Experience collaboration in action - Dubbo, 2025
Join us for a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the heart of regional engagement and collaboration. Delivered by The Energy Charter in partnership with RDA Orana, and proudly supported by ACEREZ, EnergyCo, Essential Energy, and JLL. This training is designed to equip energy sector professionals with the tools to lead with empathy, build shared value, and foster genuine community partnerships.
This is more than a training—it’s a strategic investment in your organisation’s social licence to operate. Through interactive workshops, real-world site visits, and insights from industry and community leaders, you’ll gain practical skills to navigate the evolving landscape of renewable energy development in Australia.
Whether you’re a developer, network business, land agent, or community engagement specialist, this is your chance to connect with peers, learn from lived experience, and contribute to shaping a more inclusive and sustainable energy future.
Who should attend?
If you work in:
Renewable energy development
Transmission or distribution
Land access or acquisitions
Community engagement or state or local government
…this training is built for you.
What will you learn?
✅ Learn how to identify and deliver social value
✅ Master better practice engagement strategies
✅ Connect with peers and community leaders
✅ Leave with tools you can apply immediately
✅ Understand what’s happening in Australia’s first declared Regional Energy Zone (REZ).
What you’ll experience
🧠 Interactive workshops with rich scenarios and peer learning
📍 Field trip to meet landholders and see collaboration in action
📚 Case studies from the Central-West Orana REZ and beyond
🎤 Expert-led sessions with Kirsty O’Connell and Dr Richard Parsons
🗣️ Community voices sharing what’s working and what needs work
The itinerary
Over three immersive days, you’ll join more than 50 professionals from across the energy sector to explore how collaboration, empathy, and shared value can transform landholder and community engagement.
Led by Kirsty O’Connell and Dr Richard Parsons (ANU), alongside experienced industry voices and community representatives, this training brings the theme “Collaboration in Action” to life through practical learning, case studies, and meaningful dialogue.
Day 1: Welcome + regional perspectives
- Begin the program with a warm welcome and cultural acknowledgment at The Exchange Orana
- Engage in conversations with regional leaders shaping the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone
- Hear firsthand insights from community members with lived experience in Central West
- Conclude the day with a networking function
Day 2: Skills development + industry insights
- Take part in interactive workshops focused on social value, social risks, and best practice engagement
- Explore practical tools and frameworks to support effective community engagement
- Hear from a panel of land agent and community engagement industry professionals
- Enjoy an evening dinner with guest speaker Tony Mahar, offering reflections on energy infrastructure and community impact
Day 3: Collaboration in action tour
- Visit Bodangora Wind Farm and learn about its biodiversity initiatives supporting native species
- Explore a repurposed worker accommodation project led by Squadron Energy and a First Nations contractor
- Discover Ampyr Energy’s innovative community ownership model during a picnic lunch at Wellington
- Tour the Rural Fire Service Aviation Centre and learn from Dubbo Council about the REACT Centre’s vision for renewable energy careers and training
Meet your trainers: experts in landholder and community engagement
Kirsty O'Connell
Co-founder of The Australian National University's Next Generation Engagement Program, Kirsty brings unmatched experience from $20 billion+ in major projects. From early-stage planning to meaningful community engagement consultation and land acquisition reform, she’s shaped the standards we use today. Pragmatic, strategic, and deeply grounded in practice, Kirsty played a pivotal role in NSW’s 2017 Land Acquisition Reform and continues to advise on engagement across Australia’s energy transformation.
Dr Richard Parsons
Globally recognised for his work in Social Impact Assessment (SIA), Richard is a boundary-spanning leader who bridges government, industry, and community. He led NSW’s SIA guidelines, is the first CEnvP-certified expert in the field, and has guided ethical, inclusive engagement across energy, mining, infrastructure, and beyond. With his grounding in research and real-world delivery, Richard will challenge and empower you to embed social licence at the core of your work.
Need more information?
Training support
M: 0412 206 621 (please text for on-day support)
Suggested hotels
Quest Hotel 22 Bultje St, Dubbo 10 minute walk from Day 1 venue, 2-minute walk from Day 2 venue
Cattleman’s Country Motor Inn Whylandra St, Dubbo 20 mins walk from Day 1 Venue, 15-minute walk from Day 2 venue.
Quality Inn 195 Whylandra St, Dubbo 6-minute drive from Day 1 venue, 5-minute drive from Day 2 venue
Comfort Inn 57 Cobra St, Dubbo 15-minute walk from Day 1 Venue, 5 minute walk from Day 2 venue.
Cascades Motor Inn 141-147 Cobra St, Dubbo 20-minute walk from Day 1 Venue, 10-minute walk from Day 2 venue.
Reasonably priced motels on Cobra Street (Mitchell Hwy) such as Shearing Shed, The Palms + The Australian Heritage Motor Inn are around a 15-minute walk to our Day 1 venue and a 5-minute walk for the Day 3 pickup.
Getting to Dubbo
From Sydney: direct flight on Qantas or Rex or Train from Central station 6 ½ hours or 5 hours self-drive from Sydney CBD.
From Brisbane: direct flight on Virgin.
From Melbourne: direct flight on Virgin (no direct flight back on Thursday afternoon).
From other cities: flights via Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.
