Download the 2009 Conference Program Booklet here

Prizes for Best Presentations and Prizes, sponsorship provided by the University of the Sunshine Coast, with the winners being:

Most Engaging Presentation - Donna Audas "From small things, big things grow"

Most Thought Provoking Presentation - Will Steffen "Climate change and the coastal zone: Uncertainties and risk"

Most Innovative Presentation - Paul Groves "Land, water and community - current best practice for local Government motivated towards Reef Protection"

Best Student Poster - Sandra Johnson "Integrating Bayesian Networks and GIS-based Nutrient Hazard map of Lyngbya majuscule"

Best Student Presentation - Darrell Strauss "Assessment of coastal hazards - CoastSafe alive Australia"

Keynote Speakers

Mike Berwick AM Mike was Mayor of the Douglas Shire previous to the amalgamation with Cairns City Council in March 2008. He is known for this advocacy and actions to promote suitable development in the shire and elsewhere. He is involved in a wide range of local, state and national land management groups including Queensland's representative on the National NRM Working Group, Chair of Terrain Natural Resource Management Board, Chair of Regional Groups Collective, Chair of the Cape York Peninsula Regional Advisory Committee and Chair of the Tropical Landscape Joint Venture. Mike has been chair of the Coastal CRC National Stakeholder Advisory Committee, North Queensland Afforestation, and the Local Authority Waste Management Advisory Group. He is a former member of the Rainforest CRC Board, the Queensland Vegetation Advisory Committee, the Sugar Industry Guidance Group, the National Biodiversity Advisory Committee, the National Sea Change Task Force executive and the Daintree Planning Co-ordination Group. Mike is also the author of the National Local Government Biodiversity Strategy. In the recent Queens Birthday Honours Mike was awarded the Order of Australia for Service to conservation and the environment through initiatives supporting the preservation of the Daintree Rainforest and far north Queensland, to local government, and to the community of Douglas Shire.

John (Toshie) Kris Mr John “Toshie” Kris is the Chairperson of the Board of the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA). The TSRA is an Australian Government Statutory Authority, established on 1 July 1994 under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989, which is today known as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Act 2005. Mr Kris is a proud Torres Strait Islander. He was born on Thursday Island, and raised in his village of St Pauls on Moa Island. He has been actively involved at all levels in his community - previously a self-employed fisherman, project officer and then taking on the role of Chairperson of St Pauls Community Council in 2000. In the same year, he was appointed as the TSRA Portfolio Member for Housing and Infrastructure, a position he held between 2000-2004. In 2004 and again in 2008, he was re-elected as Councilor of St Pauls Community Council and elected by the TSRA Board to the position of TSRA Chairperson. He was also one of the first Torres Strait Islander students to successfully complete the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation Course. Mr Kris aspires to help improve the wellbeing of his people by increasing opportunities in the Torres Strait for community members to upgrade their skills and receive relevant training, which will in turn assist to build the foundations of viable economic development that can sustainably support the region. He is a champion for land and sea management, and as chairperson of TSRA and the Authority's Coastal Management Committee, looks forward to continuing to work with partner agencies to effectively coordinate culturally appropriate and ecologically sustainable programs in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area region.

Will Steffen Professor Will Steffen is Executive Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute at the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, and is also Science Adviser, Department of Climate Change, Australian Government. From 1998 to mid-2004, he served as Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, based in Stockholm, Sweden. His research interests span a broad range within the field of Earth System science, with a special emphasis on terrestrial ecosystem interactions with global change; the global carbon cycle; incorporation of human processes in Earth System modelling and analysis; and sustainability, climate change and the Earth System.

Bruce Thom Formerly Vice-Chancellor University of New England (1994-1996), Professor Thom has held positions such as Foundation Professor of Geography, Royal Military College, Duntroon (University of New South Wales, 1977-1984); Professor of Geography University of Sydney (1985-1993); and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research, University of Sydney (1990-1993). He holds the title of Emeritus Professor from University of Sydney. Professor Thom served as Chair of the Australian State of Environment Committee 1998-2002, and as Chair of the Coastal Council of New South Wales (1999-2004). He is Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Built Environment at the University of NSW. He served as the Visiting Professor for Coastal Management and Planning at the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources in Sydney. He also formerly held the position of Visiting Professor in the NSW Department of Planning. Professor Thom is a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.

Invited Speakers

Dr Andrew Ash Dr Andrew Ash is the Director of the CSIRO Climate Adaptation National Research Flagship. The Flagship’s goal is to equip Australia with practical and effective adaptation options to climate change and variability and in doing so create $3 billion per annum in net benefits by 2030. Current activities The Climate Adaptation Flagship brings together experts from across CSIRO, and builds partnerships with research and industry groups around Australia and overseas to tackle the complex challenges involved in adapting to life in a changing climate. As Flagship Director, Andrew is responsible for deciding research priorities, overseeing a large portfolio of research projects and managing the Flagship’s many partnerships and collaborations. Dr Ash gives regular talks and presentations to raise awareness among government agencies, businesses and communities of the need to adapt to unavoidable climate change. As part of his role he seeks to inform stakeholders about the methods, options and approaches available to reduce the negative impacts of climate change and identify any emerging opportunities. Background Prior to leading the Flagship, Andrew had over 20 years experience in understanding how climate, grazing and fire influence the productivity and health of agriculture and ecosystems in northern Australia.

Simon Baltais Simon Baltais is the State President of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, Secretary for the Queensland Conservation Council and Vice President for Sustainable Population Australia SEQ Branch. He is a participant on many state planning committees, a member of the Coastal Protection Advisory Committee and one of the authors for the State Government’s ‘State of the Region Report’. He is a strong advocate for developing ecologically sustainable communities.

Greg Bruce Greg Bruce is Executive Manager of Sustainability in Townsville City Council where he has has worked for fourteen years specialising in integrated coastal-water cycle management establishing "Creek to Coral" partnership with Council engineers, and working with Ergon Energy and consortium members to develop the Townsville: Queensland Solar City, and especially the Citisolar: community capacity building program and other innovative partnerships including the Townsville Network Demand Managment Pilot.

Adam Callinan Adam Callinan is the Manager of the Environmental Protection Agency's Multimedia Services Unit. The unit encompasses the Online Services Team who are responsible for the development, management and strategic direction of the EPA's multiple online environments. Adam has over twenty years experience in various departments of the Government; Adam has more than a decade's experience in the area of online environment and has led many innovative campaigns that have enhanced the online capabilities of the agency's official portal and internal multimedia operating systems. His inputs have been vital during the developmental stages of CoastInfo especially in the area of website-architecture and functional features. Adam's current focus is on the implementation of the EPA's new Web Content Management System that will move the EPA into the new era of online service and information delivery. CoastInfo will be launched on EPA's new content management system platform.

Diane Tarte Diane Tarte is the Project Director of the South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership and oversees the delivery of the Partnership’s regional work program. She has a background in coastal and marine ecosystem-based management, policy development and implementation, with a particular emphasis on collaborative government and non-government arrangements in natural resource management.

Lynne Turner Lynne Turner is the Director of the Queensland Climate Change Centre of Excellence (QCCCE), within the EPA's Office of Climate Change. Lynne was actively involved in the establishment and first stage of the Cooperative Research Centre for Coastal Zone, Estuary and Waterway Management (1998-2002) and was the principal investigator for the National Land and Water Resources Audit's National Estuary Assessment in 2000. Lynne has a strong interest in sustainability issues and has lead State of Environment Reporting initiatives in Queensland (2002-2007). Lynne is passionate about ensuring sound science is used to inform effective public policy.

Simon Warner - "Preparing coastal communities for long-term environmental changes" Simon Warner is Chief Executive Officer of SEQ Catchments Ltd. He is an experienced corporate manager with significant experience in a wide range of senior executive roles including Chief Operating Officer, and General Manager Logistics and Human Resources with Grainco Australia. Simon has also held Director positions with the Port of Brisbane Corporation, Bulk Terminals Australia, Australian Bulk Alliance, and Grainco Australia Limited Subsidiary Companies. He was Chairman of the National Grower Register.

Peter Waterman Associate Professor Peter Waterman RFD is an environmental planner with nearly 40 years professional experience working for governmental and private sector clients. Commencing work as an environmental planning consultant in 1970, Peter has carried out a large number of land use planning and environmental impact and risk assessments in all Australian States and Territories as well as overseas. Through this work Peter has become an acknowledged leader in developing integrated and holistic approaches to the sustainable environmental management of natural systems, industrial facilities and built infrastructure. Over much of his professional career his work has had a geographic focus on the coastal zone. Currently, Peter is the Coordinator Climate Change Coasts and Catchments in the Faculty of Science, Health and Education at the University of the Sunshine Coast. In this capacity he is responsible for the delivery of nested articulated postgraduate professional development programs in Climate Change Adaptation, Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Environmental Change Management. Additionally, he undertakes applied research project with a particular emphasis on coastal vulnerability risk and adaptation assessment, regional 'climate proofing' and integrated coastal and catchment management.

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