SPEAKERS

There will be over 60 speakers at the Conference. Keep checking back daily for new speakers. The speakers' list may be subject to change. 


MASTER OF CEREMONIES
ASHLEY MORRISON

As a child, Ashley Morrison admits that he would stare out the window waiting for the bell and daydreaming about playing sport. After a failed attempt to play professional cricket, and a variety of jobs he eventually ended up in the media. He has worked in print media, on radio and television, has written five books - four on sport.  He has produced award winning documentaries including No Apologies and is just about to release his fourth documentary, and has a popular sports podcast Not the Footy Show.

Ashley has been involved in a variety of sports over a number of years as a player and also as a volunteer. He has also commentated around the world in as far flung places as Turkmenistand and on sports such as Kabaddi and Pancak Silat.


KEYNOTE SPEAKER
AMY JACOBSON

Inspirational leaders and outstanding performers all share an emotionally intelligent mindset combining their technical expertise together with the ability to understand what makes them and the people around them tick. They are self-aware and know that it’s not about being an emotionally intelligent person, it’s about responding in an emotionally intelligent way to each situation and circumstance.

Amy Jacobson is an EI and human behaviour specialist, delivering emotional intelligence insights & workshops across Australia and the international markets. As a Wiley published Author and a media personality across television, radio and print, Amy's mission is to break down misconceptions around E.I. and help as many people as possible to increase their emotional intelligence. Combining her balance of tough love and infectious energy, using custom- developed tools and systems, Amy creates purpose-driven teams who get results!

In Amy’s own words ‘ she helps people own their s***, take control and become unstoppable”.


 

Sponsored by


KEYNOTE SPEAKER
SHIL SHANGHAVI

Shil is a public speaking specialist, storyteller and a highly regarded speaker coach. He is redefining the meaning of public speaking by demonstrating its value across all forms of communication. His methods show you how to control your emotions and speak confidently so you can advance your career, build your reputation, feel empowered, and ensure your audience remembers exactly who you are.

Shil is the Head of Speaker Coaching for TEDxPerth, Board member for Guerrilla Establishment, a presentation mentor with Impact100 WA and a public speaking expert for Modern People. He is a pioneer in his field having introduced the concept of public speaking in virtual reality and artificial intelligence - two groundbreaking approaches which are disrupting the speaking game.

In 2021, an award-winning short film documentary of Shil's life story was released globally. The documentary is an intimate, behind the scenes look at Shil's story documenting his public speaking journey.


KEYNOTE SPEAKER
ANDREW ROSS

Upon graduation in 1994, Mr Andrew Ross worked in Australia and internationally as a lawyer and an investment banker for 10 years. He then co-founded and ran as Managing Director two international oil and gas exploration and production companies for 8 years.

In 2012, Mr Ross founded URBNSURF Group, which he led for a period of 8 years as Executive Chairman. During his tenure, URBNSURF grew to become Australia’s leading surf park developer and operator.

In his role at URBNSURF, Mr Ross was responsible for delivering the first man-made surfing lagoon in the Southern hemisphere, ‘URBNSURF Melbourne’, which commenced operations in early 2020.

Mr Ross joined Aventuur, Inc. as Chairman and Chief Development Officer in mid-2020 and is now focused on developing large scale, integrated recreation and leisure destinations globally, which feature man-made surfing lagoons.

Mr Ross is considered a leading global authority with respect to the feasibility, design, construction and operation of man-made surf parks, including the creation of related brands, guest experiences, and project capital raising.


KEYNOTE SPEAKER
CANDY CHOO

In addition to being a not-crazy cat lady who is also a psychologist, Candy Choo is the Chief Executive Officer of Local Government Professionals WA – the peak body organisation that advocates for and support professionals working in WA Local Government. Since 2017, Candy has transformed the Association into an innovative and progressive membership Association supporting local government officers through strong advocacy and representation, evidence-based research programs and member-centred training and development programs. 

Prior to this role, Candy was a senior executive at Local Government Insurance Services (LGIS) in WA for seven years overseeing the portfolio of WA local government workers compensation program as well as all associated people risk prevention services. Candy is also the Chair of Patricia Giles Centre for Non-Violence and the Chair of the Centre for Work and Wellbeing at ECU. Candy had the privilege of chairing the Cat Haven WA Board during the challenging time of the pandemic and made sure no cat was left behind! Candy has extensive background in corporate governance, risk management, advocacy and membership not for profit organisations over the past 13 years.


KEYNOTE SPEAKER
LES EVERETT

Les Everett is a school teacher, writer, editor, photographer and a sport historian with particular interest in Australian football and cricket.

He was a board member of the Fremantle Dockers from 2003 to 2006.

Les is the author of two books Gravel Rash: 100 Years of Goldfields Football (1996) and A Pictorial History of the Fremantle Dockers (2014).

After more than a decade of photographing Australian football scoreboards Les stumbled into his latest photographic project Abandoned Cricket Pitches. This pursuit has gained attention all over Australia and even media interest from the UK and Bangladesh.

What has become clear is this strange project is about more than cricket, it’s about community, change, shared stories and a recognition of what was.


SPEAKER
MICK BATTAM

With a PhD is soil science and 25 years experience in the sports turf industry, Mick has provided amendment and water saving advice for more than 2000 sporting fields. He is also a primary author of Love Your Garden program and sports turf Best Practice Guidelines in Sydney and the Lower Hunter. Mick has provided advice on for use on iconic sites such as Barangaroo, Hyde Park, RMC Duntroon, NSW Golf Course, Royal Randwick and Royal Botanic Gardens.


SPEAKER
MICHAEL ROBERTS

Michael is the Chief Executive Officer at the West Australian Football Commission. He is an experienced senior executive with an extensive track record in shaping and leading sports businesses. He has experience at the elite levels of tennis, cricket and AFL football across Australia. He is tertiary qualified with an MBA and Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Sports Management and Marketing. Mr Roberts has demonstrated the ability to cultivate effective relationships with stakeholders at all levels including volunteers, employees, members, board members, coaches, players, and government officials. He has a comprehensive understanding of financial management, budgeting, reporting, contract management, statutory reporting and compliance processes.


SPEAKER
RYAN BUCKLAND

Ryan is a Principal in ACIL Allen’s Perth office, with expertise in economic and financial analysis, formation of public policy, business strategy and investment advice, and the communication of complex ideas. He is a generalist economist, advising public and private sectors on a range of complex issues and challenges. In his time consulting, Ryan has contributed to and led a diverse range of engagements, including public financial management, policy analysis and development, program evaluation, market studies and due diligence, economic impact assessment and macroeconomic analysis. Ryan led ACIL Allen’s work with SportWest, and has completed work on a number of sports and active recreation infrastructure projects across Western Australia. Outside of work Ryan is a sports journalist who has contributed to a book about Australian rules football statistics, and writes a weekly AFL column for the West Australian during the season.


SPEAKER
ABID IMAM

Abid is a Club Engagement lead with Football West. His primary responsibility is to facilitate the development of vibrant, viable football clubs and associations within Western Australia through the Football West Building Stronger Clubs Program. The Building Stronger Clubs Program aims to assist all football clubs and associations in having stronger governance and provide a better experience for all football participants. In this external facing role, he regularly engages and visits 250 clubs and Football Associations across WA. This position also supports the engagement in delivering a suite of best practice guides and coordinating training to meet the needs of our clubs and associations.


SPEAKER
ANDREW FIRMAN

Andrew is currently engaged with Football West as Project Manager for the delivery of the new State Football Centre currently under construction in Queens Park in the City of Canning. This $45M project will deliver a first ever Home of Football in WA and provide for elite training of junior and senior teams through the provision of specialist high performance programs for local, national and international teams as well as house the Football West Administration.

Andrew is a senior management executive within the realm of Sports, Events, Venues, and Project Management with over thirty five years’ experience managing sporting organisations, large scale events and multi-purpose venues across Australia. Andrew has a proven history of delivering key strategic outcomes on both private and public projects. Andrew was also General Manager of Peth’s iconic Hopman Cup including negotiating the initial contract with Paul McNamee to bring the event to Perth in 1988. Other milestones have included the design, construction and commissioning aspect of the Crown Resorts (formerly Burswood Resort) Superdome, Convention Centre & Theatre complex as well as the final design and commissioning of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, a member of the Design Consultancy Group for the Perth Arena and Project Manager for Venues West on the $95M redevelopment of the Perth Rectangular Stadium in 2012/2013.


SPEAKER
NAOMI SEARLE

Naomi commenced with the City of Busselton as Director Community and Commercial Services in 2011. As part of her portfolio she is responsible for economic development, events and community and recreation services and as such has been heavily involved in the implementation of the Busselton Foreshore Master Plan including the attraction of private investment for the Shelter Microbrewery and 4.5 star Hilton Garden Inn, the establishment of a youth centre, various commercial and recreation hire site offerings, and a number of events. In addition to this Naomi’s portfolio covers the Busselton Margaret River Airport, Busselton Jetty, Busselton Jetty Tourist Park, Busselton Performing Arts and Convention Centre, Library services, Leisure Services and Venues and Bookings.


SPEAKER
GRAEME HALL

Graeme is the General Manager of Operations at Hockey WA. He has over twenty years in the sport and recreation in Australia and the UK, with experience encompassing local government, consulting and sport management environments. Graeme’s previous roles have included Manager Places to Play Tennis West, Manager Recreation Services for the Town of Port Hedland, and Facilities Planning Consultant Creating Communities.


SPEAKER
OLIVER YOURN

Motivated by helping people live a better life through health and wellbeing, Oliver started his time in the fitness industry working at one of Australia’s biggest Leisure and Aquatic facilities over 10 years ago. In that time Oliver has been an innovator in the fitness industry.

Oliver is the founder of Fit Golf, a fitness facility management business, operating health and wellbeing programmes at some of Australia’s leading golf clubs. As a strength & conditioning coach, Oliver has worked with elite professional athletes from all over the world, including the winning US Presidents Cup team in 2019 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, of which Tiger Woods was the captain.

Oliver is also the co-founder of one of the biggest triathlon clubs in Victoria, helping hundreds of every day people achieve things they never thought were possible through the sport of triathlon. When he is off duty, you can catch Oliver trying to keep up with his members, training for Olympic Distance and Ironman Triathlons.

Fast forward to today, Oliver spends his time helping business owners and local government authorities deliver cutting edge health and wellbeing solutions to their communities through innovative digital technologies powered by Technogym.


SPEAKER
MATT LEWIS

Matt Lewis is the PLAWA President and leads the Facilities & Fitness network. His portfolio includes Marketing & Communication; Governance & Advocacy. Matt is currently the Coordinator Leisure Facilities Operations, City of Rockingham. He has previously worked in China for 15 years as a country manager, business executive, entrepreneur, operations manager, and consultant. His area of interest includes membership growth and retention, operations management, cultural awareness, strategic planning, training / presenting and branding.


SPEAKER
COREY BESSANT

Corey has worked in the leisure industry for 17 years in a number of positions and is currently the centre manager of Swan Active Beechboro and Swan Active Ballajura. Swan Active has seen considerable growth over the past few years with Corey playing a key role in the refurbishments of Swan Active Beechboro and Ballajura sites as well as being part of the leadership team for the future development of Swan Active Ellenbrook.


SPEAKER
MARK WATTON

Mark is the Recreation Facilities Team Leader for the City of Kalamunda. His responsibility is two pronged, to manage the City of Kalamunda’s Recreation Facilities and to conduct research and provide input for the proposed High Wycombe Aquatic and Recreation Centre development. Following 11 years working in various roles for State Sporting Associations, Mark moved into Local Government in 2019. He has a wide range of experience across the areas of Facility Management, Club Development, Governance, Competition Management and Stakeholder Engagement.


SPEAKER
JOANNE SMITH

Joanne has worked in private, state government and local government sectors in planning, design, development and management of farming land, heritage sites, urban parkland, foreshores, natural areas and streetscapes. Being on the PLAWA Regional Council since 2010 has nurtured a deep interest in the very broad and diverse parks and leisure industry.


SPEAKER
ALECIA HANCOCK

Alecia is an award-winning digital marketing and social media strategist. She founded the award-winning Unite and Change the World events and was director of Hancock Creative for more than 11 years. In her past life she was a journalist and magazine editor and is now a sought-after international speaker and not-for-profit trainer. Alecia was chosen as one of WA’s most influential people in business by NIFNEX, her business was named WA Telstra Micro Business of the Year WA and won an Australian Web award for Social Media Campaign of the Year. Alecia is also a university lecturer at Notre Dame university.


SPEAKER
JOHN MOGRIDGE

John Mogridge works as the City of Swans Aboriginal Partnerships and Development Officer. John has been at the City of Swan for over 15 years and has vast experience in various Youth Development and Community Development roles. Lately John has more of an advisory role in the City of Swan towards different business units and supports many community initiatives. To put it simply John brokers positive relationships internally and externally. John recently played a lead role in the development and deployment of the City’s first RAP Plan.


SPEAKER
DAMIEN CLARK

Damien is a country kid from Gnowangerup and has 17 years’ industry experience and is currently the Centre Manager Swan Active Midland with the City of Swan. Damien is part of the Swan Active leadership team and has played a key role in the development and implementation of the Swan Active brand, the full centre refurbishment of Swan Active Midland, planning fort Swan Active Ellenbrook and is currently leading the Swan Active Major Capital Projects Implementation team. Damien led the Swan Active indigenous shirt program and was an active member on the City’s RAP internal advisory group.


SPEAKER
CHEYE HILL

Cheye has 25 years of experience in a variety of leadership roles in recreation facilities in both metropolitan and regional locations which include the ownership of a Genesis Health Club in Sydney and leading multi-award winning Goldfields Oasis Recreation Centre in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Cheye is currently Manager of Recreation and Leisure Services at the Town of Port Hedland and is passionate about providing accessible recreation opportunities for all Australians, especially those from remote and rural locations.

Cheye will also be one of the Leisure Facility Managers on the Hard Chat Panel.


SPEAKER
MARK CASSERLY

Mark Casserly is Principal of CCS Strategic, one of the state’s leading community planning consultancies with 28 years’ experience and a client list including more than 50 local governments. CCS offers Complete Community Solutions and a business model delivering a “Concepts to Keys” service.

Skilled and highly experienced, CCS assists clients with a full-service package from the preparatory and planning phases, through needs analyses and feasibility studies, to design and business case development, then sourcing funding and finally to tender and contract preparation and project management to deliver a finished product handing over the keys.

CCS has developed community infrastructure strategies for whole communities such as Alkimos Eglinton, Serpentine Jarrahdale, Busselton, Forrestfield North and Pilbara cities of Karratha, Port Hedland and Newman. Much of the strategic planning work undertaken by CCS has been translated into on ground development including Goldfields Oasis, Karratha Leisureplex, Gnowangerup Community Pool and the Pingelly Recreation Centre.

Mark joined the WA regional council Parks and Leisure Australia in 2005 and was elected regional president in 2006, a position he held until elected national president in 2014. He continues to be an industry advocate.


SPEAKER
KERSTIN STENDER

Kerstin Stender heads up the Recreation and Trails team in the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Western Australia. She has a Masters in Tourism Development which focused on sustainable trail governance. Born in Germany, Kerstin enjoys Australian and worldwide natural environments and is often found hiking, cycling, paddling or recreating in protected areas.


SPEAKER
IEUAN HOOK

Ieuan Hook is the Director of Hook Consulting – a smart cities and technology consultancy in East Perth. With a strong understanding of smart cities principles, Hook Consulting specialises in integrating smart technology aspects into all built environment projects; creating innovative, sustainable, successful and data efficient spaces.

Ieuan holds a first-class honours Urban and Regional Planning Degree from Curtin University while also studying Architecture and Civil Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong. He is also the PLA WA David Aldous Young Professional of the Year.


SPEAKER
CHRISTINA MATTHEWS

Christina Matthews is Chief Executive Officer of the Western Australian Cricket Association (WA Cricket) and a former Australian cricketer. Christina is the country's most capped female Test player and holds the record for the most dismissals by an Australian wicketkeeper. She is a well-respected voice within the Australian cricket community, with strong leadership qualities and 27 years’ experience in various management roles within cricket organisations, including seven years as General Manager, Commercial Operations at Cricket NSW and roles in coaching and development.

Christina has proven herself to be an effective and courageous leader since taking on the role of CEO at WA Cricket in 2012. She has redefined the way WA Cricket approaches its business, introducing a strong strategic focus, committing to community engagement, restructuring to ensure resourcing aligns with the Association's strategic objectives, and managing change to ensure a successful future for the organisation. Her focus has also included increasing philanthropic endeavours and partnership development, both within the sports industry and in other complimentary business, to expand WA Cricket’s reach.


SPEAKER
EMILY CARROLL

Emily is a sport and recreation professional with 10 years local government experience in community focused roles. Her career to date has seen her gain significant experience in researching, developing, implementing and evaluating innovative programs to support and enhance opportunities for community participation.

Emily has spent the last four and a half years with the City of Joondalup, working on a number of projects related to sporting clubs, public event management and community venue operations. Highlights include a review and direction change for the City’s Clubs in-focus club development program, overseeing the delivery of the City’s revised Community Funding Program, and facilitating the delivery of the Fatboy Slim concert at Hillarys Beach Park in 2020 that attracted 14,000 attendees.

As a life-long participant, supporter and advocate for community sport, Emily has experienced sport at all levels, from national representation through to a role on the committee at her local hockey club.


SPEAKER
JOHN FORREST

John Forrest is a respected West Australian sports turf consultant with extensive professional experience in the field over 17 years, plus 24 years as a turf and horticulture lecturer. He was a fertiliser spreader auditor for 4 years and is currently contracted for professional turf advice to a number of local governments.

John has Master of Agriculture in turf management, a trade certificate in Golf Course Green keeping, Irrigation auditing and Certifications in Training and Assessment and Applied Landscape Irrigation Design. John has completed a number of research and thesis projects in:       

  • Impact of recycled water use on Six Western Australian Turf Facilities       
  • Moisture retention on sand profiles of Lime Amended Bio Clay (Water Corporation)       
  • Application rates and efficiencies of domestic irrigation sprinklers (Water Corporation)       
  • Water retention of differing mulch depths.       
  • The treatment of Iron and manganese deficiency in C4 grasses growing on Alkaline soil and irrigated with Alkaline water” (University of Sydney)


SPEAKER
JIMMY MURPHY

Social entrepreneur Jimmy Murphy is a founder of the Town Team Movement. The non-profit social enterprise enables people and local government to connect, organise and act to regenerate neighbourhoods. Jimmy also co-founded Arts Impact WA, a philanthropic organisation that funds Western Australian arts projects.


SPEAKER
PAULA HOOPER

Paula is Co-Director of the Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC) within the School of Design at the University of Western Australia. Her work studies the impact of the built environment and urban design on the health and well-being of its inhabitants, with the goal of creating intelligent, community-informed urban design for future cities. Paula has previously led the mapping and collation the Perth-wide public open space database, which led to the development of the Public Open Space tool, making this data publicly available. This was recently updated in collaboration with Parks and Leisure Australia WA for the Guidelines for Community Infrastructure mapping portal. More recently she has been developing a national green space database with finding from the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN) and public participatory mapping tools to collect and analyse spatially referenced data on community experiences and knowledge. Paula has published over 80 research articles, book chapters, and reports, and her research has been included in local, state, and federal government planning and public health policy documents in Australia.


SPEAKER
SARAH COLLINS

Sarah Collins is a Project Officer and Training Facilitator at Living Proud LGBTIQ+ Community Services and has a volunteer management and training background in aged care, LGBTIQ+, and volunteer support services. Sarah has been active in the Australian LGBTIQ+ community for 20 years as a paid worker, board member and volunteer, including working at AIDS Councils in Western Australia and Victoria and has previously served on the Management Committee of PrideWA, the Diversity Reference Group at Rainbow Health Victoria and the Steering Committee of Rainbow Futures WA.


SPEAKER
SHELLEY SHEPHERD

Shelley Shepherd is a Director of Urbaqua, a not-for-profit environmental organisation that works to support and deliver water and environmentally sensitive outcomes in Western Australia. Shelley has been working with Government at many levels to raise awareness of how to better integrate environmental issues into planning, as she was the lead consultant in the preparation of Better Urban Water Management (WAPC, 2008) and the recent review of State Planning Policy 2.9: Water Resources.


SPEAKER
PHILIP GRESLEY

Philip is a passionate advocate for the improvement of our built environment. He believes that architecture and design practice should contribute to the well-being of all. Through listening, collaboration, and being constantly curious, Philip's work centres on relationships and responds to each project's unique people and place.

Co-founding Gresley Abas Architects in 2004, he has led the design and delivery of an impressive range of award-winning projects. For State and Local Government clients, these include community and sporting facilities, places for learning, social and demonstration housing, urban planning studies and housing policy, placemaking projects, and urban infrastructure projects. Through this variety of design experiences, he has grown a deep knowledge of procurement methods, protocols and procedures and experienced a wide variety of client and project team attitudes and processes involving the inclusion (or not) of First Nations Australians.

Philip sits on and chairs several Local Government Design Review Panels, is a member of the State Design Review Panel in Western Australia, and also chairs Cohen Connect. This not-for-profit organisation provides education on the importance of the built environment and assists students and underrepresented built-environment professionals. In all his roles, Philip continues his advocacy for design excellence and awareness of the community's responsibilities to Aboriginal Country and sovereign First Nations.


SPEAKER
JOE COLLARD

Joe is a Biboolmirn Nyoongar with traditional and ancestral ties in the Perth metropolitan region and surrounding areas. He has more than 25 years’ experience in capacity building, social justice, and reconciliation. He has worked across various community development, capacity building, project management and facilitation roles, including Indigenous Affairs, Government (Housing, Child Protection and Corrective Services), and a range of community organisations and is the Managing Director of Djoona.

Joe is passionate about inspiring others to achieve positive change in their lives and in their workplaces. Through effective coaching and mentoring, and strong leadership, he empowers people to work towards a shared vision.


SPEAKER
OWEN THOMAS

Owen was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure WA in May 2022. As part of this role Owen is responsible for helping to lead and support the IWA Team and organisation in delivering its functions and key objectives. This includes preparation, implementation and review of WA’s first State Infrastructure Strategy, review and independent assessment of major infrastructure proposals and provision of strategic advice to the WA Government on proposed infrastructure investments.

Owen brings highly relevant skills and experience to the IWA team. He holds qualifications in both land use and transport planning, which is supported by extensive work experience and involvement in a wide range of activities from strategic planning to development of business cases and project definition plans (PDP) for major infrastructure projects, particularly within the transport sector.

Prior to joining IWA, Owen spent 7 years in the role of Executive Director, Infrastructure Planning and Land Services at the Public Transport Authority (PTA), leading a team of up to 100 staff responsible for a range of critical business activities including development and ownership of PTA’s strategic Rail Growth Plan, business cases and PDP’s to inform significant state and federal investment decisions for major new rail projects, management of land and property relating to PTA’s operations, and management of the agencies environmental obligations.


SPEAKER
KANE BLACKMAN

Kane leads Good Sammy, an iconic Western Australian charity that operates social enterprises in which people with a disability work and train.

His previous senior executive roles have been in financial services with the WA State Government, in private equity and in the resource sector.

Kane’s passion is working in commercial environments to drive improved outcomes for vulnerable people, which is informed by his experience as a father of a child with a rare disease. Kane holds the following Board roles:

Chair, Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability; Deputy Chair, Rare Voices Australia; Non-Executive Director, Therapy Focus; Deputy Chair, Angelman Syndrome Association Australia; Member, Future Health Research and Innovation Advisory Council; President, Leederville Sporting Club; Non-Executive Director, Charitable Recycling Australia.


SPEAKER
SHANE SPINKS

Shane has been working in Local Government for almost 30 years, the last 15 of which has been in various senior management and leadership roles at the City of Wanneroo. His portfolio responsibilities have included community facilities (planning and operations), Youth Services, Age and Disability Services, Economic Development, Healthy Communities, Cultural Services and Waste and Recycling operations.

Currently a Senior Project Manager at the City (focusing on the planning of strategic infrastructure), Shane was the Manager Community Facilities, overseeing a significant community facility planning and operational management portfolio, and budgets.

Shane’s professional focus is in the areas of community infrastructure planning and development, strategic and business planning, governance and advocacy. He is currently a PLA WA Regional Councillor.


SPEAKER
DANIEL FERGUSON

Dan Ferguson leads the water supply planning team at the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. His work is focused on the sustainability of Western Australia’s water resources and supplies in supporting population and economic growth under climate change. He is currently assessing the long-term water needs and supply options for self-supplied groundwater users in Greater Perth. Earlier in his career Dan was a leader in natural resource management in Western Australia’s wheatbelt and Queensland rangelands.


SPEAKER
LESLEY WILKINSON

Lesley Wilkinson is currently the Manager Cultural Development at the City of Wanneroo. Her career has spanned many different areas with the thread of developing and building capacity in people and communities. Over the past 12 years she has led in the use of cultural and cultural activities to build learning and creativity in communities and has seen the immense value of these in developing people and the communities in which they live.


SPEAKER
KIERAN BROPHY

Kieran Brophy is the Assistant Director at Play Australia (IPA Australia) and loves helping people rediscover the power of play. He's spent most of his career in the health promotion and sport industries, gaining a mix of experiences with VicHealth, Sport Australia and State government.


SPEAKER
ELLIE EFIJEMUEH

Over the last 10 years, Ellie has worked across multiple areas including Community Development, Youth Development, Arts and Culture and events. She has a passion for place-based initiatives and is currently working on a suburb level in Queens Park, with the aim to create a more connected and welcoming neighbourhood.


SPEAKER
DAN FERGUSON

A public servant turned consultant and academic; Dan has over a decade experience in private consulting, local and state government and non-profit sectors. Dan is currently undertaking a PhD with Swinburne University’s Sport Innovation Research Group with a research focus on the provision of public infrastructure that supports physical activity.


SPEAKER
DAWN PENNEY

Dawn Penney is a researcher passionate about equity and inclusion in education and sport. She leads projects with government agencies, schools and sport organisations nationally and internationally informing policy developments and professional practice in health and physical education, and provision of physical activity and sport for young people.


SPEAKER
EIBHLISH O'HARA

Dr. Eibhlish O'Hara is generalist primary teacher who has pursued further education in psychology. She has applied her expertise in doctoral research investigating educational and psychosocial development of adolescents engaged in specialist sport programs and in funded research projects exploring developments in health and physical education and in community sport.


SPEAKER
KAREN LEE

Creative producer, writer, and feminist ethnographer working at the intersection of urbanism, community development, and creative practice, incorporating participatory planning processes, spatial equity, community story gathering, public life measurement, and active mobility.  Karen produces innovative collaborative projects for positive change and likes working with people to make places more delightful.  


SPEAKER
CHRIS ANDRICH

Chris is employed as General Manager Venues with VenuesWest; a state government agency that owns and manages Western Australia's State sport and entertainment venues on behalf of the State Government. The VenuesWest portfolio currently consists of 13 venues including RAC Arena and Optus Stadium. Chris has over 20 years' experience in senior venue management roles, working in large scale, multi disciplinary sport and entertainment venues. Chris oversees the operations and activities at HBF Arena, HBF Stadium, Champion Lakes Regatta Centre, Midvale Speeddome and Western Australia Athletics Stadium. He is also involved in the co-management of the Western Australian State Netball Centre and Bendat Basketball Centre. He aims to ensure VenuesWest customers and stakeholders have the best possible experience at our Venues. His specialties include strategic management, venue operations, budgeting and financial management, people and culture management, change management.

Chris will also be presenting at the High Performance Precinct Technical Tour. 


SPEAKER
TERRY FARRELL

Terry Farrell is an architect and founder of Nature Based Play Pty Ltd. Terry has over 25 years of experience in the design and construction of nature play and community landscape and art projects. Terry works on community based projects through WA and enjoys working in regional and remote areas such as the Yuendumu community of the Central Desert. These projects have received numerous awards over the years including the WA Premiers Urban Design Award and PLA awards at the state and national level. 


SPEAKER
JARROD HILL

As one of Australia's leading Field of Play designers, Jarrod blends his Civil Engineering profession with his extensive knowledge for the development and use of Fields of Play. Jarrod challenges the status quo of how sport Fields of Play are designed, constructed and maintained to achieve positive environmental outcomes.


SPEAKER
CARINA WHITTINGTON

Carina has worked in local government since 2002 in a variety of corporate, strategic, project and community roles with a mix of operational and planning responsibilities. Working at the City of Armadale since 2017, Carina has been the Acting Manager Community Planning since 2020.


SPEAKER
JOY AVERY

Joy is a landscape architect with experience in developing and delivering high quality landscape projects. Joy has a passion for creating spaces that support people’s lives and the greater environment. Her current role is focused on the planning, improvement and development of public spaces within the City of Armadale.


SPEAKER
MICHAEL HAYES

Michael is a passionate leader with a keen interest in growing organisational culture in order to bring the best out of employees. He has worked in Local Government Recreation Centres for almost ten years spending almost all of that time in a leadership position.


SPEAKER
BILL DHALIWAL

Bill Dhaliwal is the GM of Greendrop Solutions which specializes in the treatment of ponds, lakes and wetlands to reduce nutrients, turbidity and heavy metals amongst others through biological intervention. Councils all over Australia have consulted with Bill to achieve superior water quality at lower cost compared to traditional methods.


SPEAKER
HENK DE GRAAF

Henk de Graaf is the MD of the Industrial Automation Group. His current focus is on the provision of communication and automation systems as part of the company’s involvement in the Smart Cities approach by local governments. This includes bulk water access points, irrigation control, floodlight control and streetlight control.


SPEAKER
COLLEEN SMYTHE

Colleen is a Project Coordinator for the City of Bunbury, with a degree in civil engineering and 10 years’ experience delivering a wide range of projects including civil infrastructure and public open spaces. Colleen began working for the City in 2019 when Koolambidi Woola was still in the concept design phase and successfully managed the project through to delivery earlier this year.


SPEAKER
MATTHEW MERRIN

Matt is a Project Engineer for Advanteering, with a degree in Civil Engineering and 8 years’ experience delivering a diverse portfolio of projects for both the government & private sectors. Matt was a member of the Advanteering Project Management team working on Koolambidi Woola, assisting with the successful delivery of the project from Contract Award through to Practical Completion.


SPEAKER
AARON WALLIS

Aaron Wallis is the Director of Playce,  a design studio that’s focuses on designing playful and fun spaces for people of all ages to enjoy. Aaron is a registered landscape architect, regular guest lecturer, Youth Specialist on the Victoria Design Review Panel, Play Australia and Parks and Leisure Member.


SPEAKER
HAYDEN WATSON

Hayden's love for health & well-being prompted him to start a career with the City of Swan in the City's leisure centres. Across 8 years he has developed his skills in several operational and leadership roles, whilst supporting this experience with two Bachelor Degrees focused on Marketing, Management & Recreation.


SPEAKER
PETER DE LANG

Peter has over 20 yrs experience working in Local Government in the areas of Leisure Planning, Leisure Centre Management and Health and Fitness. He was the project lead for the Shirley Strickland Reserve Concept Plan which concluded in 2016, a most-cherished project for the team.

Peter will also be presenting at the Shirley Strickland Reserve Technical Tour.


SPEAKER
GEOFF EDWARDS

Geoff has over 15 yrs experience working in Local Government in Leisure Planning, Recreation Development and Leisure Centres. He was the Engagement, Communications & Leisure Planning lead for the Shirley Strickland Reserve Redevelopment, completed June 2022, a project that will stay with him for all of his days.

Geoff will also be presenting at the Shirley Strickland Reserve Technical Tour. 


SPEAKER
GLENN MORLEY

Over 20 years’ experience working in the Sport and recreation industry in Australia and in the USA, in a variety of roles from coaching, club development, participation, high performance and now in active recreation. I have also held volunteer board positions at national, state and club level, with a strong focus on building organisational capacity, business development and strategic planning.

Glenn is the Manager of Recreation at the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries,  the introduction of the Recreation team at DLGSC has seen a renewed focus on active recreation for the Department. Key projects that the team are working on is the overall support for the outdoors and active recreation sector which includes not-for-profits, community clubs, peak bodies and commercial providers, along with the development of funding programs and schemes to support getting more people active and engaged with the outdoors.


SPEAKER
STEVE BENNETT

Steve Bennett has enjoyed 42 years working in recreation and trails, currently at DLGSC as Senior Policy Officer –Trails, Steve has worked across government to help guide the trails industry. This includes the creation of the WA Sustainable Trails Blueprint, WA Mountain Biking Strategy and Hiking Strategy along with a myriad of regional trails master plans.

Steve has a particular strength in bringing stakeholders from across state and local government together with local community groups to deliver great outcomes that benefit the whole community. Steve will be discussing the recently launched WA Sustainable Trails Blueprint with a focus on opportunities for engagement across metropolitan and regional settings.


SPEAKER
CALLUM WARNER

Callum has built a career delivering community outcomes via sport and recreation. He has a background in the sport and government industries, having worked in State Government, State Sporting Organisations and Local Government in WA, as well as time in the University sector both in Australia and Canada. Callum now works with ActiveXchange, based in WA, working with clients and partners in the state. ActiveXchange aims to empower data to shape a more informed, connected and active sector. 


SPEAKER
DAVID LANFEAR

Dave is a Director with Otium Planning Group, and is a qualified urban and regional planner and a regular conference presenter. With over 20 years experience in the sport, recreation and community planning industry he has delivered more than 150 projects for private organisations, local and state government authorities.


SPEAKER
WAYNE STUART

Wayne has worked in the recreation industry for over 20 years, and is a Senior Consultant with Otium Planning Group. Combined with post-graduate qualifications in Business, Project Management, Asset and Maintenance Management, Wayne applies demonstrated facility and asset planning principals in the delivery of facilities for the community.


SPEAKER
NATASCHA GACIA

Natascha has been involved in the Disability Service Industry for over 20 years. With a life focus on creating opportunities for everyone to enjoy community leisure opportunities she's partnered with the City of South Perth, Town of Victoria Park, Education Department of Western Australia and most recently Belgravia Leisure.


SPEAKER
TARA SCHWARZE

Tara Schwarze is the WA State Manager at Special Olympics Australia. As a senior leader in the sport and recreation industry, Tara has extensive experience in building grass-root programs and competition pathways, and developing engagement strategies at local, state and national levels. Over the last five years, she has led initiatives focused on strengthening the capabilities and capacity of the industry to support the inclusion of marginalised groups in sport and recreation.


SPEAKER
GARY ROGERS

Gary has spent over 35 years in the Sports and Recreation Industry and is currently the City Of Rockingham’s Manager of Community Infrastructure Planning. Throughout his career Gary has led a large number of community infrastructure projects from skate parks to district sporting venues and regional aquatic, sporting, library and community centre facilities, along with the delivery of marine infrastructure including jetties, sea walls and boat ramps. A number of these projects have been recognised through design and leisure industry awards. Projects such as the Lark Hill Sportsplex, the Aqua Jetty, Gary Holland Community Centre and the Mary Davies Library have been winners of various awards and in the case of Lark Hill Sportsplex a National PLA Award for sustainability through the implementation of a water reuse scheme.


SPEAKER
MAY CARTER

Dr May Carter works as a researcher and consultant and has particular interest in relationships between people, green places and health. May has academic qualifications in recreation and leisure studies, social science and environmental management. Over the past 20 years, May has published several articles and book chapters, and presented at local, national and international conferences on topics relating to planning, design and management of parks and public open spaces; the benefits of contact with nature and nature-based play; outdoor recreation and tourism; community consultation and engagement.


SPEAKER 
BRAD PAATSCH

Brad is a MBA qualified executive with 20 years’ experience in leadership, strategy, governance, negotiation, human resources and commercial management. Over 15 years of executive management experience, including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager roles with direct reporting and board management responsibility and accountability. He brings commercial and strategic objectives to life through developing strong stakeholder relationships. building and maintaining momentum and securing key commercial deals. Brad has managed the successful delivery of complex multi-faceted negotiations and projects and responsibility for the procurement of over $150m in commercial revenue and $190m in government funding. He has extensive experience in organisational structuring, recruiting, developing and managing teams of individuals around a common purpose, strategy and goal. 


SPEAKER
CAROLINE FALKINER

In 2017 after always being lost & late to school sport Caroline was inspired to create naveze which Solves the Google gap with hyper local digital wayfinding maps. A Chartered Accountant Caroline has worked in IT industry for over 20 years. As a country girl she also loves exploring places.


SPEAKER
SCOTT HEFFERNAN

Scott has over 20 years of experience across the public, private and not-for profit sectors in communications and marketing including Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development, Landgate and Main Roads. Scott was recognised by his peers in the inaugural top 50 Australian marketer by CMO magazine in 2015. Currently working at the iconic Kings Park as Manager Partnerships, Communications and Marketing, Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority where he gets to work with one of Australians most visited destinations.


SPEAKER
COBY HALPIN

Coby Halpin is the Manager of Recreation Services at the City of Armadale. Coby and his team were the key drivers for the success of the Armadale Fitness and Aquatic Centre (AFAC), which opened in 2019. At its peak AFAC reached over 6,500 members and 3,300 Swim School members which significantly surpass all benchmarking for attendance/membership. AFAC has won several state and national awards, has maintained a Net Promoter Score above 70 since opening, and is widely regarded as an industry leader is service standards and customer experience. Before Armadale, Coby worked in other Local Governments in WA and NSW as well as over ten years in the private sector. 


SPEAKER
JARRAD MOHR

Jarrad has worked in the leisure industry for over 20 years with experience in centre operational and management roles. His current role is the Manager of Leisure Services for the City of Swan where he oversees multiple facilities and portfolios. Jarrad has a Masters Business Administration, Bachelor Business – Major Marketing, Diploma of Management, Diploma Venues and Events and is an Accredited Venue Manager (Venue Management Association).


SPEAKER
ROHAN GUNTON

Starting out as a swimming teacher and pool lifeguard in 1994, Rohan has worked in the sports and leisure industry for over 25 years. After managing a number of large leisure centres, Rohan has held senior management positions with the YMCA and Belgravia Leisure.

Rohan is currently the Belgravia WA State Manager, providing leadership in Western Australia across three Belgravia businesses including Belgravia Leisure, Belgravia Pro and Jump! Swim Schools. He is passionate about helping others be the best they can be and is driven by a desire to support the sports & leisure industry play a greater role in improving the health and well-being of the community.


SPEAKER
BRETT MCEWIN

Experienced professional Leader with a demonstrated history of working in the government sport, and recreation sector. Instrumental in applying industry best practice and creating workplace cultures for people to be at their natural best. A strong passion for outstanding service and getting people active in the local community. Brett is the General Manager of BlueFit a leisure facility management company established in Sydney in 2007. Prior to this he was General Manager of the City of Cockburn's largest multipurpose sport, recreation, education and AFL elite training centre Cockburn ARC.


SPEAKER
KELLIE WINTERBOURN

My current role oversees the Customer Service, Aquatics, Creche service areas as well as contract management of the cleaning and maintenance of the Town’s Leisure Facilities, Aqualife and Leisurelife.

An experienced Manager with nearly 20 years’ experience in Health & Fitness and Leisure Management, predominantly in WA local government. I have strong professional skills in Health & Fitness, Aquatics, Human Resources, Customers Service, Budgeting, procurement and contractor management.

With a passion for sport and recreation, fitness was a natural transition after retiring from the AIS gymnastics program. I have the ability to adapt to the ever-changing environment which helps me maintain my motivation and enthusiasm for the industry.


SPEAKER
ELZANDI NICHOLLS

Elzandi has worked in the leisure industry for over 10 years in various roles ranging from Customer Service Officer and Fitness Instructor to Centre Manager. Elzandi enjoys how fast-paced the industry is and often challenges the “this is how we have always done it” mentality, which encourages innovation and adaptability amongst the team. Elzandi has held the position of Centre Manager at the Goldfields Oasis for the past two years where she has led the team through COVID shutdowns, post-pandemic recovery, staffing shortages and recently conducted community consultation for a proposed refurbishment.


SPEAKER
FLEUR KULJIS

Fleur is a dedicated, innovative leader of local government recreation and leisure programs. With extensive experience in health and fitness, Fleur has contributed her passion for wellbeing and leisure at both the City of Stirling and the City of Subiaco.

As Manager, Recreation Services, City of Subiaco, Fleur loves the challenge of delivering excellence in recreation and leisure for customers whilst also meeting strategic objectives to ensure business growth and sustainability.

Fleur is a strong believer in the power of effective marketing to share relatable stories that strengthen local government’s brand as an accessible, affordable recreation and leisure provider.


SPEAKER
MATT DAY

Matt Day is the State Manager of ClubLinks one of Australia’s leading golf, leisure, residential and aquatic service providers. He has worked in the recreational facilities and services industry for over 20 years including 15 years as General Manager Wembley Golf Course and is skilled in Sales, Facility Management (FM), Agronomy, Management, and Golf Courses.


SPEAKER
SIAN EDWARDS

Sian is a Nyikina women from the West Kimberley region, she started as a school based trainee providing aquatic and recreation programs in her region and has worked her way up to her current position of Aquatic and Recreation Team Leader for the Shire Derby West Kimberley. Through her work and volunteering she has 15 years’ experience working in the aquatic and recreation industry both regionally and metropolitan in positions such as program facilitator/ coordinator, facility Maintenance, club development and mentoring across a range of sporting organisations.

Sian has developed a passion for community engagement from a young age and is still currently volunteering with a broad range of community groups around Derby, groups like Derby Volunteer Marine Rescue Group, Derby Netball Association, Gl8dies Netball Club, Tigers Football club women’s leadership group, Derby Little Athlete Club, Nyikina Inc, North West Netball Advisory committee and is also in the process of assisting with multiple start up sporting clubs.


SPEAKER
DANIEL WEBB

Daniel started his career in leisure over 22 years ago working for Australia’s largest chain of ‘big box’ gymnasiums, where he became the business’ youngest regional manager in Australia at the age of 23. From there, he expanded his skills and knowledge in leisure management for over a decade, overseeing numerous sites including Craigie Leisure Centre and Loftus Recreation Centre while completing his studies in business management. After taking on the unique role of Chief Operations Officer for Best Body, he successfully grew the business from just four studios to 24 studios in just 18 months and recognised as one of the fastest growing fitness chains in Australia at the time.

Now, as the City of Wanneroo’s Facilities Specialist, Daniel sits on panels for over 70 community facilities and proudly manages the City’s two key leisure centres, Aquamotion and Kingsway Indoor Stadium. In just three years, with the support of his team, the two sites have seen one of the industry’s biggest improvements, with not just new attendance records and awards being won, but a $5 million dollar turnaround. As well as the continued business growth and sound financial management of the City’s leisure facilities, Daniel maintains a strong focus on cultural growth and employee engagement to drive a high performance team.


TECHNICAL TOUR PRESENTER
NIKKI STRINGER

Nikki Stringer is a landscape architect who lives and works on Whadjuk Noongar boodja and began her career in Aotearoa, NZ. She creates playspaces embedded with community, unique inclusive play forms and creative spirit. Her designs are continual collaborations with creative industries, local community and technical teams. She celebrates and immerses her process in place, culture and diversity.


TECHNICAL TOUR PRESENTER
ZOE WILLIAMSON

Zoe is a Landscape Architect who has been working for the City of Melville for more than ten years. Previous passions have included permaculture, youth work and community gardens. She likes both wild and designed outdoor spaces and all of their associated life, both great and small. Tougher aspects of the job include PLA playground tours and slide testing.


TECHNICAL TOUR PRESENTER
JAHNE REES

I was born in Perth and spent my early years living by the beach at Golden Bay. I completed a Fine Art degree in painting at Curtin and the next ten years was focused largely on travelling overseas, painting murals, surfing and sailing, with occasional periods back in Perth working toward exhibitions of large messy abstract paintings. While at Uni and afterwards I continued to work part time for a small building company, which left me with many valuable skills and a good understanding of processes and materials.

Scape-ism has been involved with public art commissions over the last 20 years. I have ongoing interest in creating artworks that reinforce the human connection to the natural environment, and the interconnectedness of all things. Our public artworks are often large scale, free-standing abstract structures, using combinations of polished concrete, steel, aluminium and other materials. More recently we have expanded into the realm of innovative unique playground projects. I enjoy designing and building functional play-based artworks that follow a narrative, connecting each structure and play element as part of a unifying story.


TECHNICAL TOUR PRESENTER
MATT HUXTABLE

Matt Huxtable is the founder and managing director of Art + Play. Matt is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and has been actively involved in the design and construction of playgrounds and landscapes in Western Australia for over 20 years.


TECHNICAL TOUR PRESENTER
JOHN MURRAY

John Murray, the City of South Perth’s Streetscapes Coordinator, is passionate about urban forestry. Hear how he spearheaded the reinvigoration of the City’s nursery to make it the successful production model it is today, and why it is so important to grow quality local government suitable plant stock.


TECHNICAL TOUR PRESENTER
JON VINES

Jon Vines is Manager Project Services at the City of Bayswater. Jon has 30+ years experience in local government both in the UK and here in Western Australia. Since joining the City of Bayswater in 2007, Jon has worked in a range of roles including Recreation Development and Facility Management, Events Management, Community Leasing and most recently community infrastructure redevelopment.


TECHNICAL TOUR PRESENTER
MICHAEL SCOTT

In his capacity as General Manager of RAC Arena, Michael Scott is responsible for operating Western Australia’s premier entertainment venue. As one of Australia’s leading venue professionals he has successfully led the Arena for almost a decade having previously held senior leadership roles within the entertainment and hospitality industry spanning over 30 years. Michael was inducted into the Restaurant and Catering Industry Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Australian Hotels Association, WA (AHA) Hall of Fame in 2021. He is the current President of the AHA’s Tourism Division in WA, an active board member for a large WA based training institution and a member of the Venue Management Association. Michael, a well-known and respected Western Australian, advocates the bringing together of venues, the private sector and government to make more vibrant communities, while providing long-lasting economic benefit.

 

We sincerely thank our sponsors and partners