Summary of workshops at AOC 2025

Full and half-day workshops will be run on Monday 17 November. These workshops are free but do require booking (booking details to come later).

Shorter workshops, meetings and events will run during lunch breaks on Tuesday 18 November, Wednesday 19 November and Thursday 20 November at the Business School, UWS. No bookings needed.

Additional workshop details will be added to this page as they are confirmed.

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Full-day Workshop: Monday 17 November

Mapping the sensitivity of Australia’s Avifauna to renewable energy infrastructure using the free online siting tool AviStep: A vital first step in achieving nature-safe renewable energy projects.

Organisers: Tris Allinson (BirdLife International), Dr Golo Maurer, Dr Yuna Kim (BirdLife Australia)
Time: TBA
Venue: TBA
Booking will be required, details to come

Australia aims to achieve 82% of its electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030. This will require a considerable expansion of utility-scale wind and solar, as well as an associated increase in powerlines. This infrastructure could have a significant impact on Australian Avifauna if sited inappropriately. It is therefore vital for achieving the ambitious renewables target without detrimental impact on biodiversity that the energy transition is based on a clear understanding of where sensitive bird populations occur.

BirdLife International and its national partner, BirdLife Australia, have developed a series of detailed spatial assessments of avian sensitivity for the following infrastructure: onshore wind, offshore wind, photovoltaic solar, overhead transmission lines and overhead distribution lines. These assessments are compiled in a global online siting tool for renewable energy against wind availability AVISTEP – the Avian Sensitivity Tool for Energy Planning (https://avistep.birdlife.org).

This workshop will coincide with the public launch of the Australian maps on AVISTEP – and will explain:

• Why spatial information is so important to achieve a nature-safe and nature-positive energy transition in Australia.
• How the AVISTEP maps were created by reviewing the datasets and methodologies used in the analyses.
• How AVISTEP maps can be integrated into national and regional planning decisions.

Who is the workshop for? This in-person workshop will be valuable to renewable energy peak bodies, windfarm developers, ecological consultants, government agencies, conservationists and anyone with an interest in ensuring that Australia meets its renewable energy targets without jeopardising its extraordinary avifauna.

The development of AVISTEP for Australia has been made possible through the generous support of Fortescue.

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Half-day Workshop: Monday 17 November

Citizen Advocacy: Native Vegetation Protection for Birds in WA

Organisers: TViv Read and Mark Henryon (BirdLife WA Advocacy Committee)
Time: TBA
Venue: TBA
Booking will be required, details to come

Native vegetation has been very substantially cleared in south-west WA. While now regulated, the rate of loss is still very high. BirdLife WA has made many submissions for birds and bird habitat conservation with some small successes but we are still far from assured that habitat is being adequately protected. Environmental protection has recently been further weakened by the current State government. The scale of clearing proposals for mining and renewable energy is vast and increasing.

Who is the workshop for? This workshop aims to better understand the complexity of local, state and commonwealth assessment processes. We will outline how BirdLife Western Australia engaged a consultant to undertake a critical analysis that resulted in a guide that takes citizen advocates through the assessment systems, and a report that provides an agenda for reform within the systems. The scope of reform ranges from national nature laws to system adjustments within WA processes.

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Workshops at UWA, Lunchtime sessions 18-20 November

No bookings are required. More workshops will be added over the next few months so please check the website for updates.

 

Key Biodiversity Areas: help shape the sites for birds in Australia

Organiser: Anna McCallum (BirdLife Australia)
Time: TBA

Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are sites that contribute to the persistence of biodiversity and are identified using a globally standardised science-based approach. In Australia, there are currently 334 KBAs, most of which were first identified as Important Bird Areas (IBAs). BirdLife Australia is currently reviewing and updating legacy IBA sites to ensure they meet the KBA Standard. This process includes a technical review of the latest data on species population sizes, in addition to stakeholder engagement regarding a site’s management. We are calling on species experts, land managers and community to collaborate to ensure the KBA network represents the most important areas for birds across Australia. Learn more about the KBA process and how you can get involved.

 

Birds on Farms goes digital: Helping landholders create bird-friendly farms across Australia

Organiser: Margot Oorebeek (BirdLife Australia)
Time: TBA

Birds on Farms is working with landholders to improve the extent, condition and connectivity of woodland habitat on private properties. We will be showcasing our new online courses where landholders across Australia can learn how to create a bird-friendly farm and develop a habitat restoration plan for their property.

 

Atlas of Living Australia: Your gateway to Birdata

Organiser: Rachel Swain (BirdLife Australia)
Time: TBA

Thanks to BirdLife partnering with the Atlas of Living Australia, you can now search, filter and download all Birdata records. In this workshop we will show you how to use ALA tools to explore BirdLife data and the new and improved process for requesting sensitive species records.

 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Sound Localisation

Organiser: Michael Maggs (Frontier Labs)
Time: TBA

Join Michael from Frontier Labs for a hands-on workshop on acoustic localisation. Learn just how easy it is to use time difference of arrival (TDoA) to locate animal calls in 3D space. Explore how Frontier Labs’ recorders and software simplify this powerful tool for wildlife monitoring, and population and behavioural studies

 

From Planning to Practice: Tools for Driving Species Recovery

Organisers: Andrew Hunter & Davide Gaglio (BirdLife Australia)
Time: TBA

This hands-on workshop will provide participants with practical tools and approaches to turn recovery planning into effective on-ground action. Building on themes from the symposium, the session will include interactive group exercises focused on collaborative decision-making, prioritisation, and implementation strategies to overcome common barriers in species recovery.

 

Mortality addition to Birdata: tracking the fate of the birds we love

Organiser: Tanya Loos (BirdLife Australia)
Time: TBA

Birdata now has functionality to record mortality rates, and observations of sick, injured and dying birds. Join us on a short walk to nearby Pelican Point for a demonstration of how to use this vital addition to the Birdata platform. Grab your lunch to eat by the shore.