PowerHour 2025 Series
Episode #2
Thursday, 19 June (9.30 - 10.30 am)
“Rethinking Renewables & Earning Trust”
Calling all engagement practitioners working in the energy transition! The PowerHour Forum is back in 2025 with another six-episode line-up designed to support better engagement and help you create lasting legacy across your projects.
- Understand the foundations of trust in regional engagement
- Learn practical ways to build and maintain strong relationships
- Explore how to involve communities meaningfully in decision-making
- Take away top tips from each speaker to apply in your work
Why join this PowerHour?
Join an insightful and engaging forum with leading voices in regional engagement as we delve into what it truly takes to build trust in our communities. From expert practitioners to those living and working on the land, this session brings together a diverse lineup of perspectives to explore how strong relationships and meaningful collaboration can drive better outcomes for all.
Kicking off with keynote speaker Kieren Moffat (CEO, Voconiq), who will share compelling research and real-world examples on the foundations of trust, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of why trust is the cornerstone of successful regional engagement. Hear from Ian Hayllor (Director, Graincott Farming Co), who will provide grounded insight into the landholder experience, and Elliot Willemsen-Bell (Senior Manager - Community, Windlab), who will offer practical strategies for maintaining long-term connections.
From rethinking engagement approaches to embedding community voices in decision-making – this is one conversation you can't afford to miss. Because in regional development, there's one golden rule: no trust, no progress.
This six-part series will explore issues relevant to engaging in Regional Australia, providing you with small bite-sized learning opportunities and exposure to key stakeholder perspectives.
You will leave the forum with fresh insights and understanding and have added some actionable strategies to add to your engagement toolkit.
Meet our speakers
Dr Kieren Moffat
CEO and Co-Founder - Voconiq
Keynote speaker
Kieren was trained as an organisational and social psychologist and has a PhD from The University of Queensland. He led a research program in CSIRO examining and publishing on the concept of social licence to operate from 2008 to 2019 and spun that science out of CSIRO with two co-founders to form Voconiq where he is now the CEO.
The company has grown significantly in that time, delivering its Local Voices and Citizen Voices services in 18 countries on six continents in mining, renewable energy, agriculture and a range of other sectors. But he is most at home when he is at home, sorting pickups and drop-offs for his three kids, watching them play weekend footy and wondering with his wife what skibidi means.
Ian Hayllor
Director - Graincott Farming Co
Panel member
Ian and his wife Deborah have been farming on the Darling Downs west of Dalby for over 40 years. Ian’s Son Dan now manages the farm. Ian has focused on adopting sustainable and profitable farm practices and regularly has numerous research and trial sites on the farm so he can be an early adopter of the latest research.
Ian has CSG development on his property as well as water and subsidence monitoring sites. Ian approach towards the CSG industry is it must be well regulated, respect Landholders, pay fair compensation and leave no negative legacies. Ian views his partnership with the CSG industry as an important part of his enterprise and one that provides non weather related income.
Elliot Willemsen-Bell
Senior Manager, Community - Windlab
Panel member
Elliot Willemsen-Bell is a community engagement and communications practitioner, with over a decade of experience across the Australian energy, infrastructure, and mining sectors. Elliot has spent the majority of his career living in and working with regional communities in QLD and Central West NSW, building trust in close-knit communities that requires authenticity, empathy and willingness to get your boots dirty.
He is passionate about making sure locals voices are heard, not just on a project level, but as part of the broader conversation about the energy transition. He is the Senior Community Manager at Windlab and is currently leading the engagement for the Bungaban Wind Energy Project located near Wandoan and Taroom, 5 hours west of Brisbane.
Our proud partners for PowerHour 2025 are:
About the facilitator
Wendy Agar
Principal, Engaged Outcomes
Wendy grew up on her family’s Central Queensland beef and grain farm and spent 10 years as a partner in a sheep and cattle enterprise in Western QLD. She has 20 years of experience serving in leadership roles in multi-sectorial organisations in rural, regional, and remote Queensland. These experiences ensure Wendy brings finely honed facilitation and engagement skills, a deep practical understanding of adaptive leadership, and a lived experience understanding of the challenges and opportunities of engaging, building capacity, and leading change in rural, regional, and remote communities.
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