2026 Agenda
Further details to come
09:0009:00
Keynote address
Global & national market forces driving change - the outlook for metals and critical minerals
Neville Plint, CEO, Critical Metals for Critical Minerals Cooperative Research Centre
Panel: Grid-scale solar & battery projects: Where circular economy meets renewable infrastructure buildout Chair: Matt Baumgurtel, Partner, Hamilton Locke
Joanna Leigh, Country Manager Quintas
Lucas Sadler, Global Head of Sales, Energy Vault
Recycling zinc, lead and critical minerals: Feedstock diversification
James Oakley, Principal Metallurgist, Nyrstar
10:30
Refreshments break & Networking
10:4510:45
Session 1: Scaling Solutions: From Technology to Deployment
What good compliance looks like
Tom Susen, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Ecocycle
Industry Technology Showcase: Practical solutions to current challenges (Fast-Paced Innovation Block)
AI lithium battery sorting systems
Ani Goswami, Founder, Oscorp Energy
Next‑Generation Technology for Onshore Refining of End‑of‑Life Lithium Batteries
Rix Smith, Business Development Manager, Renewable Metals
Panel: Used lead acid batteries (ULAB) and the impacts of lithium on the collection network
Keeping lithium out of ULAB collection chains but what are the opportunities for safely expanding the collection network
Chair: Kate Dryden, Partner, Sphere Infastructure Partners
Heath Pylyp, General Manager Environmental, DGL Group
Mark Jackson, Director, JEP Environment & Planning
Craig Ley, Director, Battery Recyclers Pty Ltd
12:30
Lunch and networking
13:15
Session 2: Regulation, Policy & Market Signals
Regulatory Direction: Policy priorities in Victoria, South Australia and NSW
Steve Sergi, Director Compliance, Circular Economy and Investigations, Environment Protection Authority, SA
Megan McDonald, A/Director, Circular Economy & Environment Protection Frameworks, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action Victoria
Milla Mihailova, Manager Waste and Land Policy and Regulation, Environment Protection Authority Victoria
Jerome Koh, Manager Circular Economy Policy Branch, NSW Environment Protection Authority
Panel: Corporate leadership in producer & retail responsibility
Chair: Nina Spannari, General Manager - Sustainability Oceania, Canon Australia
Barbara Kerlen, Regulatory & Product Compliance, Consumer Electronics Suppliers Association
Helen Maisano, Head of Sustainability and Social Impact, Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association/Mobile Muster
Jay Norman, Australia-NZ Automotive Operations Manager, Century Yuasa Batteries
Navigating a new era of battery stewardship
Libby Chaplin, Chief Executive Officer, Battery Stewardship Council
15:10
Refreshments break & networking
15:25
Session 3: Best Practice & Future Systems
Panel: Standards development: safely and sustainably growing Australia’s battery value chain
Chair: Shannon O’Rourke, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Powering Australia
Emma Sutcliffe, Chief Executive Officer, EV FireSafe
Scott Brownlaw, Energy Consultant, Standards Australia
Oscar Vall, GM Customer Experience (Sales, Marketing and Product), Infinitev
Future-Ready Skills: Building pathways that support industry growth and safety
Melissa Jones, Manager Clean Energy Batteries, TAFE Centre of Excellence Clean Energy Batteries, TAFE Queensland
Joshua Watts, Director QUT Energy Storage Research Group, Queensland University of Technology
Battery testing and the journey to certification
Suzanne Neville Team leader, Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Australian battery safety facility
1700
Networking drinks
* Agenda subject to change