DAY ONEWednesday, 11 November 2026

8:30am - 9:00am

Registration & Morning Coffee

9:00am - 9:05am

DAY ONE OPENING

9:05am - 9:10am

OPENING REMARKS | Opening remarks from the Chair

9:10am - 9:35am

Update from MITEZ: Strengthening North and North West Queensland

Maria James - Chief Executive Officer, Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Development Zone Inc (MITEZ)

9:35am - 10:00am

The role of 3rd brigade in Australian Defence strategy

Ben McLennan - Commander 3rd Brigade, Australian Army

10:00am - 10:25am

CopperString 2032

Nigel Buchanan - Senior Principal, QIC

10:25am - 10:55am

Networking and refreshment break

10:55am - 11:20am

The Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct Project: Townsville's gateway to a greater tomorrow

Scott Muller - Program Manager, Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct
Veronica Aster - Environmental Offset Program Manager, Townsville City Council

11:20am - 11:45am

Investing for impact across North & North West Queensland

Louie Trajkoski - Senior Investment Director, Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF)

11:45am - 12:10pm

Making Townsville Australia's Most Liveable Industrial City

Balancing industrial growth with community expectations to create a city where people want to build careers, raise families and invest for the long term.
Townsville is experiencing significant industrial growth across defence, critical minerals, manufacturing, renewable energy, logistics and infrastructure. However, major projects can only succeed if the region can attract and retain the workforce needed to deliver them.
This workshop will bring together leaders from industry, government, education, property, tourism and the community to identify practical actions that will strengthen Townsville's liveability and competitiveness over the next decade.

Emma Peters - Chief Executive Officer, Townsville Chamber of Commerce

12:10pm - 12:35pm

Empowering Townsville: Strategies for workforce development and future growth

Lisa McDonald - Chief Executive Officer, Regional Development Australia Townsville and North West Queensland

12:35pm - 1:40pm

Lunch and networking break

1:40pm - 2:05pm

"Project Ulysses": Securing North Queensland’s Energy Future

Ed Mason - Chief Executive Officer, Jet Zero Australia

2:05pm - 2:30pm

Project Lion – Marrying local agricultural waste resources with leading global technologies to create domestic fuel capability and resilience

Simon Yim - Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Sky Renewables

2:30pm - 2:55pm

Eva Copper: Towards First Production

Glen Connell - Executive General Manager – Stakeholder Relations, Harmony

2:55pm - 3:40pm

Networking and refreshment break

3:40pm - 4:05pm

Advancing the Lindfield vanadium project

Pat Kelly - Interim Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer, Critical Minerals Group

4:05pm - 4:30pm

Mt Oxide – Growing a New Copper District in Northwest Queensland

Andrew Mooney - Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, True North Copper

4:30pm - 4:55pm

Investment pipeline and opportunities for major projects in Queensland's North and North West

Exploring the current investment landscape
Infrastructure development and economic impact
Strategies for long-term economic sustainability in Northern Queensland

4:55pm - 5:00pm

CLOSING REMARKS | Closing remarks from the Chair & Networking Function

5:00pm - 6:30pm

Networking Function

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DAY ONEWednesday, 11 November 2026