Critical Horizons Conference

The South West Development Commission’s Critical Horizons Conference brought the future of regional Australia into sharp focus.

The two-day event looked at environmental, technological and social change and how it was likely to impact regional areas.

More than 200 delegates heard from a range of expert speakers, including several nationally acclaimed futurists.

The national conference, held in Bunbury, was designed to better prepare regions to manage their futures.

Speaker presentations:

DAY 1	DAY 2
Professor Ron Johnston - keynote address Emerging global mega trends: economies of the future	Greg Martin South West framework by the Department for Planning and Infrastructure
Nathalie Collins The voices of the future - ECU scholarship award winners	Dr Peter Ellyard - keynote address A tool kit for creating sustainable prosperity in regional Australia in the 21st century
Professor Mal Bryce Australia's evolution as a knowledge intensive economy	Anni Macbeth Creating the critical horizon: the world of the dotcoms and ferals
Professor Ron Oliver The needs of Australian education in the 21st century to support and grow the knowledge economy	Bernard Salt Life, society and business opportunity in Bunbury and Australia in the early decades of the 21st century
Professor Colin Raston Nano technology - opportunities and community awareness - part 1 - part 2	Professor Peter Newman Sustainability in cities and regions - part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4.
Professor Walter Green Information and communications technology: what is required now for regional Australia in the knowledge economy instead of becoming part of the digital divide	Dr Wally Cox Environmental sustainability in the South West - is it achievable? - part 1, part 2
Professor Linda Kristjanson Medical technology
Professor Rudi Appels Impact of bio-technology on the food supply pipeline, with a focus on the drivers for innovation