Wednesday 19th June@ 5pm

Newcastle Racecourse – 100 Darling Street, Broadmeadow, NSW, 2292

Speakers include:

Peter Cock – CEO Newcastle Airport

Peter is an experienced CEO with a record of driving change to deliver results. As CEO of Newcastle Airport, including the Astra Aerolab development, Peter is leading a team of senior executives to deliver long-term benefits to the Hunter, Central Coast and Northern NSW regions. Peter is passionate about growing the airport our region deserves, and the role Newcastle Airport plays in our region’s economic evolution – achieved through enabling large, sustainable benefits across inbound tourism, defence and other technology-based industries at the Astra Aerolab precinct and new freight-related industries.

With a $250m whole of precinct upgrade underway, Newcastle Airport is on track to be international-ready in 2025. The development-ready Astra Aerolab and airport program of works provides a once in a generation opportunity for regional NSW, both creating jobs and stimulating local economic growth.

Peter will provide an update on the Newcastle Airport International Terminal expansion as well as the Astra Aerolab property precinct development.

Craig Carmody – CEO Port of Newcastle

Craig Carmody is the Chief Executive Officer at Port of Newcastle, the largest Port on the East Coast of Australia. Appointed in 2018, following a successful career across the private sector, federal government and Australian Defence Force, Craig is leading the Port through one of the most significant diversification periods in the Port’s and the Hunter regions history.

After four years of lobbying government and support from Independent Lake Macquarie MP, Greg Piper, restrictions on container trade were removed from the Port through the passing of the Port of Newcastle Extinguishment of Liability Act and compensation payment made to the NSW Government, paving the way for a $2.4 billion infrastructure investment in a container terminal.

Under Craig’s leadership, in 2022, Port of Newcastle’s clean energy ambitions received a significant boost through a $100 million Commonwealth Government grant, which will see the Port’s Clean Energy Precinct transform into the nation’s most significant Clean Energy manufacturing hub by 2030.

Craig will speak about Port of Newcastle’s diversification of trade that will ultimately have a positive impact on job growth and deliver a boost to the local economy. The Port is currently focusing on the development of a Clean Energy Precinct, increasing container trade as the Port moves to the development of a container terminal, along with competing in the Roro market, specifically the importing of passenger vehicles.

Kim Carland, Program Lead, Hunter Joint Organisation.

The Hunter Joint Organisation represents the 10 councils of the Hunter region, who advocate for strategic regional priorities and apply for grant funding to deliver on the priorities. Kim recently finished managing a partnership project with Destination Sydney Surrounds North and Newcastle Airport to identifying the highest priority investment to increase international tourism to leverage the investment of the Newcastle Airport upgrade. On the night, Kim will share some of the research outcomes and recommendations from the collaborative project.

Following the presentations, they’ll be time for a short Q & A. The panel will be made up of our three speakers, along with Michael Forster, Business Development Manager (Destination Sydney Surrounds North) as our panel moderator.