Please note: You are not signing up as an EIANZ member. You are signing up to submit an abstract for the AELERT 2026 Conference through the EIANZ portal.

Regulators across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands are navigating the most consequential period of change in a generation. The Australian Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is being reformed, a National EPA is being established in Australia, and artificial intelligence is reshaping how compliance is monitored and enforced. Industries are transitioning at pace, and communities are demanding greater transparency, accountability and involvement from the regulatory agencies entrusted to protect the public interest.

The AELERT 2026 Conference: Future Ready Regulation is designed for regulators responsible for meeting those demands. Over three focused days in Melbourne, regulatory leaders, practitioners, researchers and specialists will come together to transform challenges into solutions, sharing proven strategies, building capability, and strengthening the systems that underpin effective regulation.

Delegates will return to their agencies with practical approaches they can apply immediately, new connections across jurisdictions, and the confidence that comes from knowing they are part of a community of regulators committed to the same goals and that they are not navigating these challenges alone.

Conference Themes

The AELERT 2026 Conference: Future Ready Regulation is built around five interconnected themes that explore what it means to be a future ready and reflects the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing regulators today. Each theme runs across the full three-day program from big-picture plenaries through to hands-on breakout sessions and workshops.

• Digital innovation and emerging technologies — AI, data, cyber security and digital tools in regulatory practice
• Leading change across industries — navigating transitions, supporting emerging sectors and staying ahead of rapid economic and technological shifts
• Public trust, ethics and accountability — transparency, ethical governance and community confidence in regulatory systems
• Sustainability and long-term resilience — climate readiness, environmental stewardship and ESG in regulatory frameworks
• Collaborative and cross-sector leadership — multi-disciplinary teams, cross-jurisdictional innovation and shared problem-solving

Why attend?

AELERT events have an unmatched track record of building regulatory capability, developing best-practice approaches and creating the kind of peer connections that outlast the conference itself.

Delegates reported practical insights they could apply immediately and a deeper understanding of challenges and opportunities across the sector.

The AELERT 2026 Conference: Future Ready Regulation is built for regulators who are looking for deeper insights into the forces shaping contemporary regulation and proven pathways to achieving better outcomes for their agencies. Across three days, delegates will:

> Gain practical tools, tested approaches and real-world case studies you can apply immediately on return to your agency

> Hear directly from high-profile government and industry leaders delivering actionable insights and strategies on the themes shaping regulation right now

> Build peer connections across jurisdictions, sectors and functions — including regulators navigating the exact same challenges you are

> Explore emerging technologies with providers demonstrating practical applications in licensing, compliance, investigations and public engagement

> Contribute your own knowledge and experience through abstract presentations, breakout sessions and collaborative workshops

The program dedicates substantial time to hands-on breakout sessions and mini-masterclass workshops. Breakout sessions and workshops will follow a primer-plus-practice model featuring expert speakers and practitioner presentations exploring context and sharing real-world examples followed by activities and discussions, sharing approaches, stress-testing ideas and building peer connections that foundational for future collaboration.

Who should attend?

The AELERT 2026 Conference is suitable for regulators at every level, across all sectors not just environmental regulation. Delegates represent central government, state, territory and regional government agencies, EPA bodies, water authorities, biosecurity and primary industries, resources and energy regulators, planning and land agencies, public health and a range of other regulatory functions and sectors across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

If your role covers any of these functions, this conference is built for you:

> Policy design, law making and regulatory reform

> Compliance, enforcement, investigations and intelligence

> Approvals, impact assessment and licensing

> Communications, community engagement and stakeholder management

> Workforce development, capability building and organisational maturity

> Governance, risk, ethics and regulatory assurance

> Data, technology, science and monitoring
 

Program overview and guidance for submitting your abstract

The AELERT 2026 Conference: Future Ready Regulation is where regulators come together to respond — sharing proven strategies, building capability and strengthening the systems that underpin effective regulation.

At this years' conference we are calling for abstract submissions from practitioners, researchers and specialists who are undertaking this work and have meaningful contributions to share. Abstracts are accepted across four formats:

Plenary sessions;
Breakout sessions;
Masterclass workshops;
Poster presentations.

Each format has a structured set of sessions. Please ensure you read the session briefings before submitting your abstract as the topic must fit the scope of the session you are nominating for.

Prior to submitting your abstract please refer to the detailed explanations of the conference sub-themes and sessions in the guidance document. 

Download a copy of the Call for Abstracts Guidance Paper 

Please indicate your presentation preference in the form below.

Abstracts must be no more than 200 words and be accompanied by a presenter biography of no more than 300 words.

Submission Deadlines

The closing date for abstract submissions is Tuesday 30 June 2026. We plan to notify presenters whether their abstract has been accepted by Friday 17 July 2026. 

We are particularly keen to hear from early career professionals and First Nations peoples.

We are likely to receive more abstracts than we can accommodate in the program. Priority will be given to abstracts that present truly innovative practice and/or provide valuable learnings or tools for other practitioners who will attend the conference. 

Important note:

All accepted presenters are required to register to attend the conference and will receive a discounted conference registration rate. 

Conference dates: 
Tuesday 6 October - Thursday 8 October 2026 

Conference location:
Sofitel Melbourne on Collins
25 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria

If you are an EIANZ member, please ensure you have logged into the website prior to submitting your abstract or session proposal.

Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).

Abstracts are welcome from both AELERT members and non-members. Please follow these guidelines in submitting your abstract:

> Include the full names, titles and affiliations for all presenters

> The contact details of the primary presenters

> Preferred sub-theme.

> Review the detailed sub-themes document HERE 

> Abstract title (maximum 120 characters)

> Abstract to be no more than 200 words (excluding names, titles and affiliations)

> The use of abbreviations and acronyms should be kept to a minimum

The closing day for abstract submissions is  <insert date> 

Please provide an abstract in the text field below. Abstracts are to be a maximum of 200 words in length.

Please provide a short professional biography of the presenter(s). Biographies should be no more than 300 words in length. 

Please attach profile photo(s) of the presenter(s) who will be presenting at the conference if this abstract is accepted.

At the conclusion of the conference we are always asked by delegates if it is possible to get a copy of the presenters slides. If you consent we can make the slide deck available as a PDF which will be a link to your speaker profile in the interactive program. Please indicate below if you consent to your presentation slides being made available.