Join us for an extraordinary opportunity to experience collaboration in action! Presented by The Energy Charter in partnership with the RDA Orana, this training promises to empower and inspire. It’s more than just a learning event—it’s your chance to connect, collaborate, and create meaningful change within your community.
Don’t miss out on being part of this dynamic and high impact experience. Register now and be ready to make a difference!
Discover the power of shared benefits in the energy transition!
True collaboration and collective action can unlock incredible opportunities—for landholders, communities, and industry alike. At the Landholder + Community Engagement Training, you’ll learn how to put Collaboration in Action into practice, creating shared benefits and fostering stronger relationships in the Australian energy transition.
Why attend?
Benefit sharing goes beyond recognising the value of resources—it’s about ensuring those benefits are distributed fairly. This training dives deep into how meaningful engagement and partnership-building can bring increased awareness and acceptance of renewable energy and transmission projects. Landholders themselves are more aware than ever of the role that shared benefits can bring to their communities. This training will equip participants with practical skills for building trust and transparency.
Learn about what is happening in Australia’s first declared REZ. The Central-West Orana REZ is paving the way for future renewable energy zones, showcasing how collaboration within the energy sector and with community can support thriving regional communities as part of the energy transition.
Who is it for?
Whether you’re a land agent, community engagement professional, work in energy distribution, renewable development or transmission infrastructure, this training delivers invaluable insights. Explore better practices in collaboration, empowering partnerships, and fostering dialogue—all essential for navigating social licence responsibilities and driving meaningful change.
Be part of the movement that sees social licence not just as an industry driver but as a shared responsibility for communities and landholders hosting infrastructure.
Together, we can make respectful, transparent engagement the cornerstone of collaboration and shared benefits.
What you will learn
- Hear from community: Gain direct insights into their views, including young people, on how shared benefits and collaboration are working for them and what can be improved
Impactful skills program: This isn’t just training—it’s a game-changer. Join Kirsty O’Connell and Dr Richard Parsons, two of Australia’s top experts, for this unmissable Landholder + Community Engagement Training designed to supercharge your skills in stakeholder engagement and land access.
Social value – Understand what it means, why it matters, and how to identify, communicate, and deliver social benefits that resonate with host communities, including perceived benefit sharing and managing social risks.
Better practice engagement – Discover the trust-building strategies that create strong, lasting relationships with landholders and stakeholders. Apply proven engagement principles that ensure project teams consistently deliver impactful, community-focused outcomes.
This will be highly interactive training using rich scenarios, peer learning and practical examples from the trainers and our industry panel. More than a training course—it’s a chance to step up your expertise, engage meaningfully with communities, and drive positive change.
- Learn from leaders: Dive into lessons learned from experienced land agents and community engagement leaders about how to collaborate effectively
- Explore the Orana REZ: A full-day field trip will showcase the real energy transition in action in this vast and diverse area known for its rich agricultural industry, natural beauty, and vibrant communities.
What you’ll take away:
- Practical tools, fresh insights and actionable skills to take your engagement efforts to the next level.
- Connections with like-minded folk from the renewable energy sector.
- Inspiration and knowledge to build trusted, collaborative relationships that drive shared value.
If you’re part of the renewable energy sector—be it wind, solar, hydro, batteries, distribution or transmission—this is your chance to upskill and connect!
Agenda
Day 1 - Welcome + setting the scene
What you need to know
- Arrival: 1:30pm onwards to collect your name tag for a 2pm start at The Exchange Orana 98 Macquarie Street Dubbo
- Parking: There is no street parking available. See Parking information below
- Inclusions: Light refreshments supplied on arrival
- Conclusion: after Networking Drinks at 7.30pm
- Take a break: Drop your bags or enjoy a short stroll around Dubbo’s main street before joining us for our networking event.
Topics covered
- Welcome to Country
- Energy Charter + Social Licence, Importance of Central West Orana Rez as a model
- Setting the scene: Renewable energy development in NSW – Orana RDA + EnergyCo
- Voices from the Region: Hear from the local community including youth voices. Gain direct insights into their views on how shared benefits and collaboration are working for their region and what can be improved.
Networking Drinks
- Arrival: 5:30pm at The Exchange Orana 98 Macquarie Street Dubbo
- Speaker: Brad Cam, General Manager Mid-Western Regional Council (tbc) along with some recipients of the recent community benefits showcasing the power of community collaboration to deliver local energy solutions
- Inclusions: Drinks and canapes. We invite you to try one of the terrific restaurants and bars for dinner (you’ll find some recommendations below).
Conclusion: 7:30pm
Day 2 - Skills development training
What you need to know
- Arrival: 8am onwards for an 8:30am start at Lazy River Estate 29R Old Dubbo Road, Dubbo. The venue is located 7 minutes’ drive from Dubbo CBD, plenty of parking or Ubers + taxis are available).
- Inclusions: Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. Please enjoy breakfast at your hotel or at one of the cafes suggested below.
- Conclusion: 4:30pm – take a break back at your hotel to prepare for the National Landholder + Community Engagement Training Dinner
- Transport to dinner: A bus will be available to take you to and from Lazy River Estate for the evening. Pick up outside Dubbo RSL Club, 178 Brisbane St, Dubbo. For those who will drive, please arrive at 6pm.
Topics covered
- Collaboration in Action workshop: expert training sessions on building collaboration across industry including case studies and workshop exercises
- Industry Insights Panel: Our industry panel will bring lessons from this training program to life, sharing real-world experiences and insights on effective collaboration. These leaders will demonstrate how key concepts from the training can be applied in practice, offering valuable strategies learned firsthand.
National Landholder + Community Engagement Training Dinner
- Arrival: 6pm – A bus will be available to take you to and from Lazy River Estate for the evening. Pick up outside Dubbo RSL Club, 178 Brisbane St, Dubbo. For those who will drive, please arrive at 6pm.
- Attire: Smart dinner attire, there will be a photographer!
- Guest speaker: Tony Mahar, Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner
- Conclusion: 9pm with bus departing back to Dubbo RSL and a circuit of nearby hotels.
Day 3 - full day bus excursion + meet landholders
What you need to know
- Arrival: 7:30am for bus departure for the full day excursion. Bring your luggage or arrange to leave it for the day at your hotel. The exact site visits are still in planning and will be confirmed soon.
- Attire: Depending on sites visited you may need to wear long pants (e.g. jeans), hiking or safety boots and a High Vis vest. We will confirm this closer to the date.
- Walking: There will likely be some walking involved from the bus to each site, this is expected to be around 500 metres and on flat but uneven terrain. Any changes will be advised closer to the date.
- Inclusions: Morning tea, lunch.
- Conclusion: 3pm at final venue: Royal Flying Doctors Service Visitor Centre.
Venues
Day 1 – The Exchange Orana, 98 Macquarie Street Dubbo
Day 2 – Lazy River Estate, 29R Old Dubbo Road, Dubbo
Day 3 – Bus pick-up and drop-off location – will be confirmed.
Suggested hotels
Quest Hotel 22 Bultje St, Dubbo 10 minutes walk from Day 1 venue, 2 minutes walk from Day 2 venue
Cattleman’s Country Motor Inn Whylandra St, Dubbo 20 mins walk from Day 1 Venue, 15 minutes’ walk from Day 2 venue.
Quality Inn 195 Whylandra St, Dubbo 6 minutes drive from Day 1 venue, 5 minutes drive from Day 2 venue
Comfort Inn 57 Cobra St, Dubbo 15 mins walk from Day 1 Venue, 5 minutes’ walk from Day 2 venue.
Cascades Motor Inn 141-147 Cobra St, Dubbo 20 mins walk from Day 1 Venue, 10 minutes’ 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 15 minutes’ walk to our Day 1 venue and 5 minutes’ 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.
While you're attending training
Transport around Dubbo
Please make your own way to the venues on Day 1 and Day 2. Several of the suggested hotels are within walking distance and there are taxis and Ubers. A bus will be available for transport to and from the Wednesday night dinner.
Parking
Day 1
- Three-hour parking behind Riverdale Shopping Centre at 65 Macquarie St (three minutes’ walk to The Exchange Orana)
- Three-hour parking behind Myer – enter from Brisbane Street (three minutes’ walk to The Exchange Orana)
- All day parking at Dubbo RSL 178 Brisbane St (five minutes’ walk)
- Council parking Church St, Dubbo NSW 2830 (11 minutes’ walk).
Day 2
- Plenty of onsite parking at Lazy River Estate
Day 3
- Bus pick-up TBC – the Dubbo RSL carpark is open from 6am or you may be able to park at your hotel for the day.
Restaurants + cafes
Dubbo has many restaurants, cafes and bars. Here are some suggestions within walking distance of the main street:
- The Pastoral Hotel – 110 Talbragar St, Dubbo (5 minutes’ walk from The Exchange Orana). $$$
- Milestone Hotel – 195 Macquarie St Dubbo – $$
- One 7 Eight Dining & Bar is an award-winning restaurant top floor Dubbo RSL (open Thurs-Sat) at 178 Brisbane Street $$$$
- Commercial Hotel – 165 Brisbane St $$
- Old Bank Restaurant + Bar – 232 Macquarie St, Dubbo – historic pub for those who like the music scene and pub food. $$
- Okami Japanese Restaurant 141-147 Cobra St, Dubbo NSW 2830 (located in Cascades Motor Inn) $$$
- Church St Café – 15 Church St (Cnr Macquarie Street) – amazing breakfasts and coffee $$
- Press Café – 33 Bultje St – charming café in an old house with beautiful outdoor and indoor areas. Perfect for healthy breakfast $$$
Keeping in touch
We will set up a WhatsApp group to keep you informed about each day’s activities and important information. When you register, if you have a personal phone number that you would prefer to use for WhatsApp please indicate this as you conclude your registration.
Training support
Anne Whitehouse
E: awhitehouse@salesassured.com.au
M: 0412 206 621 (please text for on-day support)
The Energy Charter Team