The BYDA Utility Safety Conference 2026 Program is now live
The Conference program includes a lineup of sessions and speakers across four key themes: Safety, Technology & Innovation, Collaboration & Engagement, and Knowledge & Training. Each theme is designed to inspire discussion, share best practices, and showcase the latest thinking and solutions driving safer outcomes across the utility and construction sectors. Explore the full program below.
DAY 1
| Time | Theme | Topic | Speaker |
|---|
Registration Opens: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
| 8:45 | Welcome | |||
| 9:00 – 9:45 | Keynote | AI Key note (Technology) | TBC | Prof Ujwal Kayande |
| 9:45 – 10:30 | Keynote | Safety | Proving Safety: Understanding WHS governance and assurance | Greg Smith |
| 10:30 – 11:15 | Plennary | Knowledge & Training | Beyond the Surface: The Future of Subsurface Utility Engineering & AS 5488 | Nick Zembillas |
Morning Tea: 11:15 AM – 11:30 AM
| 11:30 – 12:15 | Plennary | Safety | Work as Done vs. Work as Imagined: Mind the Gap | Kym Bancroft |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Plennary | Technology | Evolution of undergroung mapping technologies | Brad Keane |
| 12:45 – 1:15 | Plennary | Collaboration and Engagement | New Zealand’s Viral Safe Digging Awareness Campaigns. | Phil Cornforth |
Lunch: 1:15 PM – 1:45 PM
| 2:00 – 2:30 | Plennary | Utility Case Study (Collaboration and Engagement) | Keeping it in the Pipeline – a proactive damage prevention program for gas transmission pipelines | Ross Larson |
| 2:30 – 3:00 | Plennary | Standards/Engineering | TBC | Rob Sansbury |
| 3:00 – 3:30 | Plennary | Utility Case Study (Technology) | Leveraging technology to prioritise efforts in protecting assets | Chris Ross |
| 3:30 – 4:00 | Plennary | Overhead Asset Safety Panel | Overcoming the complexities of overhead safety | Glen Cook/Mark Garden |
Network Drinks: 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
DAY 2
| Time | Theme | Topic | Speaker |
|---|
Registration Opens: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
| 8:45 | Welcome | |||
| 9:00 – 9:45 | Plenary | Safety | A Practical Approach to Improving Investigations and Uncovering Systemic Risk in Utilities | Mark Alston |
| 9:45 – 10:15 | Plenary | Utility Case Study (Engagement/Collaboration) | Endeavour Energy’s approach to managing the electrical safety risk to members of the public. | Riley Bryn |
| 10:15 – 10:30 | Plenary | Construction Case Study (Technology) | Delivering utility works in a mega Infrastructure project environment through digital innovation | Alex Stojanovski |
Morning Tea: 10:45 AM – 11:00 AM
| 11:00 – 11:45 | Plennary | Standards/Engineering | TBC | Mark Follet |
| 11:45 – 12:30 | Plennary | Safety | Safety management masquerade: How our safety systems can deceive us | Ben Hutchinson |
| 12:30 – 1:00 | Plennary | Technology | Revolutionizing Underground Utility Detection through AI and Patented Radar Innovation | Dave Ross |
Lunch: 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM
| 1:30 – 2:00 | Plennary | Construction Case Study (Safety) | Complexities of working in a rail Corridor | Tom Sudholz |
| 2:00 – 2:30 | Plennary | Collaboration and Engagement | Build Skills Update | Panel |
| 2:30 – 3:00 | Plennary | Technology | Digital POC panel | Panel |
| 3:00 | Official Close |