The Committee is presently in the process of inviting acclaimed and highly credentialed speakers to participate in the 2012 Congress. Be sure to keep up to date on program developments by signing up to the Congress Newsletter.
CEO, Stockland Residential
Leaders Predictions
Mark joined Stockland in 2000. With over 28 years experience in property, he has worked across many fields including planning, development, sales, marketing and design. Mark spent a number of years working with government and private sector developing affordable housing and infrastructure in new and emerging communities.
Executive General Manager Residential, Australand
Leaders Predictions
Mr Fehring joined the executive team of Australand in March 2010. Prior to joining Australand Mr Fehring spent nearly 9 years with Lend Lease in various roles as CEO of its retirement living/aged care business, its Venture Capital business and 6 years as Chief Executive Officer of Delfin Lend Lease. Mr Fehring has 30 years experience in the property industry primarily in the residential development and planning sectors. Mr Fehring is also Chairman of the Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute Ltd.
CEO, Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority
Topic: The Vision for the City: Transforming Perth
In his roles as Director of Urban Operations at LandCorp, Chief Executive Officer of both EPRA and the Subiaco Redevelopment Authority and now the CEO of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, Tony places a strong focus on ‘making it happen’. He is committed to Perth’s regeneration through building the city’s capacity, increasing its intensity and activity and attracting new investment to create successful places that people want to be part of. After cutting his teeth on the Joondalup City and Bunbury Marlston Hill projects Tony moved to EPRA and was responsible for the redevelopment of over 220 hectares of inner city land from East Perth, through the CBD, to Northbridge. Further west, the SRA’s Subi Centro project is considered one of Australia’s best Transit Oriented Developments and a leading urban regeneration project internationally. Under Tony’s leadership, the redevelopment authorities developed a strong track record of delivering high quality, sustainable and award winning urban renewal projects including Claisebrook Village, New Northbridge and Subi Centro. He is currently working on a number of projects including Perth City Link which will reconnect the city centre with Northbridge for the first time in more than 100 years by sinking the rail line and bus station and delivering a vibrant mixed use precinct; Riverside which will create a unique riverfront destination at Perth’s eastern gateway; and, the revitalisation of the Perth Cultural Centre which is transforming the area into one of Perth’s favourite meeting places and premier events destination.
Topic: Let the Games begin – The Olympics as an Urban Regeneration Catalyst
With the Olympic Games in London fast approaching, this session looks at the approach to how this major sporting and cultural event can be utilised as a regeneration catalyst. As a driving principle, the Olympic Games must deliver a world-class urban development that not only promotes the best in design, technology, sport and culture, but also satisfies more urgent, vital needs intrinsic to local people, businesses and the environment. Most of the session will focus on the work in London - a unique opportunity to provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to regenerate the Lower Lea Valley providing new homes, work space, schools, health and other community facilities; and of course world class sporting facilities; but the talk will also touch on how the approach has been developed in the recently awarded work for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. A not to be missed insight into how this sporting event will leave a lasting legacy for London and a starting point for Rio de Janeiro.
With a wealth of experience on urban regeneration projects, new community designs, sports masterplanning and commercial developments, Bill Hanway is the Executive Director of Operations for AECOM Planning Design + Development, a 5,000 person global team focused on the built environment . Trained and qualified as an architect in the United States, he has been based in the London office since 1997. At the practice level, he provides the design leadership and management of AECOM's multidisciplinary teams and has worked in the UK, Continental Europe, the US and the Middle East. His recent projects include the winning competition entry for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Legacy masterplan, the London 2012 Olympic Games and Legacy Masterplan, a new campus extension for Cambridge University, and the Heart of Doha Masterplan in Qatar. In addition to his role in AECOM, Bill supports the commitment to improving the quality of the built environment through his participation at CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), where he is a Vice Chair of the National Design Review Panel.
BT Chief Economist
Topic: Australia in the New Global Economy
As Chief Economist of BT Financial Group, Dr Chris Caton advises clients on the financial implications of economic trends, policy pronouncements and major political developments. A former head of the Economic Division of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Chris is a leading analyst of the current and future state of both the Australian and international economies, and their potential impact on individual industries.
Drawing on his international experience and with an impressive breadth of knowledge, Chris provides succinct and tailored advice to his clients in a wide range of industries, including many that are dominated by small businesses. A brilliant communicator, Chris has a rare ability to make economics come alive for his audience and has received innumerable accolades for his highly accessible, meaningful, and entertaining presentations.
National Head of Research - DTZ Australia
Topic: Getting Asian Capital into Australia – what’s happening and why
In his role as National Head of Research - Australia Dominic has undertaken extensive investigation of Australia's property market and more recently, the relationships with the Asian market. Dominc has an extensive academic background with an Honours degree and a PhD in Geography. He has an extensive number of peer reviewed publications and is also an Adjunct Associate Professor to the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management at the University of Queensland.
Executive Chairman, Hegney Property Group
Panelist - The Couchman Forum
Gavin Hegney is Executive Chairman and founder of the Hegney Property Group and is one of Australia’s most prominent and influential voices in property. As a successful investor in his own right and author of the book “The Residential Property Market”, Gavin has become one of Australia’s most sought after and highly respected property commentators, providing independent property comment to all mediums of both state-based and national media and for the past 10 years has been the resident property expert as part of the “Money Men” team on ABC morning talkback radio. Gavin researches the local and overseas property and financial markets extensively and has undertaken vast studies of the share market in order to gain a full understanding of the balance of investment and how the various markets fit together. His innovative vision and leadership has seen the Hegney Property Group emerge as a dynamic independent property company.
Chief Product Officer realestate.com.au
Topic: Marketing and Technology: Revolutionising Consumer Choice?
Meeting buyers expectations is one thing but letting buyers know what is available is an increasingly complex business. Social media is leading the way with facebook and twitter just the tip of the iceberg, apps for mobile phones are fast grabbing their own share of the market. Of course, all of that technology links back into your website. Find out how to make this technology work for you, connecting you with your buyers of tomorrow, today.
Henry specialises in Commercial Online & Mobile Strategy, Production and Management. He has extensive experience in developing new large exposure search driven websites from the ground up with a central focus on "local" search and media portals. Henry's background in Human Centred Visual Design complements his search, SEM and product development focus. He has managed online & mobile teams concurrently across Europe, Australia/New Zealand and has a wide range of experience in integrating new technologies for commercial purposes in the realm of online and wireless in multiple languages. If this bio seems like a foreign language then this session is a must for you!
Minister for Regional Development; Lands
Topic: Building the Regions
The Hon Brendon Grylls became the leader of the Nationals WA in July 2005 in 2008 he led the party into a power sharing alliance with the Liberals. In the lead up to the September 2008 election, Brendon and The Nationals WA campaigned on the Royalties for Regions plan which captured the imagination of regional WA and now underpins the Liberal-Nationals alliance in Government. The Royalties for Regions program is transforming communities from Kununurra to Esperance and ensuring radical upgrades in vital services, including health.Brendon has targeted the Pilbara and Kimberley regions where years of neglect has resulted in poorly serviced towns and communities and disenfranchised indigenous populations. Brendon's vision is to draw on Royalties for Regions funding to establish thriving communities right across regional Western Australia where industry and business can invest with confidence and where families are encouraged to settle permanently because they have ready access to affordable housing, education and modern health services.
Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment & Heritage
Topic: Australia Moving Forward
Greg Hunt was appointed Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Urban Water, a role which was expanded to include all water responsibilities in September 2008. In December 2009 Greg was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage. A Fulbright Scholar, Greg has an LLB with First Class Honours from the University of Melbourne and a Master of International Relations from Yale University. He was captain of the Australian Universities’ debating team and runner up at the World Debating Championships. Greg has also worked at the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and as the Associate to the Chief Justice of the Federal Court. He was Australia's Chief Electoral Observer in Cambodia in 1998 and in 2003 Greg was selected as one of 100 Global Leaders for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum.
The Hon Jeffrey Kennett AC was an Officer in the Royal Australian Regiment, serving at home and overseas before entering the Victorian State Parliament in 1977. He served in the Liberal Government in the early 1980s as Minister for Housing, Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs and was elected Leader of the Opposition in October 1982.
Under his leadership, the Liberal-National Party coalition was elected to government in 1992, with two-to-one majorities in both Houses of Parliament - a position unparalleled in almost 140 years of State Government in Victoria. The coalition was returned to office at the 1996 election with a net gain in representation across both Houses of Parliament.
Mr Kennett continued as Premier during the coalition’s second term, as well as serving as Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for the Arts. He headed the Government's peak industry organisations - the Ministerial Industry Council, the Premier's Business Round Table, the Victorian Communications and Multimedia Task Force and Food Victoria, and chaired the Science Engineering and Technology Task Force.
Under Mr Kennett's premiership, Victoria earned the reputation of being Australia's most reformist state. His government implemented reforms to the Victorian public service, led Australia in the privatisation of public utilities, reduced the State's deficit from $33bn to $5.5bn, reinvigorated the economy and reinstated confidence amongst the Victorian community. As Premier, Mr Kennett took Victoria to the world and in doing so, developed a wide network of international business and political contacts. As Victoria grew in confidence, Mr Kennett's national popularity soared, to the extent that he was widely regarded as Australia's strongest leader during this period.
In November 1999, Mr Kennett resigned from the Victorian Parliament after 23 1/2 years service to pursue opportunities in the corporate sector.
Mr Kennett is currently Chairman of Open Windows Australia Proprietary Limited and Amtek Corporation Pty Ltd, and Chairman of the Board of Management of PFD Food Services Pty Ltd.
He is a Director of Equity Trustees Limited and Jumbuck Entertainment Limited.
Mr Kennett is Chairman of beyondblue: the national depression initiative and President of the Hawthorn Football Club.
He is Patron of a number of community organisations and in 2005 was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia.
US Partner, Squire Sanders and Head of Global Real Estate (from January 2012)
Topic: Behind the media stories: What’s happening in the USA?
With the property market in the USA continuing to make headlines around the world, John Thomas unpacks the real story behind the news and provides fresh insight on the performance of the sector and key issues impacting on the recovery. Set in a broader business context this is a not to be missed session for anybody with an interest in the property sector.
John Thomas has more than 20 years experience representing corporate clients in a variety of sophisticated business transactions. His practice includes real estate lending, acquisition and development, general commercial contracting and asset acquisition and sale.
John has extensive experience representing borrowers and lenders for corporate finance, commercial real estate, senior living facilities and international energy projects as well as advising clients in the evaluating and selecting of alternative sources of capital.
John's real estate experience includes the acquisition, financing, development and management of multi-family, office, retail, and mixed-use projects. He also has experience with public-private partnerships for the development of real estate assets. His experience includes negotiating venture capital transactions, licensing, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate organizational matters.
Previously John acted as general counsel for The Artery Organization, Inc., a major Washington DC-area developer and he has also worked in a non-legal capacity for Washington DC-area developers and managers of commercial real estate.
John’s experience includes representing:
- handling of real estate aspects for the development of a major downtown sports arena;
- represented the sellers in a roll up of a portfolio of over forty multifamily real estate assets into a Real Estate Investment Trust;
- the lender group in a US$450 million financing of the acquisition of 21 continuing care retirement communities;
- a US-based company in its initial public offering on London’s Alternative Investment Market;
- an affiliated borrower group in the negotiation of a comprehensive debt restructuring of multiple credit facilities involving the creation of a shared collateral pool for the creditor group; and
- a commercial bank providing credit enhancement and liquidity support for Variable Rate Demand Housing Revenue Bonds in the approximate amount of US$252 million for a high-rise continuing care retirement community with 288 independent living units, 48 assisted living units and 44 skilled nursing beds.
UDIA National President and Urban Development Manager Victoria APP Corporation
Topic: Challenges and Opportunities for the Property Industry
Julie Katz started her own private town planning practice in 1994 in Melbourne and in 2009 joined the practice into APP, a National leading provider of strategic advice and services in the Property and Infrastructure industries. In her current role as the Urban Development Manager Victoria for APP Corporation, Julie manages The Planning Group Australia as well as the Urban Development group in Melbourne. Julie has practiced in town planning with State and regional planning authorities for over 25 years. She has worked in both the traditional spheres of town planning as well as honed her skills in project management, production and marketing of commercial, industrial and residential development projects.
AM Managing Director and Chief Executive Satterley Property Group
Leaders Predictions
Nigel Satterley has had an unrivalled career as WA’s most successful private residential land developer. Satterley Property Group, Australia’s most awarded community developer, has just celebrated its 31st year in business. Before embarking on property development Nigel enjoyed many achievements as the founder and principal of Statesman Homes. The Satterley Property Group has sold more than 50,000 residential lots and currently controls a land portfolio exceeding the equivalent of around 32,000 residential lots. The Group has carried out 140 residential development projects and won more than 70 prestigious industry awards covering master-planned communities, environmental excellence, urban renewal, affordable housing delivery, waterwise development and landscaping. Mr Satterley is currently a member of the National Housing Supply Council and a member of the Advisory Committee on Housing Assistance Reform.
RPS National Congress Breakfast
Patrick Hollingworth, a West Australian, had a passion to climb the highest mountain in the world.
A ten-year apprenticeship served in the world’s greatest mountain ranges in Canada, Alaska, France, Pakistan, Nepal and Tibet saw him gain an impressive resume of climbing experiences which enabled him to fulfil his dream in May 2010.
Summiting Mount Everest reinforced Pat’s conviction that passion, self-belief and a dogged persistence can empower normal individuals to achieve great things. And now he wants to share this knowledge with others. His enthusiasm for his climbing shines through in his presentations, as does his stunning still and video footage from the summits of the world’s highest mountains.
Patrick demonstrates how any ordinary person can achieve extraordinary outcomes. His words will leave the audience inspired to tackle their own challenges in life, whatever they may be.
Topic: The Couchman Forum
Peter Couchman hosts an expert panel who consider urban development in 2021 and beyond. How will we address the many challenges that face the industry from affordability to sustainability? A detailed discussion that includes some of the best minds in the industry. This free-ranging discussion of critical issues will be a highlight of the conference. Peter Couchman’s reputation was forged on the ground-breaking ABC current affairs programs This Day Tonight and the highly respected Four Corners, the long-standing benchmark of Australian television journalism.
Both charming and professional, Peter enhances any occasion. He is one of the best MCs in Australia - meticulously prepared and with a remarkable facility for memorising material. Peter has transferred the format of his popular series of weekly discussion-style television shows, Couchman, to the corporate arena with enormous success as ‘The Couchman Forum’. Providing a welcome change of pace for any conference or convention, its participants always enjoy ‘having their say’ about the chosen topics.
Topic: Designing 2050 - The Property Industry in a Carbon Economy
“We don’t know what this means” is the common catch cry of the industry when it comes to a Carbon Economy. How much will it change the way we do our business and the way people work, live and socialise? This session transports you thirty years ahead with one of Australia’s best known futurists. This session will be a ride not to be missed!
Peter Ellyard is Australia's most prominent futurist, and is a strategist, author and speaker. As a speaker his addresses are noted for being informative, inspiring and highly motivational. A graduate of Sydney University and of Cornell University (Ph.D) with a background on both physical and biological sciences, he spent 15 years as a CEO of public policy organisations including two associated with Environment and Planning, and one with Industry and Technology, and was also Chief of Staff of an Environment Minister in Canberra for three years, before formally becoming a futurist after his appointment as CEO of Australia's Commission for the Future.
Peter Ellyard is currently Chairman of the Preferred Futures Institute and the Preferred Futures Group, which he founded in 1991. He also chairs the Sustainable Prosperity Foundation and two start-up environmental companies. He is Adjunct Professor of Intergenerational Strategies at the University of Queensland, and is a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators, the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand, and the Australian Institute of Management. He is an elected Member of the International Union of Associations, based in Brussels, which has 45,000 international NGO members.
Peter Ellyard has been a Senior Adviser to the United Nations system for more than 30 years including to the 1992 Earth Summit where he was a senior advisor on both the climate change and the biodiversity conventions. In this he was the only Australian and one of only 20 globally. At other times he has been a senior consultant to the UNEP, UNDP and UNESCO. He has also advised the OECD over 20 years.
He has developed unique intellectual property and methodologies – a futurist's toolkit- to assist people to understand and anticipate what the future might bring, and assist them to develop and implement visions and strategic actions to become both resilient future-takers in, and purposeful future-makers in 21st century society. Most of the job categories and products and services of 25 years hence have yet to be invented. Peter Ellyard can describe what these products and services will be. Peter envisages a global society that is prosperous, sustainable, harmonious, secure and just in the year 2050, and narrates what is being done, and can be done, to ensure its emergence. In doing this he is describing the emerging 21st century global economy.
Peter Ellyard's most recent books are Designing 2050: Pathways to Sustainable Prosperity on Spaceship Earth (2008), and Destination 2050: Concepts Bank and Toolkit for Future-Makers (September 2011). His first book, Ideas for the New Millennium (1998, 2001) was an instant best-seller.
Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University
Topic: Taking it to the Edge: The Masdar Project and other Green Projects in Asia
The amazing Masdar project in Abu Dhabi, a US $20b development will be home to around 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses, is the feature of this presentation. This unique project is aiming for zero carbon, zero waste and total reliance on solar and other renewable energy sources. Hear about this project “from the ground up” from one of Australia’s leading sustainability experts.
Peter Newman is the Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University, a Director of CUSP and on the Board of Infrastructure Australia which is funding infrastructure for the long term sustainability of Australian cities. In 2001-3 Peter directed the production of WA’s Sustainability Strategy in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the first state sustainability strategy in the world. In 2004-5 he was a Sustainability Commissioner in Sydney advising the government on planning issues. In 2006/7 he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of Virginia Charlottesville.
Prof University of WA
Topic: Australia @35 Million – A Forty Year Vision for Urban Development
When released in 2010, Professor Richard Weller’s book, Boom Town 2050, seriously challenged conventional thinking for Perth and provided scenarios for a rapidly growing city that needs at least 700,000 new homes and a doubling of the city’s infrastructure in the forty years to 2050. Richard takes this research and applies it to Australia’s major population centres in a challenging and provocative presentation that considers how we will house an Australian population of 35 million.
Richard Weller is Winthrop Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and Director of the Australian Urban Design Research Centre. He has received several Excellence in Teaching awards from the UWA and a consistent stream of international, design competition awards in over 25 years of design experience. He has published over 70 papers and given invited lectures in the best design schools around the world. His design work has been widely exhibited including in a retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney (1998) and published as a monograph by the University of Pennsylvania Press in 2005. Professor Weller’s recent planning work has been published by the UWA Press in 2009 under the title of ‘Boomtown 2050’: Scenarios for a Rapidly Growing City and his current research concerns urban growth scenarios to meet Australia’s predicted mid-century population growth. In 2012 Professor Weller delivered the Annual FL Olmsted lecture at Harvard University.
Robyn Moore is regarded as one of Australia’s best and most in-demand speakers. For over 30 years she has been working in Education, Advertising and the Communication/Entertainment Industry. She has unique skills with “the Power of the Word” and her voice has been heard in most homes in Australia and NZ and in many other overseas countries. Her highly entertaining, inspiring and thought provoking presentations totally captivate her audiences at national and international conferences. Robyn literally “sells people back to themselves” so they recognise old habits and behaviours and take responsibility for choices, which create the outcomes they want in their lives.
Robyn’s presentations are quite often literally described as“life changing”. Robyn is an Ambassador for the Australia Day Council, the Australian Childhood Foundation and is the National Patron of Make-A-Wish Australia and is well known from Australia’s longest running radio show: How Green was my Cactus and is the voice of Blinky Bill. A not to be missed grand finale to the 2012 National Congress.
CEO Landcorp
Panelist - The Couchman Forum
As Chief Executive of the State Government’s specialist land and property development agency, Ross leads a team of more than 200 dedicated and diverse professionals involved in projects as diverse as design, planning, property, advisory services, business administration and strategic marketing. Over 50 per cent of LandCorp’s projects are located in regional Western Australia, while metropolitan activity is focussed on transit oriented and infill development. LandCorp is also the major provider of industrial land in the State. Under Ross's leadership, the agency has sought to extend design and development outcomes through partnering with local and State Government and the private sector. Prior to joining LandCorp in 1993, he gained invaluable experience in state finance and administration, holding a senior position in the State Treasury.
Sam Walsh was appointed chief executive of Rio Tinto’s extensive Iron Ore group in 2004. His responsibilities cover operations and projects in Australia, Canada, Guinea and India, as well as Dampier Salt and Rio Tinto Marine.
He has overseen the rapid expansion of this group, with more than US$16 billion committed to mine expansions and major infrastructure developments since 2004. In 2010 net earnings were more than US$10 billion.
In June 2009, Sam was appointed as an executive director to the boards of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited, and in November 2009, chief executive of Rio Tinto Australia. He is also the Rio Tinto ExCo sponsor for Australia, India and West Africa.
Sam has been with Rio Tinto since 1991. Prior to joining the Iron Ore group, he held a number of management positions within Rio Tinto, including chief executive of the Aluminium group.
Before joining Rio Tinto, Sam spent 20 years in the automotive industry and held senior roles with General Motors and Nissan Australia.
Sam has a Bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University and has completed a Fellowship Program at Kettering University in Michigan. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.
Sam’s other appointments include non-executive director of West Australian Newspapers Holdings Limited, a vice president of the Australia-Japan Business Cooperation Committee, chair of Black Swan State Theatre Company, chair of the WA Chapter of the Australian Business Arts Foundation, chair of the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund, president of Scouts Australia (WA branch), chair of Chamber of Arts and Culture WA Inc and a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Western Australia’s Energy and Minerals Institute.
Sam is also patron of the State Library of Western Australia Foundation and a patron of the UWA Hackett Foundation.
In 2010, in recognition of his distinguished contribution to business and the community, Sam was appointed as an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia and awarded an Honorary Doctor of Commerce by Edith Cowan University.
In 2007 Sam was named Western Australian Citizen of the Year - Industry & Commerce and an Australian Export Hero.
Sam and his wife Leanne reside in Perth, Western Australia. Sam has three children: Ben, Carolyn and Tom.
National Research Director, RP Data
Topic: Leaders Predictions
Tim Lawless is RP Data’s National Research Director. He joined the company in 2007 and from this time has embarked on developing a renewed focus for the group’s internal property data research division. Along with his team, Tim has expanded the RP Data research division to now report on the property market on a daily basis through visual and personal presentations and has become a successful keynote speaker for industry-related conferences and seminars. Tim has become a regular voice in the Australia media where he regularly reports on trends and current market conditions. RP Data is Australia’s leading provider of property market information services and analytics. Currently RP Data holds over 150 million property records making it the largest property data provider in the Southern Hemisphere today.