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This year’s forum will focus on the strategic priorities of Aboriginal engagement, trails governance, trail tourism and sustainable trail development.  

The forum is proudly sponsored by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and the City of Armadale, and delivered in partnership with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and  Trails WA. 

This professional development opportunity will deliver opportunities to network with other key industry stakeholders throughout the forum, including at an industry sundowner hosted by the City of Armadale. 

Schedule

Please note this schedule of presenters is subject to change. A confirmed agenda will be distributed closer to the event date.  

Time	Presentation	Presenter
9:00am	Smoking Ceremony	Adrian Tanner,  Noongar Whadjuk Maarman
9:30am	Welcome	Erin Gauntlett, Deputy Director General, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
9:40am	Welcome to Country	Aunty Viv, Local Elder
9:50am	City of Armadale Welcome address	Ruth Butterfield, Mayor, City of Armadale
10:00am	The State of Trails	Rod Annear, Assistant Director Visitor Services, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
10:20am	Ministerial address	Hon. Samantha Rowe MLC, representing the Minister for Sport and Recreation
10:30am	Trail Towns — Major announcement	Scott Drysdale – Deputy Chair, Trails WA
10:40am	Morning tea
11:10am	MC Welcome	Tim Swart, Director Recreation and Camps, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
11:10am	From Passion to Profession: Two Journeys to running award winning hiking companies	Kate Gibson - Founder and Director, The Hike Collective, and Tracy Lindsey - Founder, Director and Guide, Off the Beaten Track
11:30am	Strategic Snapshot of the trails sector	Steve Bennett, Senior Policy Officer — Recreation, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
11:45am	Building industry capacity	Glenn Morley - Manager Recreation, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
11:55am	Growing Western Australia’s trail tourism economy: Key insights for the trails sector	Dr Lenore Lyons, Concept 2 Strategy on behalf of Tourism WA
12:10pm	Australian/New Zealand Trails Conference: 5 take-aways	Alison Pritchard, Coordinator Recreation and Trails Unit, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
12:20pm	Lunch
1:05pm	MC Welcome	Tabetha Beggs - Tourism Development Specialist, City of Armadale
1:05pm	Where the trail begins	Corinne Omacini, Coordinator Environment, City of Armadale
1:25pm	Under the Highway: Innovative use of space for all weather mountain biking	David Wilson, Project Contract Manager, Main Roads and Kristy Havelberg, Community and Stakeholder Engagement Lead, Tonkin Gap Alliance
1:40pm	On the Water: Connecting people to paddle trails	Fiona Allen, Community Development Officer (Access and Inclusion), City of Mandurah
1:50pm	Buying the Hill: A small community approach to mountain bike trail tourism development	Melinda Prinsloo, Chief Executive Officer, Shire of Chittering
2:05pm	Break
2:15pm	MC Welcome	Rod Annear - Assistant Director Visitor Services, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
2:15pm	The Swan Canning Riverpark River Journeys Interpretation Program and sourcing Aboriginal story content	Sean Renner, Project Officer, Rivers and Estuary Branch, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
2:30pm	Trails. The pathway to creating a healthier, happier WA	Neil Le Febvre, Chief Executive Officer, Outdoors WA
2:40pm	Developing trails tourism across WA	Agata Sleeman, Executive Officer, Trails WA
2:50pm	Volunteering on trails	Lee Hollingsworth, Volunteer Program Coordinator, Volunteer Coordination Unit, DBCA
3:00pm	Live survey — Industry priorities for 2024/25: Mentimeter Poll	Glenn Morley, Manager Recreation, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
3:15pm	Forum close and sundowner	Proudly sponsored by the City of Armadale
4:30pm	Close

Sundowner — Hosted by City of Armadale 

Immediately following the forum, the City of Armadale will be hosting an optional industry sundowner.  Tickets can be purchased for $22 including GST, during the forum registration process. 

Attire 

Smart casual attire.

Catering 

Catering for the forum includes tea and coffee, morning tea and lunch.

Please bring a water bottle to fill up throughout the day.

Special dietary requirements will be captured for each attendee during the registration process.  

Parking

There is free parking available between the Armadale District Hall and the Perth Hills Armadale Visitor Centre at 40 Jull Street, Armadale. There are two ACROD bays for easy access to the venue.  

If this car park is at capacity, there is additional street parking along Jull Street and in the City of Armadale council car park, which can also be accessed from Jull Street or Orchard Avenue. Additional parking can be found behind Bean Thru and Dominos or at the Armadale City Shopping Centre, which is an 8 minute walk from the venue.

Transport

Please note that the City of Armadale train station is currently undergoing upgrades and is not operating. Bus timetables and alternative transport options are available from Transperth.

Pre-forum activities — Thursday 18 April 2024  

An informal welcome get-together will be hosted at Avocados Bar and Café from 5:30pm to 7:30pm for those wishing to do some pre-event networking. Please note drinks and meals are at your own expense. Tickets can be reserved during the registration process.

A special ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour of the Avocados property will be presented by owner Brad Richards and Accommodation Manager, Maddy Mullaney. Get an insider look of this historical property, formerly known as Seraglio Park. The property sits on several acres that run along the Canning River, and dates back to the 1920s. Meet at 4:30pm in the restaurant reception area to join the one-hour guided tour. Brad and Maddy will escort you back to the restaurant for networking and drinks.

Tickets can be reserved during the registration process. 

Completing your registration

This event has sold out and registrations have now closed.

Payments are made at the point of registration through the ticketing platform. If you wish to pay via invoice, please email trails@dlgsc.wa.gov.au with this request.  

You will receive a confirmation email and tax receipt once your registration is complete.  

If you have any queries regarding your registration, please email trails@dlgsc.wa.gov.au  

Cost

$35 including GST, per person, for the forum including morning tea and lunch. 

Additional fee of $22 including GST, for the optional Industry Sundowner hosted by the City of Armadale after the forum concludes.  

Accessibility 

If you are seeking further information regarding event and venue accessibility, please contact Suzanne Andrews (see contact details below). 

Photographs: Spinebill Stroll, Bungendore Park (at top of page). Canning Dam in the City of Armadale (below). Photos courtesy of City of Armadale.

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