Graduation Week 18-22 May – Adelaide

REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR ALL GRADUATION WEEK EVENTS.

For the first time, PCT Graduation Week comes to Adelaide (18-22 May) where it has met with generous support from the PCT network.

We are grateful to our Graduation Week partners who make this event possible:

With rich professional development, leadership and networking showcased throughout the week, key dates for Fellows, Friends, sponsors and supporters are Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 May.

These are two Really Big Days for Fellows, Friends and invited others:

• Wednesday 20 May: Professional Development Day 1 is our first PCT Field Trip, an immersive day focused on the restoration of the Warriparri.We’ll explore a real-life, grassroots challenge that reveals the complexity of divergent views in decision-making in a contested space; consider how bias and limiting governance factors impact on fair outcomes, and the opportunity cost of not having all voices heard; and bring our collective experience to engage with a Kaurna-led integrated water management restoration approach for the Warriparri (Sturt River). Join us on the bus through Kaurna country.This day is generously supported by GHD, BMCG and Cumulus Consulting.
• Thursday 21 May: PD Day 2 moves participants from observing complexity on Day 1 to leading within it. With our partner Watertrust, this hands-on workshop will practice how we apply fairness in decision-making.  We will explore Watertrust’s fairness method in practice and reconnect with Peter Cullen’s legacy of legitimacy, trust and courage through expert insights on navigating complexity and divergent views.  Guided by expert facilitators, we will explore and practice fairness in decision-making, and build deliberation skills to lead effectively under pressure. Participants will gain practical tools and tips to design fair, sustainable outcomes—using evidence and innovative tools such as AI where it adds value – and leave with tangible outputs to apply immediately.

READ ON for daily event information and registration links.

COME BACK soon for the full Professional Development Program, including speakers and facilitators.

Registration and Payment:

These key events are ticketed and require registration and payment; more info below, but if you’re ready to register, jump the queue:

• Professional Development Program:
  • Wednesday 20 May, 9.30am-5.00pm, bus departing from Adelaide City Centre – $66pp incl GST (Fellows, Friends and invited others) – REGISTER HERE
  • Thursday 21 May, 9.30am-4.00pm, National Wine Centre – $44pp incl GST (Fellows, Friends and invited others) – REGISTER HERE
• The 2026 Leadership Program Graduation and Dinner:
  • Thursday 21 May, 5.45pm for 6.00 -10.00pm, Exhibition Hall, National Wine Centre – $88pp incl GST (Fellows, Friends and invited guests – REGISTER HERE

Registration links are shared in the individual event information below.

DAILY EVENTS PROGRAM:

Tuesday 19 May

2025 Leadership Program Recharge Workshop

BY INVITATION

• Tuesday 19 May, 9.45 for 10.00am – 4.30pm
• National Wine Centre

One year on from the PCT Leadership Program it’s time to come back together and recharge for the next chapter of the leadership journey.

The 12-month “Recharge” workshop is facilitated by Benny Callaghan and provides an opportunity for the cohort to:

• Reconnect with each other,
• Reflect on key learnings over the 12 months since graduation from the PCT Leadership Program, and
• Renew their leadership vision and energy for the future.

All Recharge participants are encouraged to continue their professional development journey at the 2026 PD Program and the 2026 Leadership Program Graduation and Dinner.  Details including registration links below.

Wednesday 20 May

PD Day 1:  Field Trip

FELLOWS, FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS ALL WELCOME

• 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Bus departs Adelaide City Centre
• $66 pp (incl GST)
• Tickets are limited
• Fellows, Friends and supporters all welcome
• Neat casual, comfortable walking shoes

Our first PD Day Field Trip is on Kaurna country and we are grateful to the Living Kaurna Cultural Centre for their support.

Key Stops:

• Warriparri Headwaters and the Stuart River Flood Control dam
• Warriparinga wetlands and the Living Kaurna Cultural Centre
• Breakout Creek

Talent:

• Your On Board Crew includes – Dr Kerri Muller (Friend of the Trust); Brooke Swaffer (2024 ); Dan Mollison (2022 ); Rebecca Doble (2023 ); Alex Cornish (2023 )

All conversations held under Chatham House rule (aka, what happens on the bus stays on the bus!).

This is a ticketed event with limited number of seats

PD DAY 1 – REGISTER HERE

Thursday 21 May

PD Day 2:  Collective Decisions, Shared Futures

FELLOWS, FRIENDS AND INVITED OTHERS WELCOME

• 9.30am – 4.00pm
• National Wine Centre
• $44 pp (incl GST)
• Tickets are limited
• Fellows, Friends and Invited others
• Chatham House rule
• Neat casual

Day 2 moves participants from observing complexity on Day 1 to leading within it. It equips fellows with practical, repeatable techniques for designing and facilitating fairness in contested water decisions.

The focus is on understanding and practicing skills to build legitimacy, fairness and trust under real-world constraints.

Through structured exercises, real case material and peer challenge, participants will :

• Explore Watertrust’s fairness method in practice.
• Reconnect with Peter Cullen’s legacy of legitimacy, trust and courage through expert insights on navigating complexity and divergent views.
• Explore and practice fairness in decision-making, and build deliberation skills to lead effectively under pressure.
• Gain practical tools and tips to design fair, sustainable outcomes—using evidence and innovative tools such as AI where it adds value.

Participants will leave with tangible outputs they can apply immediately including:

• How to design for fairness in both decision-making processes and outcomes.
• Practical techniques for navigating divergent views and facilitating deliberation in contested decisions.
• How to design with people and fairness at the center, and when and how to incorporate technology in deliberative processes.

Talent:

• Members of your PD Program Organising Committee – Yvette Colton (2023); Tamara Jackson (2021); Peta Brettig (2022); Alex Cornish (2023 )
• Watertrust

All sessions held under Chatham House rule.

This is a ticketed event with limited number of seats

PD DAY 2 – REGISTER HERE

Meet the Graduates

GRADUATING COHORT AND TRUST BOARD

• Thursday 21 May, 4.30-5.30pm
• Exhibition Hall, National Wine Centre

Small group conversations with the PCT Board Directors and the Graduating cohort.

By invitation ONLY

2026 Leadership Program Graduation Dinner

FELLOWS, FRIENDS AND INVITED GUESTS

• Thursday 21 May, 5.45 for 6.00 – 10.00pm
• Exhibition Hall, National Wine Centre, Adelaide
• $88pp (incl GST)
• Fellows, Friends and invited guests
• Dinner and drinks included

The Exhibition Hall at Adelaide’s National Wine Centre will come alive when the Trust’s exceptional network of Fellows, Friends and invited guests gather together for the 2026 Leadership Program Graduation.

Held in Adelaide for the first time, the Graduation provides a unique opportunity to gather with influential people from across the Australian water and environment sector.  The focal point of the evening will be the latest cohort of Peter Cullen Trust leaders whose formal graduation will be witnessed and celebrated by Fellows, Friends, sponsored and supporters.  Please come and support the achievements of these incredible individuals for this milestone moment in their leadership journey.

We are proud to announce that David Ryan, CEO of SA Water will deliver the Graduation Address.

A buffet dinner and drinks service will follow formal proceedings.

This is a ticketed event

2026 LEADERSHIP PROGRAM GRADUATION DINNER – PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Friday 22 May

PCT Board Meeting 

TRUST BOARD AND STAFF

• Friday 22 May, 8.00am – 12.00pm
• The Gallery, National Wine Centre

The quarterly meeting of the Trust’s Board.

FELLOWS PLEASE NOTE:

There is no Fellows Networking Breakfast on Friday 22 May, due to the late finish of the Graduation Dinner on the Thursday night, and to accommodate early morning flights for many.

Travel Assistance

Fellows are advised that the Trust has a small budget to support travel and accommodation for eligible Fellows who are located in more remote or regional areas and those who are self-employed or working in small agencies, not for profit organisations and communities, who find it difficult and cost-prohibitive to attend PCT events.

Please access the Fellows Travel Assistance Policy if you would like to pursue this option.

Applications for Travel Assistance are assessed by the Fellows Committee and are required prior to Thursday 23 April; all applicants will be advised of the outcome by Thursday 30 April.

Our Venues:

The National Wine Centre.

Corner Hackney Road and Botanic Road, Adelaide

Most Program-related events and activities will be held at National Wine Centre, a cultural and educational centre and the flagship of the Australian Wine Industry.  Bordering the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, the historic site originally housed the first mental health hospital in South Australia, built in 1856, and the stone fence that surrounds the Centre was constructed by the patients of the hospital and is now listed by the National Trust as a heritage icon.  The site’s history adds to the Centre’s unique character and charm.

Living Kaurna Cultural Centre

Warriparinga Drive, Bedford Park

The Living Kaurna Cultural Centre is managed by Southern Cultural Immersion on behalf of the City of Marion.  It is a major location for First Nations celebrations, cultural training, community engagement, art, cultural workshops and cultural tours.  The Centre strives to promote and nurture reconciliation and cultural respect towards First Nations people within Australia, and is proudly in the hands of a Kaurna owned and managed business.

The Vibe, Adelaide

260 Flinders Street, Adelaide

Many of the PCT community will be housed at The Vibe, Adelaide, throughout Graduation Week; for those looking to be close to the tribe, The Vibe might be your first port of call.  There are many other accommodation options close to the National Wine Centre, which is our anchor point across the week.