As part of the Power of Community program, there will be updates from both Victorian Government Architect Jill Garner and ARBV CEO & Registrar Dr Glenice Fox; this will serve to provide an overview and opportunity for discussion around what is happening in the state of Victoria more broadly.

Dr Jock Gilbert will speak about the Yulendj Weelam Lab at RMIT University and their work combining design thinking with Indigenous cultural heritage knowledge to support the built environment sector through partnerships, advocacy, and community-led projects. Their work builds organisational capacity, embeds First Nations perspectives into practice, facilitates respectful Indigenous-led design processes, and supports First Peoples communities to advance projects that reflect their needs and aspirations.

Emily Knight, principal of Emily Knight Design, has been an active member of the RAA Committee and its events since 2022. A self-confessed sustainability nerd and passionate advocate for community, Emily is committed to professional development within our industry, ensuring her work is informed by current ideas, processes, and materials.

Dr Mark B. Luther will speak about and display his prototype hydronic suspended ceiling panel. Radiant systems are healthy and environmental conditioning systems, operating at about 1/3 of the cost. His ceiling panel has overcome many of the problems of past radiant systems, that are slow, embodied energy intensive and costly.  

Geoff Park will speak about Renewable Newstead, a pioneering community-led initiative demonstrating how a small regional town can transition to renewable energy in a way that is technically feasible, commercially viable, and socially equitable. Located in central Victoria, Newstead has delivered a 3MW solar farm and 5MWh battery system capable of generating six times the town’s electricity needs. The project stands as a model for how local leadership, strong partnerships, and deep community engagement can drive meaningful energy transformation.

Marnie Hawson will discuss where businesses who want to “do better for nature” can start, and how they can move beyond carbon. Her workshop will make biodiversity real, accessible, and directly connected to business reality — bringing nature into the room in a tangible, practical way.

The Guildford Public Hall is a much-loved venue central to its local community and will become the hub for discussion, conversation and learning at RAA’s March 2026 event. Powered by community itself, it is the fitting space for a gathering that aims to inspire and empower delegates to instigate change in their own local area.

Now local to Yarrayne / Guildford, Robert Mierisch is a semi-retired Mechanical Engineer and inventor of several innovative systems in mechanical engineering. Currently, Robert is working on a Rural Residential Energy System that will provide electricity, hot water, winter heating, summer cooling and electric car charging, at night.