Hustle & Bustle podcast Nicole Bennetts

Patrick Gorr is a Arup's Global Hydrogen Leader. His specializes in energy and hydrogen, and the transition to net zero energy production. Patrick is a chartered accountant by profession, Patrick holds a Bachelor of Business, Economics, Accounting and International Trade from Swinburne University of Technology, and has held senior strategic roles, in Australia and Europe, with the Victorian Government, International Development Law Organisation and EDF Energy.

The Energy crisis has been all over the news recently, as the East Coast of Australia is at risk of black out, due to peak demand expected to exceed supply. Patrick explains what's been happening in the energy markets, and what the solution is. 

We chat about:

The energy crisis 
What the solution is for more reliable and sustainable energy production and supply
Why Hydrogen is seen to be part of the solution to our energy crisis
What is preventing Hydrogen from being mass produced and replacing our unrenewable sources
What projects Arup leading globally to help unlock more opportunities for hydrogen to be produced, exported and used by consumers

Here is a quick fact sheet shared by Patrick to help explain the Lack of Reserve in the energy market

https://aemo.com.au/-/media/files/learn/fact-sheets/lor-fact-sheet.pdf?la=en#:~:text=A%20forecast%20LOR%20occurs%20when,LOR%20becomes%20an%20operational%20reality.

Hope you enjoy this chat :)

 

Dr Margaret Cook has been a freelance historian for many years, working in the heritage, museum, government and private sectors. She holds a PhD in history from the University of Queensland and her current research interests include natural disasters, rivers, water politics, and environmental history. Margaret is a history lecturer at the University of Sunshine Coast, a Research Fellow at Griffith University and holds Honorary Research Fellow positions at La Trobe University and University of Queensland.

Margaret’s recent publications are:

A River with a City Problem: A History of Brisbane Floods,
an edited collection with Scott McKinnon, Disasters in Australia and New Zealand: Historical Approaches to Understanding Catastrophe, and
a co-authored book Cities in a Sunburnt Country: Water and the Making of Urban Australia.
In 2020, Margaret was awarded the John and Ruth Kerr Medal of Distinction for excellence in historiography, historical research and writing.

This conversation builds on an earlier chat with Martin Roushani-Zarmehri in April where he referenced Margaret's research and publications, specifically that many of our urban settlements are on flood plains based on historical reasons.  

In this chat, we take a deep dive into Margaret's publications and passion, and find out what lessons we can take from history to shape more resilient communities.

We chat about:

Margaret's publications
What inspired Margaret to research so deeply into water issues
Why it is important that we understand and learn from history
What the key learnings are about human behaviour, especially during natural disasters
Buy back schemes and how we use them to become more resilient
Behavioural change can happen
I hope you enjoy this chat. 

Prof. Barbara Norman is the Foundation Chair of Urban and Regional Planning and Director of Canberra Urban and Regional Futures at the University of Canberra. She has a substantial professional background having worked at all levels of government and her own private practice. Her current research and teaching interests include sustainable cities and regions, coastal planning, climate change adaptation and urban governance.

Professor Norman is a highly esteemed professional, including:

immediate past Chair of the ACT Climate Change Council
Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University
Life Fellow and past national president of the Planning Institute of Australia
Life Honorary Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (UK)
qualifications include a Bachelor of Town & Regional Planning, Masters of Environmental Law and a PhD on sustainable coastal planning  
contributing author to IPCC 5 WG 2 report on Impacts 2013
awarded an Australian Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community through urban and regional planning.

In this episode we chat about:

Barbara's career highlights
What motivates her
The importance of planning
Tackling climate change
Her new book to be launched at COP27 later this year

Some of the key takeaways from this discussion:

the value of planning is being restored and going through a renaissance
planners are driven by common good / community good 
we can achieve much more when we cooperate and collaborate  - would be great to see all Australian Planning Ministers coming together 
its time to embed climate change in planning law across Australia
we need to map existing climate risks across Australia to identify areas of vulnerability, and then prepare place-specific plans for most vulnerable communities.
must not add to the legacy of vulnerability 
need to upskill planners and built environment professionals to gain confidence in planning for climate change
we are past the point of climate guidelines - its time for regulations. Industry want certainty
Insurance industry are looking to planning profession to be proactive 
Carbon neutral developments are lacking evaluation and monitoring 
90% of built environment will still be here in 2050 - focus on re-use and improving existing urban fabric to create resilient and sustainable outcomes
possible legacy for Brisbane 2032 would be to embed climate change process in everything we do

References referred to by Barbara:

IPCC report on Adaptation - link
Glasgow Climate Pact - outcome of COP26 - link

Hope you enjoy this chat :)

I spent the week in Hobart last week, attending and presenting at the Planning Institute of Australia National Congress. The theme was Opportunities in times of crisis, and this was the first time in 3 years that PIA has held a national planning conferences in person. 

In this episode, I summarize the top 10 lessons that I have acquired from the amazing sessions attended.

From the housing crisis, to human centered planning to designing with country and so many more! 

Looking forward to hearing what you think about my top 10!

(You might hear my kids & husband in the background, as I recorded this at home on the weekend) 

More info about Congress can be found here - Planning Institute of Australia

Matt Gross is a well-known property economist, urban geographer, and sociologist based in Brisbane.  

Matt heads up one of Australia's most respected property research houses that has grown on the back of honesty, integrity and innovation, National Property Research Co. Matthew is highly regarded as being able to provide both strategic direction and tactical strategies to ensure that the project values, both social and economic are maximised. He has been involved in providing insight into some of the country’s biggest property transactions and largest residential developments.

The housing unaffordability crisis is growing! So I wanted to speak with Matt about his research and experience to help understand: 

his views on the current housing unaffordability. What will lead SEQ out of this current state?
impact of federal election on housing
impact of COVID on housing
longer term SEQ housing market predications
Key economic barriers and opportunities for 2032 Olympics

Hope you enjoy this chat. 

Jason Byrne is a Professor of Human Geography and Planning at University of Tasmania. He researches urban political ecologies of green-space, climate change adaptation, and environmental justice. He has over 100 scholarly publications, including a multi-award-winning co-edited book - Australian Environmental Planning: Challenges and Future Prospects (Routledge).

Jason has been awarded the Planning Institute Australia’s national award for cutting edge research and teaching, and has twice been awarded the PIA Queensland award in that category – as well as their overall award for planning excellence.

I chat to Jason ahead of PIA National Congress in May 2022. We chat about:

top tips for Australian planners ready to converge on Hobart for PIA National Congress
his career highlights and motivations 
key barriers for Australia in adapting to climate change
nature based solutions & innovative solutions to adapting to climate change
Here are the links mentioned in our conversation:

https://climateadaptationaustralia.com.au/

https://theconversation.com/ordinary-people-extraordinary-change-addressing-the-climate-emergency-through-quiet-activism-160548

Hope you enjoy this chat!

To follow Jason on twitter - @CityByrne