Events

Our Leading Thinker series provides thought-provoking insights into the important issues facing our city. Covering current and long-term issues, the series focuses on the economy and deeper engagement with the dynamic Asia-Pacific region.

Events 2018

Australian Pacific Airports Corporation, Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director, Lyell Strambi

Wednesday 1, August

Topic: “The gateway to Melbourne: how Melbourne Airport will meet the challenges of growth in the coming decade.”

To launch the community consultation period for the 2018 Melbourne Airport Master Plan, Lyell will outline the vision, objectives and strategic intent for Melbourne Airport's future for the next 20 years.

JLL, Regional Director, Dr David Rees (Build to rent)

Thursday 27, March

Dr David Rees will be sharing high level findings from JLL research on the topic: ‘Multifamily in Australia’ and his expert thoughts on the future of housing in Melbourne, the residential sector as an investment category and the ‘build to rent’ agenda.

Professor of Environmental Technology and Design - Department of Urbanism Prof. Arjan van Timmeren

Tuesday 13, February

H20 propels the climate, lubricates continental drift, and shapes our geographies. Presently, cities are confronted with a number of increasingly unmanageable crises, from the triple threat of climate change, water scarcity, and environmental degradation to the deterioration of water supply and sanitation networks which will soon require radical retrofitting and/or complete replacement.

View Photos 

The Committee’s Annual Dinner is Melbourne’s premier black tie business networking event. Held in some of the city’s most iconic venues, the Committee hosts more than 500 members, guests, and dignitaries for a spectacular evening celebrating our achievements and great city.

2018 Annual Dinner: Melbourne Next

What a night! This year’s dinner celebrated our city's remarkable past, embraced our vision for what's next and celebrated amazing contributions to our city.

The atmospheric Forum Melbourne provided the ideal backdrop for our flagship gala dinner themed 'Melbourne Next' and served as a powerful symbol of our changing city.

Among the 400 attendees from our cross-sector membership, special guests included Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria and Committee for Melbourne Patron; Minister for Major Projects and Public Transport, The Hon. Jacinta Allan MP representing the Premier Daniel Andrews; Minister for Tourism and Major Events, The Hon. John Eren MP; members of the Diplomatic Corps; senior Ministers and Shadow Ministers.

Martine also underlined the significance of Committee for Melbourne’s role as a trusted, non-partisan conveyor of messages from its broad membership during an election year.

View the night's photos.

We thank our generous partners for their support:

Presenting Partners
Grollo Group
Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Supporting Partners
PwC Australia
GHD
Uber
Marriner Group

Event Partners
ShineWing Australia
Sofitel Melbourne On Collins
Cornwell
Peter Jones Special Events

The Committee’s Annual Parliamentary Drinks provide a rare opportunity for members of all sides of politics and senior representatives of our Foundation member organisations to gather together and discuss issues of importance to Melbourne in this informal, non-party political setting.

2018 Annual Parliamentary Drinks 

Our fifth Annual Parliamentary Drinks will be held at Parliament House on Thursday 13 September at 6.30pm.

2017 Annual Parliamentary Drinks 

Our fourth Annual Parliamentary Drinks at Parliament House, on 19 October, was a sell-out event, attended by senior representatives from our Foundation Member organisations and members of Parliament from all political parties.

Parliamentary guests included:

• Treasurer of Victoria, Tim Pallas MP
• Minister for Planning, The Hon. Richard Wynne MP
• Leader of the Nationals, The Hon. Peter Walsh
• Deputy Leader of the Opposition, The Hon. David Hodgett
• President of the Legislative Council, The Hon. Bruce Atkinson MLC
• Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Colin Brooks MP

We thank member GHD for generously supporting the 2017 Annual Parliamentary Drinks as the event 'Presenting Partner'.

View the event photos 

State and Federal politicians, inform and influence the broader debate about Melbourne's future at our member-only breakfasts and lunches. These conversations help stimulate debate on issues of importance to Melbourne and provide members with the opportunity to liaise directly with speakers and connect with other senior business leaders from our member organisations.

In 2018, we will hear from:

Thursday 12, July 
The Hon. Gavin Jennings MLC
Special Minister of State
Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council

Tuesday 28, August 
The Hon. Matthew Guy MP
Shadow Minister for Population
Leader of the Opposition, Member for Bulleen

In 2018, we have heard from:

Tuesday 29, May
The Hon. Tim Pallas MP
Treasurer of Victoria 

View the event photos

Thursday 26, April 
The Hon. John Eren MP
Minister of Tourism and Major Events
Minister for Sport
Minister for Veterans

View the event photos

In 2017, we heard from:

The Hon. Jacinta Allan MP
Minister for Public Transport and Minister for Major Projects
View the event photos 

Mr Tim Pallas MP
Treasurer of Victoria
View the event photos 

The Committee's Transport Series aims to uncover the challenges and opportunities facing Melbourne’s long-term transport future. At each event, panels of key players in Melbourne’s transport sector outline their organisation’s ‘master plans’ for the development of Melbourne’s transport as our city continues to grow. The goal of this series is to develop an integrated transport vision for Melbourne based on input from our members.

2018

Transport series: Infrastructure Victoria Policy Workshop

Advice on Automated and Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure: Committee for Melbourne member workshop

Tuesday 20 February

Automated and zero emission vehicles have the potential to transform car travel, bringing significant benefits to individuals and the community in areas such as safety, the environment, mobility and efficiency. The scope of the advice requires Infrastructure Victoria to investigate what infrastructure might be required:
· To enable the operation of highly automated vehicles
· In response to the ownership and market models that may emerge from the availability of highly automated vehicles
· For Zero Emission Vehicles as a high proportion of the Victoria fleet.

In 2017, the following took place:

Transport Series #3: Future of transport and the sharing economy

Transport Series #4: Innovation

Transport Series #5: Urban Mobility

View the event photos 

Arts and Culture Roundtable

Regular roundtable discussions facilitate collaboration and allow members to contribute to the Committee’s position on city-shaping issues. Members are invited to participate in taskforces on major initiatives, providing specialist knowledge and expertise to help develop factual and forward-looking policy platforms.

Since mid 2016, a number of meetings have taken place with members from key arts and culture organisations to develop an integrated vision and strategy for the city as a vibrant, globally recognised destination for arts, culture and design on a par with Melbourne’s status as a global sports and events destination.

The Committee’s members represent some of Melbourne’s most important arts and cultural institutions, who meet regularly to develop an integrated vision and strategy for the city as a vibrant, globally-recognised destination for arts, culture, and design.

These Roundtable discussions facilitate collaboration and allow members to contribute to the Committee’s position on city-shaping issues.

4 meetings will take place in 2018 in:

• Thursday 1 March - Hosted by ACMI
• Wednesday 11 July - Hosted by The University of Melbourne 
• Wednesday 19 September - Hosted by Melbourne Recital Centre
• Tuesday 11 December - Hosted by Victorian Opera 

Taskforces

Committee members are invited to participate in taskforces on major initiatives, providing specialist knowledge and expertise to help develop forward-looking policy platforms.

Our taskforces for 2018-2020 are examining the nine Strategic Needs that we identified in our flagship Melbourne 4.0 report. It is vital for Melbourne’s future liveability that we address these Strategic Needs.

These Strategic Needs cover:
1. Future skills
2. Innovative ecosystem
3. Housing mix 
4. Competitive internet
5. Airport link
6. Eastern seaboard transit link Governance
7. Metropolitan collaboration
8. Eastern seaboard collaboration
9. Digital capability

Upcoming Taskforce in 2018:

4.0 Taskforce: Airport Link Forum #3

Thursday 9, August

The Committee for Melbourne (Committee) established the Melbourne 4.0 Taskforce, which identified a high quality direct (public) transport link to Melbourne Airport as a Strategic Need for our city.

The goal of this forum is to identify a pathway for a high quality direct (public) transport link from the CBD, and possibly other key hubs, to Melbourne Airport, and for this to commence service within 5 to 10 years.

Accessing Global Digital Talent: ramifications of changes to Australia’s skilled migration program

Thursday 16, August

On 18 March 2018, the 457 visa – the most common visa for Australian or overseas employers to sponsor skilled foreign workers to work temporarily in Australia - was abolished and replaced with the more stringent Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. While the government has outlined many reasons for the change, including the need to ensure that the employer sponsored skilled migration program better meet Australia’s skills needs and addressing public concerns about the displacement of Australian workers, the impact for businesses and the economy is expected to be significant.

So far in 2018:

Melbourne 4.0 Housing Mix Taskforce: Meeting 1

Friday 27, April

Housing Mix was identified as one of the key strategic needs in our Melbourne 4.0 report. The high cost of housing affects a city’s liveability, as well as its creative and innovative capacity. Hosted by RMIT University, the Taskforce will set the agenda for action on housing in Melbourne.

Artificial Intelligence Taskforce Steering Committee

Wednesday 23, May

On 7 March, with the Minister for Innovation, Philip Dalidakis MP and the Shadow Minister for Innovation, David Southwick MP, the Committee launched the Victorian All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence. This group of Victorian MPs will explore the impact and implications of AI in a non-partisan forum, becoming only the second jurisdiction in the world to do so.

Building on this momentum, the Committee is establishing an Artificial Intelligence Taskforce. The taskforce will be led by a select Steering Committee of Melbourne leaders with a unique opportunity to help shape policy in this important area. The taskforce’s goal is ‘to create a set of recommendations for State and Federal Governments to adapt to, and benefit from, the challenges and opportunities presented by AI’

Find out more about Melbourne 4.0.

Read the Melbourne 4.0 summary report

Watch our short animation about Melbourne 4.0

Open Mind Forums is the Committee's new event series bringing together the heads of government agencies and statutory authorities with industry leaders to explore the issues influencing government policies and priorities in a confidential and productive environment.

Members and key stakeholders are invited to gain a deeper understanding of government direction and provide input into critical issues influencing decision making processes.

Upcoming in 2018:

Lord Mayor Sally Capp Luncheon

Wednesday 5 September

We welcome newly elected Lord Mayor (and former Committee for Melbourne CEO) Ms Sally Capp to address our members, celebrating her first 100 days in elected office, and outline the Council’s future plans for the City of Melbourne.

So far in 2018, we have explored:

Integrated Transport System 

Wednesday 25, July 

This is the first forum on this Topic where Secretary of Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources Richard Bolt will inform members on what the Government already has underway to improve our current system.

The benefits of having an integrated transport system are multi-faceted:
• Help Melbourne retain its global competitiveness.
• Better connect people to jobs and services, which will encourage greater social and economic participation.
• Society will be less-reliant on private vehicles.
• Active transport modes, including walking and cycling, will create healthier communities.

'Urban Reboot: How can Melbourne get better as it gets bigger'

Tuesday 26, June

Presented by Foundation member Arcadis, we will look into how Melbourne can plan and deliver urban regeneration precincts more quickly and with better long-term urban outcomes. Current examples of urban regeneration across Melbourne (e.g. Fishermans Bend, Maribyrnong Defence site) have been too slow to deliver, and the outcomes of previous efforts are not always universally applauded (e.g. Docklands).

Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

Wednesday 7, March 

In early February, Distinguished Professor and 2017 Boyer Lecturer, Professor Genevieve Bell addressed Victorian MPs where she provided a 'human scale' overview of AI and its implications.

A technologist and futurist, Professor Bell shared her insights on AI explaining exactly what it is, its history and highlighting the fact that fully functional AI is still a largely unrealised goal.

She said that understanding AI is only important in order to help us plan for how we can utilise it to support our future economy and liveability. Watch her talk.