NSW Newcastle CPD and End of Year Celebration 2025

The NSW Chapter would like to invite our Regional members to join us for the 2025 Regional CPD and end of year celebration at the Merewether Surfhouse in Newcastle.

The CPD event will begin at 2pm with arrival for tea and coffee, and the drinks and canapes will be from 5pm onwards to celebrate 2025 and ring in the start of the holiday season.

Date: Thursday 20 November 2025
Time: 2.00pm arrival for a 2.30pm start to 7:00pm AEDT
Venue: Merewether Surfhouse, 5 Henderson Parade, Merewether NSW 2291

As we move into a future of environmental challenges posed by a changing climate, the push for a Nature Positive response is growing louder by the day. How we design and shape our private and public spaces will need to heed the call, by seeking to integrate and foster biodiversity considerations in design in a more meaningful way, treating trees as valuable environmental assets, and by designing our landscapes to be more resilient to the extreme weather and environmental events that will come our way. Landscape Architects will need to embrace a more holistic approach to their work and design in the future to meet these challenges.

Speaker 1 -Liz Cameron

Topic: Designing with country consultant and First Nations artist

Bio:

Liz Cameron is a Dharug Aboriginal Spatial Designer, Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle’s School of Architecture and the Built Environment, and founder of Belanjee, a consultancy integrating Indigenous knowledge systems into architecture, landscape, and urban design.

With a focus on Connecting, Designing, and Caring for Country, Liz’s work combines conservation, restoration, and social justice principles to create culturally meaningful, sustainable, and healing spaces. She is also an artist, using visual storytelling and creative practice to communicate Indigenous perspectives and promote ecological awareness.

Liz serves on multiple boards, including the NSW Biodiversity Council, contributing her expertise to guide projects that uphold Healthy Country, Healthy People principles and advance Indigenous-led design innovation.

Speaker 2 - Matt Travis

Topic: Pattern Book and Landscape Guidance

Bio:

Matt Travis is a Principal Design Advisor at Government Architect NSW, and part of the team that delivered the Low-Rise Housing Pattern Book. He is a registered architect, specialising in housing solutions to build stronger communities and quality neighbourhoods.

Government Architect NSW recently released the NSW Housing Pattern Book - low-rise patterns - an initiative designed to support faster, better-designed housing across NSW. To support thoughtful, resilient and pattern-ready landscape designs, the Pattern Book Landscape Design Guide is an essential tool to offer and promote well-considered landscapes for this housing. This discussion will focus on the elements of the Pattern Book Landscape Design Guide, its alignment with the patterns, and consider how good design can add value to homes and neighbourhoods.

Speaker 3 - Craig Anderson

Topic:

Biodiversity, Bushfire and Aboriculture - modern considerations for Landscape Architects

Bio:

Craig Anderson is an environmental professional with 35 years' experience as a consultant working for public and private clients on a range of projects in the development and conservation sectors.

Craig is the Managing Director & Principal Ecologist of AEP. AEP has grown to over 70 staff, with offices located in Newcastle, Central Coast and Sydney, and working on projects across NSW and beyond.

Craig’s primary expertise is in ecology, and he regularly acts as an Expert Witness in the NSW Land & Environment Court.

In addition to consulting work, Craig also undertakes pro-bono work seeking environmental outcomes. In that vein, he is a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for the Hunter Wetlands Centre, and is currently acting as the nominated Environment Representative on both the Hunter Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone & Hunter Transmission Project Regional Reference Groups, working directly with Energy Co and advocating for securing appropriate environmental outcomes and benefits for the Hunter Region and community as part of the NSW renewable energy projects rollout.

In his spare time, Craig likes to unwind at the family property at Bow Wow Gorge in the Lower Hunter. The site has significant biodiversity values, and is protected under a Voluntary Conservation Agreement. Bow Wow Gorge is also listed on the National Heritage Trust Register due to the presence of nationally significant marine fossil beds dating back over 300 million years.

When not in the Gorge, Craig likes to grow Spuds and hang out with his Chooks.

Final thoughts from Andreasens Green.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

Thank you to NSW Principal Partner Andreasens Green for their support of this event.

Please note event time zone is set to (UTC+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney. Please check your local time to account for any daylight saving changes or regional differences.

Registration