Speakers
IPWEA Australasia
Dr. Jacqueline Balston has been an applied climate and environmental scientist for the past 25 years during which time she has researched the impacts of climate variability, climate change and environmental degradation on agriculture, natural resources, ecosystems, emergency management and the built environment across Australia. She currently works as Director of Sustainability for the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA), as a member of the South Australian Government Climate Science Advisory Committee and as a private Consultant to local, state and federal governments and other organisations nationally.
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Associate Professor Douglas Bardsley
The University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ
Douglas Bardsley is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Geography, Environment and Population at The University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ. Trained as a geographer and agricultural scientist, his research focusses on responses to environmental and agricultural risk in Australia and internationally. He undertook the first integrated assessments of climate change impacts and adaptation for the ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ-Mt Lofty Ranges and Indigenous Alinytjara Wilurara regions in Suth Australia, which became templates for the State’s regional adaptation policy. Subsequent local work has examined adaptation to the wildfire, coastal flooding, farm management risks, biodiversity loss, invasive species and the energy transition.Ìý
RMIT University
Sarah Bekessy leads the ICON Science research group at RMIT University which uses interdisciplinary approaches to solve complex biodiversity conservation problems. Professor Bekessy is particularly interested in designing cities to encourage ‘every day nature’ experiences, in defining and measuring ‘nature positive’ development and in undrstanding the role of human behaviour in conservation. She co-developed the Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design protocol that has now been used by numerous developers, governments and non-government organisations to design innovative urban biodiversity strategies. Professor Bekessy is a Lead Councillor with The Biodiversity Council, a Board member of Bush Heritage Australia and a member of the WWF Eminent Scientists Group.
Head of Green Infrastructure, London Authority, UK
Abby Crisostomo is the Head of Green Infrastructure at the Greater London Authority, leading policies and programmes to deliver London’s greening ambitions. She also founded and chairs CIWEM’s SuDS and Water Reuse Policy Leadership Group. Previous roles include: director for delivery of Thames Estuary 2100 at the Environment Agency; head of climate adaptation and sustainable development at the Greater London Authority; leading sustainable design and construction projects for KLH Sustainability, including London Olympic Park legacy projects; and environment and social policy and planning in the US at the Alliance for the Great Lakes and Chicago’s Metropolitan Planning Council.
The University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ
is the Curator of the Waite Arboretum and Waite Conservation Reserve, a position that enables her to implement her knowledge of trees and Australian native plants, her skills in working with volunteers and community groups, and grow her various research interests. Kate’s main interest is improving Australian native plants for horticulture by research into propagation, cultivation, and breeding and selecting new varieties and species. She also has interests in supporting indigenous knowledge of food/medicines from plants; renewing the Urban Forest, sustainable agriculture and the environment; amenity horticulture (nursery, cut flower, garden design), and general horticulture (in particular small fruits and new crops such as essential oils, herbs, spices and Asian vegetables). Kate co-leads the Future Trees project with Dr Stefan Caddy-Retalic. The first stage of the project has resulted in a report on Benchmarking ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ’s Urban Forest, co-funded by Green ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ, the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ, Wellbeing SA and SA Power Networks. Both Kate and Stefan received a 2024 Climate Leaders Research Award.
University of New South Wales
Xiaoqi Feng is the Professor of Urban Health and Environment in UNSW’s Faculty of Medicine and Health and an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health, Australia. As a top-ranked researcher in cities and health with over $21 million in grants and over 200 publications, Professor Feng leads research programs informing urban planning strategies that improve cities and health sustainably and equitably for millions of people.
Professor Feng teaches multiple university courses and coaches the next generation of early-career researchers and future leaders in UNSW as Founding Co-Director of the Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab). As the Chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee in her faculty and the Chair of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology’s Capacity Building and Education Committee, Professor Feng is leading initiatives to support career advancement opportunities, representativeness, and fairness in higher education and research within Australia and worldwide
Greener Infrastructure Consulting and Australian Green Infrastructure Network
Gail Hall is the Director of and is well known in the urban greening, planning, environment and water sectors in Australia and the UK. Gail has worked for over 20 years in environmental planning roles, helping to build a greener future in cities. As co-founder and President of the , Gail is committed to providing a strong collective voice for Urban Green Infrastructure in Australasia.Ìý Gail's work includes authoring the award winning , , developing multiple strategic plans and , and the Melbourne .
Dr Katja Hogendoom
The University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ
Katja Hogendoorn is a senior researcher at the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine. Her research focuses on the maintenance and enhancement of bees as pollinators of crops and native plants. At a more general level, she is interested in ecology and evolution, behaviour, taxonomy, and conservation of bees. Katja uses her understanding of bee behaviour to inform management decisions for the improvement of bee health, biodiversity, and crop pollination services. Through educational outreach, she contributes to the public appreciation