Speakers

Hon. Eric Abetz MP

A long time resident of his electorate of Franklin and as a former Government Senate Leader, Eric Abetz brings an unsurpassed blend of local knowledge and national experience to the Tasmanian Liberal Government.
Having attended local State schools, he graduated from the University of Tasmania with degrees in Arts and Law. While at University he worked as a taxi driver and farmhand. He knows hard work.
He established a legal partnership and served in the Australian Senate in various roles and ministries culminating in becoming Leader of the Government in the Senate.
Today, he is the Minister for Business Industry and Resources and the Minister for Transport while also being the Leader of the House.
Eric Abetz brings real world experience and a reputation for getting things done. Motivated by a genuine commitment to serve our community, he brings his skill set to the Tasmanian Cabinet table and the Parliament.

Hon. Kerry Vincent

Kerry Vincent is the Liberal Member for Prosser in the Legislative Council.
Respected as having a demonstrated commitment to community, Kerry Vincent is driven by a passion and vision for regional areas of Tasmania.
Kerry has served as Mayor of Sorell for the past 12 years and has been a strong advocate for improved infrastructure and services that rural and regional Tasmanians need and deserve.
Kerry is a firm believer in ensuring that small businesses have the support from all levels of government to succeed. His background in business has given him a clear understanding of how vital regional businesses are in supporting jobs and economic growth across Tasmania. This passion has seen him play an instrumental role in establishing Regional Jobs Hubs right around Tasmania.
Kerry has also held a number of positions within his community, including with Rotary, the Sorell Business Association, South East Region Development Association, Bushfire Recovery Taskforces, Copping Waste Authority, Southern Tasmanian Regional Waste Authority, and as Founding Chair of the community bank in Sorell.
One of Kerry’s proudest achievement has been his work serving on the board of South Eastern Community Care for the past 11 years, ensuring that NDIS recipients and the elderly can live independently in their own home and thrive in their local communities.

Kim Enkelaar

Kim is the Director, Future Industries and Communication, which is part of the Department of State Growth in Tasmania. Over the past four years Kim has led both the development and implementation of the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Action Plan, the Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan, and Tasmania’s response to national and state energy policy. More recently, she has been primarily focussed on green hydrogen and future fuels industry development in Tasmania. This includes leading the successful application for $70 Million Australian Government grant to develop a Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub project at Bell Bay, as well as local market activation, international engagement, and providing other policy and regulatory advice to the Government.
Kim is a dedicated public servant and over the past 25+ years she has held policy, research, project management, machinery of government and senior management positions in a range of agencies. Kim has worked on some of the biggest infrastructure reform projects in Tasmanian including the urban water and sewerage reform and energy reform.
Kim is a passionate Tasmanian and considers herself an authentic, dynamic and positive leader who works hard to try and make a difference for the Tasmanian community every day.
Kim considers herself extremely lucky and grateful to be helping to lead the further development of a renewable energy industry in Tasmania, and is optimistic about the broad range of opportunities that we can capture for industry, local communities,  research institutions  and government businesses.

Michael Bailey OAM

Michael Bailey has been the CEO of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) since 2013 and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2024 for his contributions to the business community.

With extensive experience in media, marketing, and general management, Michael has led TCCI to strengthen its role as Tasmania's peak employer body. He is active at the national level through the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Chamber Alliance.

Michael served as an inaugural Board member of the Tasmanian JackJumpers and also joined the Board of TasBuild in 2020. He is dedicated to fostering growth in both Tasmania’s business and sports sectors.

Norris Carter

Norris Carter was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Hobart Airport in March 2021.

He has over 20 years’ experience in aviation. He was previously CEO of Cairns and Mackay Airports, and before that led route development at Auckland Airport. He spent 14 years at Qantas in roles including network planning, revenue management and loyalty, and earlier in his career worked at The Boston Consulting Group and IBM.

Norris holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Adelaide and an MBA from the University of NSW.

Chris Hawkens

Chris Hawkins is a Director at WT, based in Hobart. He has over 20 years’ experience working on landmark and award-winning projects throughout Tasmania and in the UK. He has been a key member of WT in Tasmania for over 16 years. Chris has extensive experience working across Tasmania’s construction industry, which provides vital insights for clients into the unique challenges of working in Tasmania. WT has successfully delivered multiple infrastructure projects throughout the state and is currently supporting major projects such as New Bridgewater Bridge, Macquarie Point Stadium, UTAS Stadium Redevelopment and the Northern Suburbs Community Recreation Hub.

Michel de Vos

Michel joined TasPorts in February 2023, and is responsible for strategic asset management, engineering and project delivery as well as overseeing environmental compliance and sustainability. Michel has a background in the maritime and ports industry and has been involved in maritime projects across Australia, Asia and India. Michel is experienced in the ports sector, holding roles at major ports throughout Australia and New Zealand including the delivery of large infrastructure projects. He is on the board of PIANC Australia and New Zealand, the World Assocation for Waterborne Transport and Infrastructure.

Brad Parker

Brad is the Executive Director of WorkSafe Tasmania and the WHS Regulator for Tasmania, he is appointed as the Competent Authority for the Dangerous Goods (Road and Rail Transport) Act 2010 and is also the Asbestos Compensation Commissioner under the Asbestos-Related Diseases (Occupational Exposure) Compensation Act 2011. Prior to being appointed Executive Director, Brad spent 4 years as Director of Industry Safety within WorkSafe Tasmania where he oversaw the operations of the WorkSafe Inspectorate, including the Licencing and Accreditation Unit, Chemical Safety Unit, and the Contact Centre (Helpline). Brad has spent 20 years working in injury prevention performing various roles responsible for WHS across a range of industry sectors. He has over 15 years’ experience in workers compensation and managing the operation of the Tasmanian Workers Compensation Scheme. He has also managed the Tasmanian Asbestos Compensation Scheme. Brad has held a range of engineering positions within the mining sector, and holds various tertiary qualifications in Engineering, Health and Safety, and Public Sector Management. Brad was the Secretary to the WorkCover Tasmania Board for 5 years’ and was a Non-Executive Director of the Personal Injury Education Foundation for over 10 years. Brad is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dale Webster

Dale was appointed to the role of Secretary, Department of Health on 1 November 2024 and prior to his appointment, Dale had been Acting Secretary since April 2024.

Dale held the position of Deputy Secretary Community, Mental Health and Wellbeing from August 2020.  During the COVID 19 Pandemic Dale took on lead roles in the Tasmanian Emergency Structures, including Emergency Co-ordination Centre Commander and Deputy State Health Commander, during this time he was responsible for the successful Tasmanian COVID 19 Vaccine Program.

Prior to his roles with the Department of Health, Dale was a deputy Secretary in the Department of Justice and held a series of Statutory Appointments including Director of Consumer Affairs, Residential Tenancy Commissioner and Registrar for the Working with Vulnerable People process.  From 2017 to 2019 Dale chaired Consumer Affairs Australia and New Zealand, leading the implementation of the review of the Australian Consumer Law.

Dale has over 40 years-experience in public policy, including stints as the Registrar of the Mental Health Tribunal and Guardianship and Administration Board and for a number of years was the co-ordinating member of the Disability Services Ethics Committee. 

Dale had a major role in the development of the Mental Health Act 2013, the establishment of the Integrity Commission and from 2008 to 2010 undertook the review of the then Freedom of Information Act, the Personal Information Privacy Act and the Public Interest Disclosures Act.

Awarded the Public Service Medal in the Australian Day Honours 2023, Dale has qualifications in social work, adult education, project management and public policy.

David Fisher

David has a career in leadership, customer services and property development including urban renewal; public/private and joint venture partnerships; social and affordable housing; and mixed tenure developments in the UK and Australia including large scale urban renewal programs in Glasgow and Manchester. As an experienced CEO with financial, governance and compliance experience, David has proven leadership abilities spanning different countries and jurisdictions. He has worked for organisations seeking to increase their social impact through growth and expansion into new markets, improvements in operational effectiveness and developing new innovative models of service. David is the Chief Executive Officer of Housing Choices Australia, an independent not-for-profit housing provider, delivering high quality affordable housing. He serves on the Board of the Suburban Land Agency (ACT), is the former Chair of Homelessness NSW and the former President of NSW Council of Social Services.

Craig Limkin

Craig has over 20 years’ experience working in government agencies in Queensland, New South Wales, and (for the last 5 years) Tasmania. He was appointed Secretary of the Department of State Growth in October 2023, where he also holds the statutory position of Chief Executive Officer of the Tasmanian Development Board.
Prior to this, Craig was the Associate Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet (Tasmania) where he led the Department in providing social, economic, environmental, and intergovernmental/international relations policy to the Government. Throughout his career as a Senior Executive, he established a strong record in providing strategic leadership, delivering results, and leading significant change agendas.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Craig was also in the role of State Recovery Advisor supporting the government to deal with the impacts of the pandemic and return social, economic, infrastructure, and natural environments to an appropriate level of function. Craig was awarded a national Public Service Medal for outstanding public service in response and recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From 2017 to 2020, Craig oversaw the creation of, developed the vision for, and led Create Infrastructure, which is dedicated to planning and delivering over $2.5 billion in cultural infrastructure in New South Wales, being the first of its kind in the world.
Craig currently sits on the Boards of the Theatre Royal Hobart and A New Approach (ANA) Australia’s national arts and culture think tank, and he is the current co-Chair of the Hobart City Deal Implementation Board. He has previously been a Board member of arts and cultural organisations in Sydney and New York. Craig is also a member of various State and National Committees.

Rachel Watson

With over two decades of leadership experience in the energy sector, Rachel is recognised for her dynamic approach and commitment to fostering both commercial success and positive cultural change. Before joining Hydro Tasmania, she was the Country Manager for OX2 Australia, where she led the development of renewable energy projects across the nation. As CEO of Pacific Hydro Australia, she played a pivotal role in driving the growth of hydro, solar, and wind power projects. Her leadership extended to her time as Chair of the Clean Energy Council, where she championed the transition to renewable energy across the country.

Rachel's expertise spans infrastructure development, retail, finance, and legal, giving her a comprehensive understanding of the energy industry's complexities. She has been named in The Australian’s list of 100 Green Power Players, a testament to her influence and contributions to clean energy.

Known for her passion for inclusivity and strategic vision, Rachel continues to shape the future of the energy industry with a focus on sustainable growth and innovation. She holds an MBA from Melbourne Business School and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Rachel is looking forward to making Tasmania her home and building on Hydro Tasmania’s big vision for the future.

Susie Bower

Susie is a regional economic development leader with vision and passion, driving progress and fostering growth. Her professional career is dedicated to empowering businesses and the people who work within those enterprises.

Susie is the Chief Executive Officer of the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone (BBAMZ), a peak Tasmanian body leading the development of new energy and advanced manufacturing in the north of Tasmania. As CEO of BBAMZ, Susie has driven exponential growth, delivering transformative solutions to businesses and non-profit organisations as well as policy advice to governments.  Through her strategic planning and innovative initiatives, Susie has fostered sustainable growth within complex economic landscapes and development environments.

Susie continues to be a driving force behind BBAMZ’s mission for strong economic growth.  She envisions a world where innovation, collaboration and sustainable practices lay the strategic foundations for inter-generational prosperity.

Susie’s professional journey exemplifies the transformative influence of leadership and strategic vision.  Her resolute commitment to economic development and philanthropic endeavours has established her as a force to be reckoned with, shaping a brighter future for businesses and communities.

David Clerk

David is the CEO at Master Builders Association of Tasmania.
David Clerk is a seasoned executive with a diverse background spanning professional services, energy, higher education, and the construction industry. He began his career with a decade at PricewaterhouseCoopers, specialising in transaction support and working extensively in China and the United States.
He then spent eight years in the utilities and energy sector, focusing on corporate strategy and business development. Following this, David relocated to Tasmania to serve as Chief Operating Officer at the University of Tasmania. During his tenure, he oversaw a major infrastructure transformation, delivering capital projects valued at $1.2 billion.
In February 2024, David was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Master Builders Tasmania. He brings to the role deep expertise in strategic leadership, operational delivery, and stakeholder engagement, and is committed to driving growth, resilience, and innovation across Tasmania’s building and construction industry.

Ross Mannering

Ross has over 22 years’ of experience in the transport infrastructure design, project management, road safety, traffic engineering and stakeholder engagement, acquired through his involvement in a wide variety of transport infrastructure projects. He has played lead roles in the delivery of recent projects including Perth Link Roads, the South East Traffic Solution (SETS) and the Greater Hobart Park and Rides. In his role as General Manager Transport Tasmania at pitt&sherry Ross leads the delivery of a large portfolio of road, bridge, rail and port infrastructure projects.

Max Möller

Max Möller is a Managing Director and Senior Principal Civil Hydraulic Engineer at Flüssig Engineers, with extensive expertise in flood risk, stormwater management, and hydraulic infrastructure design. He is the President of Engineers Australia Tasmania and an Expert Flood Adviser at the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, actively contributing to global flood resilience and risk mitigation strategies.

Recognised as the 2024 Tasmania Professional Engineer of the Year, Max is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, Chartered Professional Engineer, and Engineering Executive. and ee also serves in the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) as an expert engineer member, influencing infrastructure and environmental decision making.

With international accreditation as an APEC Engineer and International Professional Engineer, Max is a leader in advancing hydraulic engineering standards, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable water management solutions on both national and global scales”

Tim Johns

Tim has been working in the insurance industry for over 48 years, with the last 33 working for International Insurance Broking firms, providing corporate insurance buyers with tailored risk and insurance advisory services.
Tim has vast experience in the public and private sectors in Tasmania, acting in a variety of client Account Director and P&L leadership roles. Tim is a highly regarded member of the Tasmanian business community, with a deep understanding of their needs.
Tim started with Lockton in August 2021 as part of Lockton’s Corporate segment in Australia, joining after 2 years with Gallagher, 19 years with Marsh and 10 years with Aon in senior leadership positions, being the forefront of Lockton’s expansion into Tasmania.
In addition to leading the Marsh, Gallagher & Aon Tasmanian teams, Tim has acted as principal client director on major clients in various industry segments, including Power/Energy, Government through to major commercial projects.

Geoffrey Drucker

Geoffrey is Managing Director of Countrywide Hydrogen, an Australian company developing green hydrogen projects that create Hydrogen HyWays across Australia to decarbonise road transport, power generation and industrial heating.  His experience in the renewable energy space spans over 30 years commencing at the State Electricity Commission of Victoria where he developed a passion for renewables to replace fossil fuels.  Geoff’s first Hydrogen HyWay will link the north and south of Tasmania, with two further projects slated for Tasmania, one at Western Junction servicing Launceston and another at Bell Bay in collaboration with Bell Bay Advanced manufacturing Zone. The Hydrogen HyWay model is also being replicated on the mainland connecting the Green Triangle of Victoria and SA with the states’ capitals.

Catherine Searle

Catherine has had an interesting portfolio career as a Consultant Archaeologist, Political Advisor in Defence and Environment, Government Transformation Executive in the UK, and most recently Principal in Stakeholder Engagement and Communications for Jacobs and their Hobart Office Lead. Catherine is the Chair of the Tasmanian Committee of Consult Australia and an industry representative on the Government’s Building and Construction Roundtable. Catherine has a BA Hons in Archaeology, an MSc in Middle East Politics and is currently doing a PhD to develop a framework for Peace & Conflict Impact Assessment for controversial infrastructure projects in regions of the world that are prone to conflict.

Erin Van Maanen

Erin is an experienced energy sector leader with two decades’ experience in the energy sector across large-scale energy project development, wholesale trading, corporate finance, strategy and operational management. Erin has deep knowledge of the market and regulatory environment in the Australian energy sector. Erin is currently Executive General Manager, Strategy at Hydro Tasmania, responsible for setting Hydro Tasmania’s strategic direction including progressing business cases and approvals for Hydro Tasmania’s major projects.

Erin was recently Head of Commercial on the Marinus Link project and has held prior senior leadership roles at Hydro Tasmania in corporate finance, governance and wholesale energy and most recently spent six months as Acting CEO. Erin has also worked on wind developments in Australia and Asia, and in renewable energy project advisory at Macquarie Capital in Hong Kong. Erin is proud to be making a positive contribution to Australia's low carbon energy transition.

David Pollington

David Pollington has been the Managing Director of ACEN Australia since July 2023 having been the Chief Operating Officer (formerly UPC\AC Renewables Australia) since its establishment in 2016. He has been involved in the renewable energy sector for more than 30 years leading projects from inception through to operations. David has held key roles in the industry, most notably, the Technical Director of Renewables at SKM/Jacobs, and General Manager of Construction for Roaring 40s, a joint development and asset management company between Hydro Tasmania and China Light and Power based out of Hong Kong, where he was responsible for construction activities in China, India, and Australia. David holds a Bachelor of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from the University of Tasmania and is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers. He is based in Hobart.

Jacob Gerke

Jacob Gerke joined Tasmanian Irrigation in 2017 and leads the Company’s Project Development and Delivery team. His principal focus is ensuring projects complete all phases, including concept and business case development, secure funding, detailed design, permits and approvals, construction and commissioning, in a safe manner while adhering to high quality, time and cost standards. Jacob is a skilled leader with more than 15 years’ experience in both the civil and offshore oil and gas construction sectors throughout Australia and Asia. Jacob has a strong project management and engineering background with a Bachelor of Engineering (Marine and Offshore Systems) (Hons) from the Australian Maritime College in Launceston. Jacob started his career in Perth, Western Australia after growing up in the north east of Tasmania.

Catherine Rae

Cedric Hodges

Cedric is the leader of the Deloitte Access Economics team in Tasmania as well as the economic modelling team nationally. He has spent the last 15 years using economic models to shed light on important policy questions and evaluate the potential economic impacts of major projects. His pet gripe is the number of surface car parks in Hobart and you're going to hear about it.