• What does “strategic partnership” look like in the context of the Australian Government’s reform and transformation agenda?
• Insights into federal priorities for 2026: technology, capability, and customer outcomes
• Common challenges in partnerships: how can industry better align to government requirements to better support needs?
• What suppliers can do to better demonstrate value, innovation, and alignment
• The role of trust, adaptability, and domain knowledge in long-term collaboration

Understanding where governments have invested — and where they are heading — is critical for shaping effective public sector strategies. This session will examine retrospective ANZ government spending trends and apply new approaches on how you can align your go-to-market, investment, and partnership decisions with future budget expectations and priority programs.

• Analyse recent ANZ government spending patterns and procurement signals
• Anticipate shifts in budget priorities across technology and service delivery
• Identify major programs likely to shape near- and mid-term opportunities

Understanding how AI can be used in government is no longer the primary challenge, reducing system friction to enable safe, lawful, and scalable adoption is. This session provides an inside-government perspective on what it takes to make AI work in practice, drawing on real experience establishing the foundations, governance, and operating models required to move from experimentation to sustainable, system-wide adoption.

• Why AI demands modernised governance, risk management, and assurance
• The system components required to scale AI (policy, frameworks, capability, platforms, and operating models)
• How friction is reducing between people and AI, and what this means for the path from idea to production
• The role of people, partnerships, and problem-led collaboration in enabling scale
• Future scenarios and what effective partnerships could look like in a mature, low-friction system

• How AI fits into broader government reform and digital transformation agendas
• The differing AI priorities and challenges at federal, state, and local levels
• Expectations for transparency, ethics, and accountability in AI-enabled solutions
• How suppliers can demonstrate relevance and build trust when offering AI technologies
• Practical examples of co-designed AI initiatives that delivered measurable public value
• Insights on procurement and partnership frameworks adapting for AI innovation

Luke Halliday

Former WoVG Chief Technology Officer & Executive Director, Strategy and Assurance (Digital Transformation), Department of Government Services

Sharif Abuadbba

Team Leader, Distributed Systems and Security, Data61, CSIRO

Judy Hurditch

Managing Director and Principal Analyst, Intermedium

• What does “strategic partnership” look like in the context of state government reform agendas - how can suppliers better demonstrate and provide value, innovation, and alignment?
• State priorities for 2026: technology, capability, and customer outcomes - how can industry better support state agencies tackling large-scale transformation
• Common challenges in partnerships: how can industry better align to government requirements to better support needs?
• The role of trust, adaptability, and domain knowledge in long-term collaboration
• Co-designing with multi agency or cluster-based structures

Suneetha Bodduluri

Chief Technology Officer, Service NSW

Lance Oswald

Chief Information Officer, Department of Primary Industries, Queensland

Stuart Watt

Chief Information Officer, Department of Primary Industries and Regions

Mike Dudarenok

Chief Information and Digital Officer, NSW Education Standards Authority

Jennifer Arnold

Head of Advisory, Public Sector Network

• Explore what “value” truly means to councils balancing tight budgets and rising expectations.
• Understanding the Local Government procurement requirements and processes
• Delivering flexibility and fit-for-purpose solutions
• Supporting financial resilience through scalable models
• Building trust amid capacity constraints and shifting mandates

Dr. Tom Gao

Chief Technology and Digital Services Officer, City of Sydney

David Griffiths

Chief Information Security Officer, Northern Beaches Council

Luke Kenny

Chief Executive Officer, Local Government Procurement

Jennifer Arnold

Head of Advisory, Public Sector Network

• How to align better with government needs: Industry's common pitfalls
• Demonstrating value and building relationships - how can industry offer trust, value and alignment?
• Advancing your understanding and aligning your offering to Government needs – solving challenges and aligning solutions to mission objectives rather than features
• Decoding and working successfully within the procurement process
• Identifying & engaging all the necessary influencers & decision-makers
• Tools, insights, and real examples that drive results