Esteemed speakers provide a vision for future cities during a dinner at the Melbourne Town Hall for the Australia-Indonesia Leaders Program.
On the fifth day of the Australia-Indonesia Leader Program, thirty delegates from both nations began at Monash University in Clayton, sharing knowledge about water infrastructure and planning with the Australia-Indonesia Centre’s Urban Water Cluster team.
Dr Briony Rogers and Professor Diego Ramirez-Lovering presented an overview of the cluster’s work in Indonesia, before Dr Christian Urich led the group to Monash University’s high-tech 3D modelling studio CAVE2 to understand how flood planning is being mapped for low-lying areas of Melbourne’s bayside suburb Elwood.
Joined at Melbourne’s Docklands precinct by The City of Melbourne’s Michelle Isles, the delegates were then guided through the ways in which the new area has been developed for sustainability and resilience. The group returned for a robust analysis of the risks that face developing areas with Professor Edward Buckingham, Director of Engagement at Monash Business School.
The day ended with a gala dinner at Melbourne Town Hall in partnership with The City of Melbourne, where over 80 guests, delegates and dignitaries enjoyed presentations about the future of global cities. Bernardus Djonoputro, Country Head of Infrastructure and Capital Projects for Deloitte, delivered a keynote speech, addressing the similarities in growth, and the attendant challenges, in modern cities.
Carlton Connect Director of Engagement Jacyl Shaw then hosted a roundtable discussion featuring Professor John Thwaites, Chair of Monash Sustainable Development Institute and ClimateWorks Australia; Lucinda Hartley, Co-Founder of CoDesign Studio; Toby Kent, Chief Resilience Officer at The City of Melbourne; and Dr Briony Rogers, Senior Lecturer and Australia-Indonesia Centre Urban Water Cluster Co-Lead at Monash University.
The discussion revealed a human-centred approach to the challenges facing all urban centres, Jacyl Shaw concluding the discussion by asking each speaker for one word to reflect their hopes for the cities of the future. ‘Safe’, ‘connected’, ‘caring’ and ‘fun’ confirmed the priorities of the panelists to unite business, government and research, to create a liveable future for all.
The Leaders Program continues in Melbourne with a Diplomatic Masterclass hosted by PwC and cultural activities, including a trip to the ‘Dreamtime at the ‘G’ AFL game. It concludes with three days in Canberra, where the delegates will participate in a course at the Australian National University and a workshop with the Department of Foreign Affairs, followed by a visit to Australian Parliament for Question Time.
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To learn about the program, delegates, speakers and more, visit the Australia-Indonesia Leaders Program: May 2017 – Future Cities web portal.
