design practices while respecting cultural sensitivity and avoiding appropriation.
Biography
Dr Rebecca Kiddle is Ngāti Porou and Ngāpuhi and is Director of the Research Institute, Te Manawahoukura based at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
With training in urban design (MA and PhD in urban design, Oxford Brookes University, UK), her work focuses on Indigeneity in an urban context and in particular the uncovering of Indigenous identities, worldviews and value sets in our homes, streets, public spaces, towns and cities. In addition, she is concerned with disrupting dominant decision-making processes to ensure those voices who are little heard are elevated.
12:05pm, Thursday 21 September
Indigenous Design Panel
This panel will explore the crucial topic of designing for and connecting with indigenous communities. Our panel of experts will discuss indigenous design, challenges faced in NZ and Australia, indigenous procurement, and the positive impact of these approaches. They will highlight successful examples, emphasize the importance of indigenous procurement, and share key considerations and best practices for engaging with indigenous communities. The panel will also address integrating indigenous design principles into mainstream architecture and design practices while respecting cultural sensitivity and avoiding appropriation.
Biography
As the originator of the iconic architectural design of the $3.6B mixed-use precinct Queen’s Wharf, Naveen is celebrated as an industry leader in the planning and design of large-scale precincts. Driven by the challenge to shape precincts into magnetic and city shaping destinations, Naveen has worked diligently for the last 9 years to bring one of Australia’s largest mixed-use precincts to life. Notably his skills and dynamism for urban design, placemaking, and realising the intersection of architecture and public realm are informed by a 25-year engagement with the profession.
Under his leadership, Cottee Parker Architects has grown to operate in a fully integrated BIM environment, and significantly transform the way their projects are delivered. Naveen is a champion for local design excellence and contributes to both the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s Policy Committee, and Brisbane City Council Advisory Panel.
2:00pm, Thursday 21 September
Case Study | Queen’s Wharf Integrated Resort Development, Brisbane
The Queen’s Wharf Integrated Resort Development is one of Australia’s largest mixed-use projects. Beyond the striking architectural response, the project will showcase Brisbane’s coming of age as a sustainable global benchmark and “Olympic City” destination. Cottee Parker Architect’s Director and Lead Designer for the Integrated Resort, Naveen Dath, will discuss how the regeneration of state-owned land can disrupt our model of a traditional city. Naveen will explore how a deep consideration for intersection of public and private realms can be the catalyst of urban change, and how the retail experience can compel locals to reconnect to the city and inspire design authentic to place.
Belinda Storey
Senior Research Fellow
New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute
Biography
Belinda is a Senior Research Fellow at the New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute, where she conducts research on the impact of escalating climate hazards on infrastructure, real estate, banking and insurance. As Managing Director of Climate Sigma, Belinda has developed a new model for valuing property under climate change called “climate leases” and in 2017 she coined the term “insurance retreat”.
Belinda Storey is a director of State Owned Enterprise Pāmu/Landcorp and was a member of XRB’s External Advisory Panel on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. She is an advisor on the property and construction sector scenario development, led by the NZ Green Business Council. She meets quarterly with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to provide advice on physical climate risk.
In May 2022 Belinda was named Wellingtonian of the Year for Science and Technology in recognition of her work in pricing climate risk.
2:35pm, Thursday 21 September
The Managed Retreat
This session focuses on New Zealand’s unique environmental challenges and practical steps to manage climate change. Expert speaker Belinda Storey will share her perspective on lease grants for impacted land. Discussions will revolve around the urgency of action, exploring if it’s too late to reverse the effects. Additionally, key innovations within the market will be highlighted to inspire impactful change.
Biography
As a Chartered Environmentalist and Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, Alec has focused his career on addressing the breadth of sustainability challenges and opportunities that are increasingly shaping our communities, society and economy. This has included a range of leaderships positions in academia, business and the public sector, alongside an active involvement in professional institutions, industry associations and networking groups.
Through these roles, Alec has become well-practised in the identification of strategic and operational sustainability risks as well as the development and delivery of solutions to meet these challenges. Alec has successfully built and led numerous diverse, multi-disciplinary teams through a focus on common values, aligned purpose and trust. His work has ranged from the development of high-level regional strategies on climate change, liveability and wellbeing, incorporating broad stakeholder and community engagement, through to the design and delivery of specific interventions and the creation of impact measures to gauge their success.
11:35am, Friday 22 September
ESG: Shaping the Sustainable Future
This panel will explore the transformative power of prioritising Social and Governance (S&G) considerations. Key discussions will revolve around fostering value creation, implementing robust sustainability policies, driving positive community impact, addressing climate change through action, ensuring ethical sourcing practices, promoting people wellness, and enhancing staff retention. They will challenge participants to strive for continuous improvement in their sustainability endeavours.
Biography
As the CEO for Cedar Pacific, Bernie is committed to creating long-term value for investors through bespoke investment opportunities in the living sector in Australia and New Zealand. Bernie is passionate about creating positive investment opportunities whilst ensuring that social and environmental factors are considered.
He holds a bachelor of architecture degree from Syracuse University and an MBA in finance and marketing from Northwestern University and sits on the European Council of Syracuse University.
As a valued executive of Pamoja Capital, Bernie was a founder of Cedar Pacific Investment Management in 2015.
Prior to joining Pamoja Capital, Bernie was a managing director with Credit Suisse where he headed the family office business in Europe and the Middle East. He has built investment advisory and trading businesses in Europe for Chase Manhattan Bank and HSBC and has also worked at Goldman Sachs.
Before embarking on a career in finance, Bernie worked as an architect for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in New York. Projects, where he took a management role, include the headquarters for Merrill Lynch at the World Financial Center, the headquarters for Salomon Brothers at the WTC and a series of housing-for-the-homeless projects for New York City.
11:05am, Friday 22 September
Lessons from Cedar Pacific's Build to Rent Journey
In this session, Cedar Pacific CEO Bernard Armstrong will share their Build to Rent journey, sharing the challenges, triumphs and learnings in making affordable Build to Rent stack up.
Biography
Andy Thompson is a consulting structural engineer, based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Andy has spent a large part of his career involved with existing building assessment and seismic risk management. He has served on the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) management committee since 2019, recently elected a Fellow of the Society.
He currently represents NZSEE on the Joint Committee for the Seismic Assessment of Existing Buildings—a group comprising MBIE, Toka Tu Ake EQC and collaborating engineering technical societies. The group is tasked with the curation of our ecosystem for managing seismic risk in existing building stock, and monitoring outcomes against objectives. Andy’s other appointments include Standards New Zealand’s Steel Structures Standard Committee, and Te Whatu Ora’s Health Engineering Advisory Group.
9:30am, Friday 22 September
Falling Between the Gaps | Seismic Uncertainties
This session will delve into MBIE’s seismic risk guidance and its practical implications. Andrew and Tim will highlight the significance of seismic assessments in occupancy decision-making, the debate between %NBS metric and relative vulnerability, making informed risk decisions, understanding the differences between the “Red Book” and “Yellow Chapter,” the importance of DSA assessments, the interplay between EPB and HSWA regimes, and addressing the disconnect between WorkSafe policy clarification and MBIE guidance to reconcile uncertainty in implementation.
Biography
David has extensive experience in the design of institutional and mixed-use buildings, from high-rise to small scale projects. He is the Design Stream Leader in the Brisbane studio and is closely involved in key projects from concept to delivery. David is passionate about starting from first principles, responding to the culture and the context of the place to generate the design narrative that is both relevant and memorable. His strength is in his ability to rationalise and organise complex design challenges into a simple architectural solution.
As Principal at Woods Bagot, David has played a crucial role in shaping the architectural and urban landscape of Brisbane. His extensive involvement in the workplace architecture tower 80 Ann Street, Heritage Lanes project stands as a testament to his exceptional expertise.
10:00am, Friday 22 September
Case Study | Suncorp HQ Brisbane
This session will provide an overview of the incredible $863m Suncorp HQ in Brisbane, a collaboration between Mirvac, M&G Real Estate, Woods Bagot and ASPECT Studios which marks a new era for sustainable and publicly generous workplace design in Australia.
The world-class office tower, spanning 35-levels, is designed for 7,000 employees and incorporates more than 60,000 square metres of premium-grade office space. It’s one of Australia’s smartest buildings, embracing leading technology and sustainability initiatives.
David will share insights into the design approach, project challenges and innovations and discuss the sustainability features of this green build, accredited with 5.5 Star NABERS Energy and 4.5 Star NABERS Water ratings and a Platinum Core and Shell WELL Certification.