Event details
As Australia works towards a net zero future, part of the challenge is making sense of sustainability concepts.
And when ideas are complex, they’re harder to apply in everyday decision-making.
That’s why Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP) and DevelopmentWA are testing a different approach: using the power of illustration and creative communication to make concepts, such as lifecycle thinking and emissions reduction, easier to grasp.
Join CUSP as they share insights from their collaborative project with DevelopmentWA, ‘Net Zero Transition Planning for Land Development and Housing Delivery’, and explore how research can help organisations navigate a path to net zero across land development and housing delivery.
Discover how making sustainability concepts more accessible can strengthen organisational understanding and turn ambition into action.
Hear from CUSP Director Associate Professor Jayne Bryant, who will later be joined for a panel discussion by Professor Josh Byrne, Dean of Sustainable Futures in Curtin’s Faculty of Humanities, DevelopmentWA’s Head of Strategy and Innovation John Clifton, and CUSP Research Fellow Holly Fox, the illustrator helping to bring these concepts to life.
Whether you’re a researcher, urban planner, policymaker, or simply interested in sustainability, this event is for anyone curious about creating a net zero and more sustainable future.
Light refreshments will be provided.
If you can’t make it in person, you can join us online. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the livestream link.
Date
Wednesday 2 September 2026
Time
5.00pm – 5.30pm: Registration & light refreshments
5.30pm – 7.00pm: Formal proceedings
7.00pm – 7.30pm: Networking & light refreshments
Location
The Lantern, Level 7
T.L. Robertson Library, Building 105
Curtin University
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Or online
Presenters & Panellists
Associate Professor Jayne Bryant
Associate Professor Jayne Bryant’s career in teaching, research and practice has focused on building the sustainability leadership capability of those around her. Originally a singer-songwriter, she has more recently used her creativity in change making roles in government, academia and consultancy. She is currently Director of Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP), and prior to that as Climate Action Program Lead for the West Australian based Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC).
She has spent close to a decade living, working, teaching and researching in Sweden and is keen to share this unique experience in strategic sustainability, transformational leadership and a systems approach to creating change for more just and sustainable futures.
Professor Josh Byrne AM
Professor Josh Byrne AM is an environmental scientist and urban design professional whose career intersects academia, professional practice, policy and media. His approach is leadership through demonstration by engaging in projects that provide opportunities to test innovation, build capacity and share learnings with stakeholders and the wider community. As Dean Sustainable Futures in the Faculty of Humanities, Josh supports research, learning and teaching, and engagement activities.
John Clifton
John Clifton has forty years of experience in government, particularly in property within a Government Trading Enterprise. He has led major corporate initiatives, including agency mergers, enterprise system replacements, policy development, governance reform and statutory amendments. His operational experience spans long-term investment strategy, new investment proposals and business cases, land acquisition and assembly, tendering and procurement, land subdivision and sales, and innovation project delivery.
John leads a small DevelopmentWA team focused on corporate strategy, program management, sustainability, net zero actions and climate change adaptation. He is also actively involved in implementing DevelopmentWA’s Reconciliation Action Plan, Aboriginal heritage matters and Native Title agreements.
Holly Fox
Holly Fox is an Associate Lecturer in Illustration and Design at Curtin University. Her practice focuses on visual storytelling, illustration, comics and sketchbook-based approaches to thinking and research. Holly is particularly interested in drawing as a tool for exploration, reflection and communication, and in the ways images help people make sense of complex ideas and experiences.
Alongside her teaching and curriculum development work, she has contributed to interdisciplinary research projects through Curtin University’s Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP), translating complex sustainability and net zero concepts into engaging visual and educational experiences for industry and community audiences.
Alton Walley
Alton Walley is a Noongar man with family connections to seven of the fourteen Noongar Nations. His deep respect for his culture alongside his keen passion for the creative arts and education have been central pillars throughout his career. Alton is a published author, filmmaker, traditional dancer, and performer; believing the arts can create lasting change for the better.
Professor Melinda Fitzgerald
John Curtin Distinguished Professor Melinda Fitzgerald is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research at Curtin University and CEO of Connectivity Traumatic Brain Injury Australia. Lindy is responsible for the development and implementation of strategies, frameworks, and activities to achieve the University’s strategic goals in research and IP commercialisation.
In her role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Professor Fitzgerald has responsibility for the portfolios of Research Partnerships, the Mining Technologies and Critical Minerals Trailblazer, the Curtin University National Resilience and Security Program Office, Research Services and Systems, and Research Excellence. She manages strategic initiatives to empower Curtin University to lead research that Australia and our global partners need now and for the future.
Activation Booths
Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute
The Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP) is at the forefront of sustainability research, teaching, and policy advice. Recognised internationally, CUSP’s innovative and impactful approach to implementing research through demonstrations and partnerships with businesses, governments, and communities sets it apart. CUSP not only contributes significantly to the academic life of Curtin but also to the wider community, with a focus on research that has practical applications.
Creative display by Senior Lecturer Roberto Minunno, supported by students from the School of Design and the Built Environment.
Deadly Denim
Deadly Denim is a business with a social impact, aiming to be as sustainable as possible. Fashion comes with an environmental impact, with the fashion industry identified as the second largest polluter in the world, just after the oil industry, and as the industry grows so too does the environmental damage.
Project lead – Lecturer Beck Barlow. Creative display supported by artists from Voice of Hope.
Access
We are committed to making our events as accessible and inclusive as possible. Refer to our Access and Inclusion Guide for more information.
Contact us
To find out more about Research Rumble, contact the Research Engagement and Impact (EI) team.