Conference Program

MC OPENS

SPEED NETWORKING

This speed networking session will allow delegates to introduce themselves and swap business cards with those they are seated with and other conference attendees.

Brisbane Metro - One Year On

• In 2025, Brisbane City Council launched two new metro routes, Brisbane Metro M1 and M2, alongside a new bus network to reduce congestion and make journeys more reliable. Hear from Council how the success of Brisbane Metro is shaping the future of bus rapid transport across the city.

Cr Andrew Wines, Civic Cabinet Chair of Public Transport, Brisbane City Council

Cross River Rail

• Latest updates on Cross River Rail.
• The project will ease congestion, improve connectivity and boost capacity.

Graeme Newton, Chief Executive Officer, Cross River Rail Delivery Authority

Resilient & Future-Focused Transport Infrastructure

• This presentation will examine Queensland’s approach to delivering a resilient and sustainable transport legacy in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Andrew Mahon, Deputy Director-General (Policy, Planning and Investment), Department of Transport and Main Roads

European Train Control System Program

• The European Train Control System (ETCS) is a digital signalling system will be delivered to key parts of the Southeast Queensland rail network.
• The program will improve flow of information, help increase the frequency of trains, ensure a high level of safety, future-proof the rail network, and increase the reliability of the state’s rail network.

Steven Thirkell, Engineering Delivery Director (Design and Delivery of the European Train Control System), Hitachi Rail

Construction Trends in 2026

This presentation outlines the key construction trends shaping the coming year, highlighting the shift towards connected, data-driven project delivery. It covers the growing impact of digital transformation, AI and automation, industrialised construction, and smart job sites, along with the increasing importance of operational excellence and predictability. The session also explores what these changes mean for organisations, including where to focus investment and how to stay competitive in an evolving industry.

Mike Kain, Lead Technical Consultant – Autodesk Forma, ARKANCE

PANEL DISCUSSION
Planning for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics & Legacy Transport Infrastructure 

• Hear from a panel of experts about planning for Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic Games.
• Challenges, risks, and opportunities.

Clare Robertson, Director, Infrastructure Advisory Group
Eugenie Buckley, Deputy Director-General, Dep of Sport, Racing & Olympic Games
Jack Shelley, State Director, WT Partnership
Kylie Nixon, Associate Active Transport Lead - Australia, Arup
Peter Milward, General Manager, Department of Transport and Main Roads

Sunshine Coast Terminal Airport Upgrades 

• Sunshine Coast Airport is undergoing a $170 million terminal expansion, which will double its size by 2027
• Upgrades include modernised facilities, enhanced retail and dining, improved passenger experience, and more baggage facilities.

Chris Mills, Chief Executive Officer, Sunshine Coast Airport

Bluebeam Max – new automations in drawing reviews, takeoffs, and markups

This new release of Bluebeam can be leveraged across the entire AECO project lifecycle, with new advancements in automation of drawing reviews, takeoffs, and markups. Alex will highlight how Max reduces rework using automatic drawing review tools, enhanced versions of the drawing comparison tools, all through the emerging AI-driven capabilities within Bluebeam. The session will also touch on how connected workflows between Bluebeam and other programs such as Revit, can eliminate communication errors and improve turnaround times during the review cycle.

Alex De Campo, Technical Consultant – Bluebeam, ARKANCE

Presentation by Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility

Garry Mueller, Director, Investment, NAIF

Decarbonising the aviation industry

• Exploring Sustainable Aviation Fuel options

Mac Irvine, Chief Financial Officer, Jet Zero

From Budget to Build: Navigating Cost Escalation in Queensland’s Transport Infrastructure Pipeline

• Queensland’s transport infrastructure pipeline is entering a period of unprecedented demand, with Olympic-related works coinciding with broader state and national investment in roads, rail, and utilities.
• Construction cost escalation is being driven by overlapping project timelines, labour shortages, supply chain volatility, constrained market capacity – and geopolitical challenges.
• This session will outline the findings from WT’s latest Australian Construction Market Conditions Report, explore the systemic pressures behind rising costs, the unique risks facing transport infrastructure delivery, and practical strategies available to mitigate escalation.

Jack Shelley, State Director, WT Partnership

Lauren Hewitt, CEO, Queensland Transport and Logistics Council

QTLC Pilots and Escorts Project – Safe and Sustainable Escort Reform for Queensland

• The QTLC Pilots and Escorts Project, A Safe and Sustainable Pilot and Escort Framework for Queensland (P&EFQ), responds to growing safety, capacity and delivery challenges associated with Oversize Overmass (OSOM) movements across Queensland. Rapid growth in major construction and renewable energy projects has exposed the limits of the current escort system, particularly heavy reliance on Police escorts, resulting in delays, operational risk and network disruption. The project was led by the Queensland Transport and Logistics Council (QTLC) with support from WSP, Pastin Solutions and industry partners.
• The project undertook a comprehensive national and international review, supported by extensive engagement with government, police, road managers and industry. This evidence base informed the development of a harmonised, safety‑led framework that supports a “police‑by‑exception” model, expanded use of accredited industry pilots, clearer operating envelopes and targeted trials to underpin staged reform. The outcome is a practical pathway to improve safety, unlock freight capacity, reduce congestion and future‑proof Queensland’s transport system, with relevance beyond Queensland and potential for national alignment.

Kieran Cook, Principal, Infrastructure Advisory, WSP Australia

The Role of Governance in driving High Performance Projects

Jess Fraser, APAC - People & Organisations Leader - Management Consulting, Arup
Peter Scuderi, Principal, APAC - Advisory Leader, Management Consulting, Arup

MC OPENS

SPEED NETWORKING

This speed networking session will allow delegates to introduce themselves and swap business cards with those they are seated with and other conference attendees.

Coomera Connector (Stage 1)

• The Coomera Connector will deliver a road transport network expansion over a 45-kilometre stretch between Loganholme and Nerang. 
• The $3.5 billion project is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments and will provide a new road link to the east of the M1 corridor, with new crossings of the Albert, Coomera, Logan, and Nerang Rivers.

Darren Wagstaff, Project Director, ACCIONA
Jay Sharma, Project Manager, Georgiou

Warren Briggs, Chief Financial Officer, Brisbane Airport

The Road to Building Queensland – Heavy Vehicle Capacity and Queensland’s Infrastructure Pipeline.

• This presentation explores the critical role of heavy vehicles and drivers in enabling Queensland’s infrastructure pipeline. It considers the capacity and workforce implications of the infrastructure build, and highlights opportunities for government and industry to work together. The session will also outline key NHVR initiatives being delivered with government and industry to support safer and more productive heavy vehicle operations across Queensland and nationally, that are better for the environment and communities.

Brayden Soo, Manager, Freight and Supply Chain, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Outback Way Upgrade Program

• The Outback Way is a 2,720-kilometre route that crosses Central Australia, connecting Laverton in Western Australia with Winton in Queensland via Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
• The upgrades will progressively seal and widen the Donohue Highway and Diamantina Developmental Road between Winton and Tobermorey, which will improve safety, connectivity, and access for tourism, freight, and mining.

Mel Forbes, General Manager, Outback Highway Development Council

Biosecurity in the Boardroom: How Agricultural Leadership is shaping Queensland's Transport and Infrastructure Agenda

Jo will explore how agricultural leadership is shaping Queensland’s transport and infrastructure agenda beyond the farm gate. Through the Biosecurity in the Boardroom project, delivered in partnership with Biosecurity Queensland, QFF is elevating biosecurity as a core governance risk—highlighting the operational, financial and reputational exposure facing transport and supply chain businesses. It will also examine QFF’s joint advocacy in the Fix The Bruce campaign alongside RACQ and other peak bodies, and QFF’s ongoing role on the Bruce Highway Advisory Council to prioritise critical upgrades that improve safety, strengthen freight efficiency and unlock productivity for regional industries and communities.

Jo Sheppard, Chief Executive Officer, Queensland Farmers Federation

Innovation, Digital and Smart technologies in Transport Infrastructure Delivery 

• Hear about how AI, data, and smart technologies can optimise transport infrastructure projects in Queensland.

Professor Zuduo Zheng, Professor & Deputy TMR TAP Chair, University of Queensland

From Accessible Assets to Accessible Journeys: What We Learned from Victoria and the World

Many public transport systems can point to accessible buses, platforms, policies, and standards, yet passengers with disability continue to report inconsistent, stressful, and unsafe journeys.

This presentation brings together two complementary perspectives: results from Hailo’s Victorian trial focused on improving safety and accessibility outcomes in real-world operations, and international learnings from Santiago Velasquez’s Churchill Fellowship, which examined how cities around the world approach inclusive public transport.

By comparing local trial data with global best practice, the session reveals a recurring gap between infrastructure availability and passenger experience. It identifies the “missing puzzle piece” that prevents accessibility from working holistically.

The presentation offers actionable insights into how transport systems can move from fragmented accessibility initiatives to truly accessible journeys, that are better for all travellers, not just people with a disability.

Jonathan Dalton, CEO, Hailo
Santiago Velasquez, CTO, Hailo

Global Technology, Local Impact: Building Rail That Works for Queensland

Carla Garvie, Commercial Director, Alstom

Training Centre for Automated Vehicles in Rural and Remote Regions

The Australian Research Council ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Automated Vehicles in Rural and Remote Regions (AVR3) is a collaborative and interdisciplinary effort with investigators from QUT’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q), the QUT Design Lab, Centre for Data Science, and Centre for Robotics, plus leading researchers, industry, and government partners from all around Australia

The ARC Training Centre AVR3 will build skills and capability to test and deploy safe, socially acceptable, automated vehicles (AV) for rural, regional, and remote Australian public roads, where manufacturing, agriculture, mining, and defence industries face significant challenges of driver shortages, rising costs, long distances, rough roads, and environmental impacts.

Prof Sebastien Glasier, Professor - Intelligent Transport Systems, Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety CARRS-Q

The Heavy Construction Materials Agenda: What Queensland Must Do to Keep Infrastructure Delivery Moving

Queensland’s infrastructure ambitions depend on securing the heavy construction materials needed to deliver them.

With hardrock demand in South East Queensland forecast to exceed existing quarry capacity through to and beyond 2032, the industry faces growing challenges around supply, freight efficiency, fuel costs and planning certainty.

CCAA will outline the practical policy reforms and industry actions needed to keep major infrastructure projects moving — including quarry uplift reforms, freight productivity measures and improving investment confidence for future resource development.

Michael Kilgariff, Chief Executive Officer, Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia