The countdown to BusNSW Wollongong Conference is on with a smorgasbord of speakers
Organisers are gearing up for the two-day 2016 BusNSW Member Conference at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach from Wednesday, April 13.
BusNSW executive director Darryl Mellish says over 200 delegates are registered to attend the event with the theme of ‘Sharing Solutions’, and the need for bus and coach operators and suppliers to review their business models and strive for excellence.
“New rural and regional contracts, some of which have recently commenced, and the renewal of outer-metropolitan contracts with incumbent operators are likely to feature,” he says.
“The outer-metropolitan operators are looking for certainty to support their large scale investments on the back of strong performance and meeting value for money benchmarks.
“Reforms to the school student transport scheme and the new bus procurement panel are also likely to be hot topics.”
New South Wales (NSW) minister for transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance will be joined by a range of knowledgeable industry and government insiders, all keen to share their thought of the future of the bus industry.
“We are very pleased the minister has agreed to attend and address delegates at a time when the NSW Government has a number of significant public transport projects in the pipeline,” Mellish says.
Another conference highlight for delegates will be an opportunity to hear University of Sydney Business School’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS) director professor David Hensher discuss the latest trends in bus service procurement and contracting.
“David is one of the world’s foremost experts on contracting public transport services and we are fortunate that he will share some of his insights with conference delegates,” Mellish says.
The program also includes presentations from Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) acting director, safety and compliance Joanne Treacy and Australian Public Transport Industrial Association (APTIA) national industrial relations manager Ian MacDonald.
Delegates will also be entertained by guest speaker Mick Colliss, who found a unique way to represent his country.
The conference will conclude with an industry think tank, looking at key issues for operators and suppliers, including working in partnership with government agencies.
“This will be an interactive session and we are hoping that the discussion may shape some thinking around industry priorities for the next three years.” Those still wanting to register for the 2016 BusNSW Member Conference can do so via the BusNSW website.
Photography: Warren Keelan