ACTA 2025 National Community Transport Conference 20 – 21 August at Sea World on the Gold Coast
- Despite torrential rain at times, our National Community Transport Conference at Sea World on the Gold Coast delivered two days of inspirational and thought-provoking sessions to over 100 attendees.
- Rachael Leahcar reminded us of the power of resilience and possibility;
- Updates on the CHSP reform and the Australian Disability Strategy that will shape the future of accessible and inclusive transport;
- Michael Pervan updated us on the work of the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority and what it means for the sector;
- Patricia Sparrow presented practical insights on navigating the policy and political landscape for aged care, talking to the new Aged Care Act and the Support at Home program development, focusing on delivering better outcomes for older Australians;
- Tash Edwards taught us how Client Journey Mapping can transform community transport experiences;
- Jane Anderson was not only inspiring but reinforced the importance of genuine storytelling in sharing the impact of the community transport sector;
- We took away some practical Artificial Intelligence lessons from Alberto Chierici;
- Learned valuable lessons from ‘lived experience’ consumers on why they use community transport, what it means to them and changing user expectations;
- We learned valuable insights into the challenges faced by remote community transport providers, and the critical role they play in rural and regional Australia;
- Community transport operator Burnie Brae showed us their Model of Care and Community Transport Integration, sharing lessons rather than just outcomes; and
- Engaging and informative workshops also took place, producing ideas, suggestions and questions, which we will follow up with very soon.
We celebrated the nominees in the inaugural National Community Transport Sector Awards recognising and celebrating outstanding talent in the sector. Congratulations to the winners –
- EV Strengthening Communities – ‘Exceptional Sector Contribution’ Award
- Community Flights – ‘Innovative Business’ Award and
- Trish Buckley (City of Onkaparinga) – ‘The Unsung Hero’ Award
We also took the opportunity to present a special award recognising former TransitCare CEO, Terry O’Toole for his dedicated service and contribution to the community transport industry as he heads into retirement life, before a spectacular dolphin show followed by dinner and a musical performance by
Rachael Leahcar.From insightful sessions to meaningful networking opportunities, the contribution of our wonderful sponsors helped create an engaging and enriching experience for all attendees. We are truly grateful for their commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration within the community transport sector.
Check out some photos from the conference!
2025 SPONSORS
We thank all our sponsors for their support of community transport, ACTA, service providers and delegates. Please support them where you can.
You can download a copy of the Sponsorship proposal here
Naming Sponsor
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Gala Dinner Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Prizes donated by
“Thank you for arranging and putting on your conference, it was one of the better ones I’ve been to!”
“What an inspirational few days at the Australian Community Transport Association (ACTA) conference on the Gold Coast! The heart beat of community care was evident and strong amongst those gathered, and we consider ourselves privileged to take part. We can’t wait to get more deeply involved in such a crucial sector/”
“This is the most informative and well presented and organised conference I’ve ever been to!” (Facebook Conference Group)
“We appreciated the opportunity greatly. We also wanted to extend our sincere thanks to you and your team for the outstanding organisation of the conference from a speaker perspective. From the very beginning, the communication, guidance, and support provided to us as presenters was exceptional. We felt organised and well-prepared well in advance of the event, and it was clear that no detail was overlooked. Having presented at a range of events – including some much larger industry conferences – we can honestly say ACTA’s thoroughness and proactive approach set a benchmark for how speaker support should be done. At other forums, we’ve sometimes received final details at the very last minute, which can make it challenging to deliver our best on the day. Your approach was the complete opposite: thoughtful, clear, and supportive throughout. Please pass on our gratitude to the entire team. You should be very proud of how well the event was run – it was an absolute pleasure to be part of it and we look forward to future opportunities to offer our support in any way in the future.”