INTERWOVEN FUTURES CONFERENCE 2024 – IT’S A WRAP!
Damian Ellerton, Jesse Mulligan, Lauren Wallace, Cam Twigley
On behalf of the convenors of the 2024 RMLA Conference, it’s my pleasure to reflect and report on what was an incredible few days in New Plymouth / Ngā Motu last week. This year’s conference saw the best and brightest resource management minds from across Aotearoa gathered together to engage in important conversations about our Interwoven Futures, because wherever we’re going, we’re all going there together.
Our theme, Interwoven Futures – Harnessing Collaborative Energy, endeavoured to capture the essence of our interconnected world. In a rapidly evolving landscape where environmental, social, economic, and political forces intersect, it seems that the need to work together has never been more crucial – or difficult. Throughout the conference, we explored how these elements weave together and how collaborative energy can be harnessed to co-create a future that supports both people and the planet. We delved into decision theory, Treaty settlements and rights of nature, our future energy and food systems, freshwater, case law developments, spatial planning and planning innovations, biodiversity and much, much more.
Highlights
A true highlight of the event was the range of distinguished speakers who generously shared their knowledge, passion, and ideas. From the opening keynote to the closing panel session, every speaker brought fresh insights, many of which ignited great conversations beyond the auditorium.
The thought-provoking keynote presentation by Dr. Stefan Hajkowicz on decision theory set the tone and invited us all to consider rational, analytical, evidence-based, and data-driven approaches to decision-making and the diverse preferences and value systems that often drive decisions.
Chief Environment Court Judge Kirkpatrick’s talk on the Warp and Weft of the Law cleverly threaded the relationship between policies, principles, and rules, with a dash of weaving wisdom.
In addition, we were honoured to host the Honourable Chris Bishop MP and Under Secretary Simon Court MP, whose announcement on the Phase 3 of RMA reform was eagerly anticipated.
Kate Stubbing, Simon Court MP, Ben Farrell, Minister Chris Bishop, Lauren Wallace
The fieldshops also took attendees far and wide (including to Mt. Messenger, the Green School, Owae Marae, an Angelica Root farm and to some of the region’s oil and gas facilities) and showcased some of Taranaki’s unique projects and sites. Hopefully these were memorable and enjoyable experiences for those that attended.
A heartfelt thank you
The success of Interwoven Futures would not have been possible without the contributions of many.
First and foremost, I would like to extend our gratitude to the conference sponsors, whose support and investment in the resource management profession was instrumental in bringing this event to life. Without the support of sponsors, we would not be able to deliver such high calibre conferences for the benefit of our members, so thank you.
Ngāti Te Whiti hapū, ngā mihi nui. Our sincere thanks for your involvement in the pre-conference hui and for attending the conference to provide the mihi whakatau.
To our MC, Jesse Mulligan, your effort in familiarising yourself with the topics discussed led to thoughtful, useful questions. This coupled with the fact that you were able to weave humour throughout was a testament to your professionalism, and we thank you for enhancing our conference experience.
To our speakers, we are so grateful for your time, expertise, and inspiration. Your presentations, workshops, and panel discussions were the weft (or is it the warp) of the conference, and you left us with much to think about and act upon in the months ahead.
To the RMLA Conference Organising Committee (Cam Twigley, Damian Ellerton, Finbar Kiddle, Lauren O’Byrne, Rebecca Eaton, Darelle Martin, Campbell Robinson, Nik Pyselman and Sarah Ongley), a huge thank you for the many hours spent planning, coordinating, and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. The conference could not have succeeded without your efforts.
Rebecca Eaton, Cam Twigley, Damian Ellerton
To the wāhine at Conference Innovators, you were unflappable (despite many unexpected and last-minute changes) and your organisational skills are second to none. Thank you for being such a pleasure to work with.
Rachel Cook, Emma Prattley, Georgia Watson and Leanne Sherwood
And finally, to all the attendees, thank you for your engagement, curiosity, and willingness to contribute to the conversations. Whether you joined us in person or virtually, your presence, participation and positive energy were integral to the success of the event.
Conference and Annual Awards Gala Dinner 2024
In closing…
As the Interwoven Futures conference draws to a close, it’s clear that there is still a lot of change and work ahead and I look forward to seeing some of the ideas shared at the conference being put into practice.
As a profession, we have a unique ‘once in a generation’ opportunity (again) to collaborate, innovate, and work towards building an effective, efficient and enduring resource management system. Reflecting off the words of Dr. Hajkowicz, let’s strive to make wise choices.
If you’d like to re-watch any sessions or if you missed a session that you’d like to see, Conference delegates should have received an email yesterday morning with details on how to view our conference session recordings. These are available until mid-December. That email also asks for feedback, and we would welcome hearing from you so that we can continue to meet and exceed delegate expectations.
Finally, please save the date! Next year’s conference is taking place in Blenheim from 11th to 12th September 2025.
Nga mihi nui,
Lauren Wallace
RMLA Treasurer and Conference Co-Convenor 2024
Photo L-R: The RMLA National Committee - Rebekah Te Rito, Kate Stubbing, Alan Moss, Julia Wick, Sarah Stevenson, Barbara Mead, Doug Fairgray, Clare Lenihan, Lauren Wallace, Andrew Schulte, Jesse Mulligan, Michelle Behrens, Ben Farrell.
