View the Geotrails Flyer HERE

Click HERE to view the Geotrails workshop program

Facilitator & Speaker:

Geotourism: pathways for regional development in Australia
Angus M. Robinson, Managing Partner, Leisure Solutions® and Chair, Geotourism Standing Committee, Geological Society of Australia

Speakers:

Geotrails: enhancing the visitor experience and encouraging extended stays in Australia
Daniel Cove, Chair, Geotourism Forum, Ecotourism Australia Ltd

Developing the Potential of Geotourism Across Rural Australia: the Kanawinka Geopark/Geotrail experience
Ian Lewis, Director, Kanawinka Geopark/Geotrail

Exploring the World we Walk in Through Mobile Technology
Kenneth Moule, Chief Technical Officer, Global GBM

Unlocking Geological Information in Support of Geotourism Development
Prof. Neil Williams, Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Wollongong

View the Right Start Right Project Flyer HERE

The Right Start Right Project is an introductory master class for regional Change Agents that are looking for better ways to activate productive and sustainable change within their communities through the implementation of catalyst projects. The master class provides information, application and discussion of principles across the following six topics:

1. Important Trends
2. Guiding Principles
3. Project Innovation
4. Leadership Activation
5. Investment Partners
6. Project Pathways

The Master Class is part of the recently developed Regional Solutions Framework (RSF) and includes information on trends affecting regional Australia, application of the principles of Regionally Significant Investable Projects and concludes with group discussions around project opportunities and the potential role of Collaborative Business Cases in securing project investment partners.

Facilitator:

Robert Prestipino, Director, Vital Places Pty Ltd

View the Free Trade Agreements Flyer HERE

High-quality, comprehensive free trade agreements are playing an important role in supporting global trade liberalisation. FTAs have opened opportunities for Australian exporters and investors to expand their businesses into key overseas markets. By improving market access for goods, services and delivering more business and investment opportunities, FTAs will help to maintain and stimulate the competitiveness of Australian firms.

Australia's FTA negotiations are increasingly focused on the so-called 'behind the border' issues including factors such as standards, professional qualifications, intellectual property rights and competition policies, in addition to addressing tariff barriers.

Australia has nine FTAs currently in force with New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, US, Chile, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) (with New Zealand), Malaysia, Korea and Japan. The countries covered by these FTAs account for 42 per cent of Australia's total trade.

Australia concluded FTA negotiations with China in November 2014. The agreement will enter into force when domestic processes have been completed. China accounts for 23 per cent of Australia's total trade.

Australia is currently engaged in six other FTA negotiations - two bilateral FTA negotiations: India and Indonesia; and four plurilateral FTA negotiations: the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Pacific Trade and Economic Agreement (PACER Plus), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP). The additional countries covered by these negotiations account for a further six per cent of Australia's total trade.

There is much debate about the relative advantages and disadvantages of FTAs. It is important for regional businesses to have the capacity to take advantage of the opportunities. This Free Trade Agreement workshop will give you practical, up to date information about the benefits of our newest FTAs with China, Japan and Korea and how to use them.

Facilitator & Speaker:

Quantifying Free Trade Agreements for Australia and New Zealand
(Author: Wayne Prouse, Principal and Senior Analyst, Fresh Intelligence Consulting)
Simon Boughey, Chief Executive Officer, Cherry Growers Australia and SEGRA National Steering Committee

Speakers:

Kuro Kin Wagyu in the Hunter Valley
Peter William Bishop, Director, Kuro Kin Wagyu
Co-presenter:
Peter Hubert Bishop, Kuro Kin Wagyu

Michael Growder, Assistant Secretary, FTA Outreach Unit, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

This round table will bring together all the ideas and issues of the previous days at the conference and engage in an open collaborative ideas exchange to try and identify some proposals to address: How might we...questions. Depending on the degree of consensus at the roundtable potential projects will be discerned for further development

Facilitator:

A/Prof. Peter Waterman, Adjunct Associate Professor in Environmental Science, University of the Sunshine Coast and SEGRA National Steering Committee

Speakers:

Emma Bradbury, Chief Executive Officer, The Murray Darling Association

Kate Charters, Director, Management Solutions (Qld) and SEGRA National Steering Committee

Prof. Max Finlayson, Director, Institute for Land, Water & Society, Charles Sturt University

Gerry Morvell, Chair, Conservation Volunteers and Chair, Wetlands Australia

Dr. Jay Rajapakse, Lecturer, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology

This study tour will take you through the Mount Panorama Precinct and highlight all the facilities that come under this banner, and it is not just motor racing. With a focus on sporting events in the region, we will touch on not only the economic impact of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, but other events that take place within the precinct. Currently the Mount is home to the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour in February, The Bathurst Motor Festival at Easter and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in October. 2016 will see two new events come under the Council's events team; The 2016 National BMX Championships and the NAB Blayney to Bathurst Cyclo Sportif Challenge. The tour will start in the Mayoral Suite at the Pit Complex followed by morning tea at the Bathurst Harness Racing Club. A bus tour will take in the Mount Panorama Precinct which includes the new world class BMX track which is under construction in the Bathurst Bike Park. The morning will finish with a tour and lunch at the historic Abercrombie House, hosted by Christopher Morgan, a local historian and owner of Abercrombie House.

Tour Leaders:

Phil Cole, General Manager, 2BS

Steven Bowman, Manager, Economic Development, Bathurst Regional Council

Click HERE to view the draft itinerary

This study tour includes a visit to Charles Sturt University in Orange and a presentation on technology, distance and education.

Tour Leader: Sharon D'Elboux, Manager - Business Development, Orange City Council

Click HERE to view the draft itinerary