Wednesday 23 - Friday 25 September 2026

Rydges Resort, Hunter Valley

From the PIA NSW President

Planners lead transition and transformation. Our role is to give hope for a much better future that is more sustainable, more liveable, more equitable and more just. We also face many challenges as we help our communities navigate a decade of profound transition in housing, energy, climate resilience, economic identity, governance, technology, and in the expectations placed on the planning system itself. Pressures once seen as “future challenges” now require immediate response for every region. The NSW State Conference in the Hunter Valley is your opportunity to learn from others as well as be part of the conversation that celebrates the profound difference planners and planning makes for a better future. It is also your opportunity to engage with other planners and decision makers dealing with the competing pressures of planning.

Please consider how you can contribute to our conference, by attending, supporting others to attend or promoting the conference.  I look forward to seeing you at the 2026 NSW Conference in the Hunter Valley. 

Sue Weatherley MPIA (Fellow)

PIA NSW President 

 2026 Conference Theme

Transition in Action:

Planners Leading NSW’s Shared Future

NSW is navigating a decade of profound transition in housing, energy, climate resilience, economic identity, governance, technology, and in the expectations placed on the planning system itself. Pressures once seen as “future challenges” are now immediate realities for every region. 

This conference celebrates planning as a profession that turns uncertainty into opportunity. From delivering well located housing to guiding major infrastructure and supporting community led change, planners are at the forefront of shaping NSW’s shared future. 

The Hunter, a region defined by continual reinvention, offers the perfect setting to explore how transitions can be constructive, community driven and full of possibility. 

Across NSW, planners are becoming the profession of hope: conveners, interpreters, implementers and problem solvers who transform contested futures into shared ones. But as the scale of reform accelerates, questions become more urgent: 

- What other changes are required in the planning system itself to manage this decade of transition? 
- How do we prioritise housing while balancing land, environment and economic pressures? 
- What new skills, tools, data and technologies, including AI, will planners need to lead the next decade? 

This conference invites both strategic planners and DA practitioners to explore these challenges and shape a planning system that is ready for the future. Explore the full conference theme Transition in Action along with our sub themes:

	Transition, Self Determination and Local Agency   How local government, communities, First Nations groups and regional institutions assert real influence in shaping transition – in strategy and in assessment.
	The Transitioning Economy: Energy, Industry, Land and Community Futures   What economic, land use, industrial and community transformations are underway – and how planners shape equitable, resilient outcomes.
	Land Use Under Pressure: Competing Needs, Limited Space    How regions can plan, and assess, when every land use competes for the same finite space: housing, agriculture, biodiversity, tourism, hazards and climate resilience.

2026 Themes

Explore the themes shaping the Conference.

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Early bird registration is now open until 29 June, unless sold out prior.

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