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2026 QLD Infrastructure - Social Infrastructure

Event Outline

Infrastructure is more than roads and pipes and gully pits – social infrastructure is another piece of the infrastructure puzzle. So, what is social infrastructure, how are the needs for social infrastructure assessed and how do we provide the right social infrastructure in the right places? This seminar seeks to explain the myths, challenges and opportunities for the provision of social infrastructure across Queensland.

Speakers

Vanessa Bennett - Managing Director,C Change

With over 30 years’ experience in economic and social planning, Vanessa Bennett is recognised as one of Australia’s leading urban economic and social planning experts. She holds qualifications in planning, economics, statistics and sociology, and brings a deep understanding of contemporary social issues to her work. Vanessa has prepared numerous social infrastructure plans across Australia and led the development of Queensland’s first detailed social infrastructure planning guidelines for the former Office of Urban Management. The integration of her social and economic expertise enables a first principles, evidence-based approach, ensuring social infrastructure planning recommendations are both responsive to community needs and practical to deliver.

Katherine Berlin MPIA - Community Planning Coordinator, Logan City Council

Katherine is a planner with 15 years experience in local government. As the Community Planning Coordinator at Logan City Council, she works with the Sports and Community Infrastructure Branch to deliver community infrastructure projects across Logan. Katherine has played a key role in various community infrastructure projects, with a standout achievements being The Buzz at Yarrabilba community centre and the Wilbur Street Youth Centre.

Katherine is an active member of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). She served on the Gold Coast Branch Committee for six years, including a term as Branch Convenor from 2017 to 2019. In 2023, she rejoined the PIA Qld Women in Planning Network Committee and is now the co-convenor of this committee, alongside Justine Goddard.

Katherine is passionate about community engagement, stakeholder collaboration, and finding innovative solutions for community infrastructure delivery.

Coming in November

How is The Infrastructure in An Infrastructure Plan Funded and Delivered?

About the series

This ten-part seminar series is designed to challenge the myths, challenges and opportunities for planning, providing, construction and financing infrastructure – from preparing a business case for large infrastructure projects to ensuring that water and sewer pipes are in the right locations with sufficient capacity. Beyond the pipes and powerlines, what about the provision of social infrastructure that all communities need to survive and thrive. In respect to communities, how are their views taken into account and considered in infrastructure provisions. There are many myths, challenges and opportunities in the infrastructure space. Each of our experienced speakers in this series is open to discussing these important matters and ensuring that we speak to how the provision of infrastructure can be improved and sustained

Series Chairperson

Waimana Kingi MPIA - Director (Project Delivery), Therefor Group

Waimana Kingi is Director of Project Delivery at Therefor Group, where he leads multi-disciplinary teams delivering complex urban development projects across South East Queensland. With over a decade of experience spanning town planning, project management, compliance, and infrastructure delivery, Waimana brings a rare whole-of-lifecycle perspective to development.

He is recognised for his strategic leadership in coordinating plan sealing, infrastructure offsets, and compliance approvals across major residential, industrial, and renewable energy projects. Waimana’s work focuses on bridging the gap between design intent and delivery—ensuring projects are technically compliant, commercially efficient, and aligned with client and government expectations.

Passionate about industry collaboration and mentorship, Waimana is an active contributor to professional development and leadership programs, sharing practical insights that empower the next generation of planners and project leaders to think beyond process and deliver meaningful outcomes

Note

For large group viewing of the seminar (more than 5 ppl viewing on one screen), please contact [email protected]

Terms & Conditions

Registrations cancelled more than 14 days prior to the event date will not incur any fees and a full refund will be granted.

If you cannot attend and you are within 14 days of the event date, you can transfer your ticket to another person.

In all other situations we cannot issue a refund or credit.

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