DAY ONE
Innovation in Energy, Waste & the Circular Economy Conference Speakers & Presentations
Lotte Wolff, Executive Manager, Advocacy and Policy (CER) at Energy Consumers Australia
Fair and affordable Electrification for All.
Powering our world through machines that run on renewable electricity is cheaper, healthier, and better for the environment. As gas demand declines, consumers who remain on the gas network – particularly those who face barriers to electrification – face mounting costs and risks. This keynote explores the opportunities of efficient electrification for households and small businesses, the costs to those who are left behind and the action needed to ensure a fair and equitable transition.
Nigel Conolly, Geospatial Information Professional at 1 Spatial
Leveraging AI to Transform Asset Management in the Energy, Waste & Circular Economy Sectors
This presentation demonstrates how artificial intelligence can be applied to improve productivity in geospatial and asset management environments. It introduces three key AI best practices: creating specific prompts, testing multiple AI models, and requesting structured outputs. Using utility asset inspections as a business example, it shows how AI and OCR can automatically extract information from asset photographs, validate records, and update enterprise systems. A practical FME case study involving London commemorative plaques illustrates how AI can automate image recognition, data extraction, reporting, APIs, and mapping applications. The session highlights how organisations can achieve significant efficiency and operational gains through AI-enabled workflows.
John Day, General Manager Operations and Environment at North East Water
Rethinking Wastewater Treatment for Circular Economy Outcomes.
How can a wastewater treatment plant become a hub for renewable energy, resource recovery and climate resilience? In this presentation, John Day from North East Water shares the transformation of the West Wodonga Wastewater Treatment Plant into an integrated Resource Recovery Hub. The project combines biogas production, biomethane, biochar, recycled water, hydrogen opportunities and circular economy partnerships to reduce emissions, support growth and create new value from waste streams. Attendees will learn how innovative collaboration and a resource recovery mindset are helping deliver net zero outcomes, long-term water security and sustainable regional development.
Craig Bagnall, Director, Environment & Regulatory at Catalyst
Does your LGA need to find new sources of revenue? Sustainable jobs? Managing organic waste and emerging contaminant headaches? Seeking alternatives to linear and expensive incineration? What if your LGA had a new source of renewable gas made from organic residues which also generated valuable solid carbon products that can help rebuild farm soils, help decarbonise hard-to-abate industries, and aid in reversing climate change via emissions reduction and CO2 removal? A new Australian Standard nearing completion could help unlock applications and markets to help council’s harness these emerging opportunities using technologies such as SEATA.
Peter Windley, Senior Waste Consultant at Talis Consultants
Recycled Glass to Roads, Closing the Regional Glass Loop.
Regional glass recycling is not solved by collecting more tonnes or installing more crushers. This presentation explores why NSW regional glass systems often stall between recovery and real circular use, with products stockpiled, rejected or sent to weak markets. From an on-the-ground experience perspective, it shows that recycled glass must pass four separate tests: lawful supply, engineering compliance, project approval and commercial offtake. Drawing on Australian evidence, NSW settings, Austroads guidance and regional case studies, it proposes a practical seven-gate model that starts with market demand, product quality and verified acceptance before capital investment.
Mike Ritchie, Managing Director at MRA Consulting
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Join Mike Ritchie as he discusses extended producer responsibility and shares his expertise on the current state of waste of Australia.
ENERGY STREAM
Nicola James, AusIndustry Regional Manager for SWNSW at Department of Industry, Science and Resources
When Grid Constraints Stifle Business Growth
Grid constraints don’t just slow businesses down — they can stop growth in its tracks. For regional businesses, unreliable supply, brownouts, diesel generator costs, delayed technology upgrades, missed customer opportunities and expensive grid upgrades can quickly become more than an operational headache. They become a barrier to investment, productivity, innovation and long-term confidence.
In this session, Nicola James from AusIndustry will unpack what these constraints really mean on the ground, share the issues emerging across regional communities, and highlight some ways that businesses can be connected with opportunities, programs and pathways to help them get back on track – towards their full economic potential.
WASTE & CIRCULAR ECONOMY STREAM
Andrea Baldwin, Resource Recovery Facilities Manager at Wagga Wagga City Council
Gregadoo Waste Management Centre Major Fire Incident – January 2026 – Battery Fire.
The Gregadoo Waste Management Centre experienced a major fire incident during January 2026, which was over a five-day period and was found to be caused by lithium batteries. This presentation will support the actions taken to adhere to Councils Emergency Response Plan, engagement with Fire Rescue NSW, significant damage caused and costs incurred, failings experienced, scheduled improvements and substantial list of learnings for a regional Council to consider during these events.
ENERGY STREAM
Nathan Oxley, Chief Technology Officer at EdgeZero
Regional electricity networks have long operated with a blind spot between the substation and the customer meter. Edge Zero closes that gap with sensors deployed at the distribution transformer, giving utilities real-time visibility deep into the low-voltage network. This session shows how that visibility lifts quality of supply, speeds outage detection and location, and helps crews respond faster and more proactively. It also explores how the same measured data supports network flexibility and emerging distribution system operator functions, delivering tangible value to utilities and the regional communities they serve.
WASTE & CIRCULAR ECONOMY STREAM
Craig Bagnall, Board Member at ANZ Biochar Industry Group (ANZBIG)
Craig is the co-author of a new Australian Standard under development for Biochars and Biocarbons (AS5541). In his presentation Craig discusses how we can turn organic residue into valuable circular carbons via the Australian Biochar Industry 2030 Road Map.
ENERGY STREAM
Hamish Wheatley, Senior Program Manager at Essential Energy
Supporting more Solar with flexible exports and backstop protection.
Discover how emergency backstop and flexible exports can help address the challenges created by rapid growth in rooftop solar and batteries. As more customers generate and store electricity, two-way energy flows can place pressure on local network capacity and make balancing supply and demand more complex. Learn how smart technology dynamically adjusts export limits, allowing eligible customers with new or upgraded systems to share more clean energy when capacity is available. The same technology also enables mechanisms to protect grid stability when necessary.
WASTE & CIRCULAR ECONOMY STREAM
Dr Heriyanto, Senior Micofactorie Engineer at SMaRT Centre, UNSW
Green Ceramics: Transforming Waste into Sustainable Building Products.
Mixed and contaminated waste glass represents one of the most challenging waste streams to recover through conventional recycling processes, resulting in significant quantities being diverted to landfill. This presentation will demonstrate how the patented Green Ceramics technology provides an innovative pathway for waste avoidance by transforming these underutilised materials into high-value, sustainable building products. The session will explore the development of Green Ceramics, including its material properties, environmental benefits, performance characteristics, and a range of completed projects that showcase its practical applications. It will also highlight collaborations with industry and local government, including Liverpool City Council, to advance resource recovery, support circular economy outcomes, and promote the beneficial reuse of waste glass within the built environment.
ENERGY STREAM
Ben Larsson, Business Development Manager at CleanPeak Energy
Large Regional Loads – Behind the Meter Solutions.
A short exploration of the current issues around reliability of supply and energy cost issues confronting regional businesses are of strategic importance to the communities in which they are located and are often serviced by largely depreciated distribution electrical assets, build multiple decades earlier and not always fit for the contemporary demands of distributed renewable generation. The cost and reliability of the energy delivered to these businesses are the most frequently cited concern of business owners, with the carbon intensity of that delivered energy having the longer-term implication for society more widely.
WASTE & CIRCULAR ECONOMY STREAM
Anthea White, Unit Head Contaminated Land Management at NSW Environment Protection Authority
Managing Environmental Risks from Legacy Landfills: Guideline for Public Land Managers.
Legacy landfills—former waste disposal sites established before modern environmental standards—are widespread across New South Wales. Many were never engineered, licensed, or documented, and today may lie beneath parks, reserves, sporting fields, road corridors, and other public land. Where not properly understood or managed, these sites can pose risks to human health, the environment, and surrounding land uses.
This presentation will describe the guidelines the NSW EPA is preparing to help public land managers identify potential legacy landfill sites, understand the risks they may present, and determine when further investigation or management is required.
ENERGY STREAM
Daniel Strachan, Community Member
Enjoying a Sustainable and Energy Efficient Home: A homeowner’s perspective.
Join Daniel Strachan as he shares a homeowner’s perspective on creating a more sustainable, energy-efficient home. Daniel will discuss his experience adopting solar power, battery storage, and other practical energy-saving technologies. Hear what motivated his choices, the lessons learned, and the lifestyle benefits of reducing energy use.
WASTE & CIRCULAR ECONOMY STREAM
Fiona Hamilton, Founder at Rowdy Crowd Drinkware
Rowdy Crowd Project Regeneration, Waste Reduction and Reusable Products.
Discover how the regional Australian business Rowdy Crowd Drinkware is combining product innovation, waste reduction and land regeneration to create meaningful environmental change. Founder Fiona Hamilton will share the story behind Australia’s first fully dishwasher-safe, unbreakable Tritan™ drinkware range and explain how durable, reusable products can help replace disposable cups and fragile glassware. Fiona will also explore Rowdy Crowd’s approach to minimising packaging waste, operating an off-grid farm headquarters and restoring more than 20 hectares of farmland through Project Regeneration – creating habitat, supporting biodiversity and leaving a positive legacy for future generations.
WASTE & CIRCULAR ECONOMY STREAM
Dr. Esther Landells, Senior Policy Officer, Waste at Local Government NSW
Bridges and Buffer Zones: The Strategic Power of Advocacy in Resource Recovery.
Councils across NSW are navigating increasingly complex waste and resource recovery challenges, from evolving regulation and infrastructure constraints to changing markets and the transition to a circular economy.
This presentation explores how Local Government NSW (LGNSW) turns stakeholder experience into evidence-based advocacy, helping shape policy and secure practical pathways for implementation. Drawing on examples of FOGO, regional collaboration, recycled materials and community innovation, it highlights the importance of sustained advocacy, investment and collaboration.
An “Advocacy in Action” approach demonstrates LGNSW’s emphasis on working collaboratively to embed waste and resource recovery into planning for a future-ready system where councils are supported and communities’ benefit.
