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Trust and Social Licence for Infrastructure Delivery

In partnership with Queensland Futures Institute | Delivered by UniSQ

Without community and stakeholder support, projects stall, costs escalate, and reputations suffer. In a high-scrutiny environment, effective engagement is essential to delivery. This one-day workshop equips infrastructure professionals with practical strategies and tools to build trust early, secure social licence, and improve delivery confidence across Queensland infrastructure projects.

Workshop details

  • Course duration: 1-day course
  • Date: 22 July, 2026
  • Location: Brisbane, CBD 
  • Cost: $1600 (incl. GST)

Please note spaces are limited - only 20 seats available per session. Small group delivery is intentional, enabling deeper interaction, practical application, and a diverse mix of perspectives.

This workshop moves beyond theory, focusing on practical skills you can apply immediately across planning, approvals, and delivery.

You will gain:

  • A clearer view of community and stakeholder engagement in the Queensland planning and delivery context
  • A practical understanding of how trust, legitimacy and social licence shape infrastructure outcomes
  • Tools to identify stakeholders, map interests, anticipate contention and engage with confidence
  • Approaches to communication and engagement that reduce delay, conflict and reputational risk 
  • Methods to monitor impact, respond to issues and sustain trust through delivery and beyond.

Case studies from Queensland infrastructure projects, including renewable energy and transport, are used throughout and grounded in the state’s planning framework.

Grounded in peer-reviewed research and informed by industry and government leaders, this workshop reflects the real challenges facing infrastructure delivery today.

Why it matters

  • Trust in government and planning systems is declining, increasing scrutiny on projects
  • Government stakeholders are frequently overlooked, creating avoidable risk
  • Engagement is often seen as tokenistic when not grounded in planning context
  • Social licence is often underestimated in project design and risk management
  • Late or minimal engagement leads to objections, delays and cost blowouts
  • There is strong demand for practical, tested engagement strategies that work in real-world conditions.

  • Public sector leaders, policy professionals, project sponsors, planners and regulators.
  • Private sector directors, project managers, engagement leads and consultants working across infrastructure, transport, utilities, energy, resources, property and regional development.

Effective engagement builds trust, reduces risk, and accelerates approvals and delivery. It leads to better outcomes for communities and stronger long-term project success.

UniSQ combines applied research, industry insight, and regional expertise to deliver practical, outcome-focused professional development. Our focus is on real impact, ensuring participants leave with tools and approaches they can apply immediately in their roles.

Dr Anthony Kimpton | Lecturer, Urban and Regional Planning, UniSQ

Anthony is internationally ranked in the top percentile for research in infrastructure development, vehicles and the built environment, and within the top five per cent globally across transport, land use and human behaviour.

His work sits at the intersection of community sociology, urban geography and data science, with experience spanning academia, industry and government in senior data specialist roles. He is a Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning and Deputy Discipline Lead for Surveying and Geospatial Science at UniSQ, and an Academic Member of the Planning Institute of Australia’s Queensland Division Committee.

His teaching and research focus on land use and transport planning, participatory and community-led planning, social sustainability, spatial analytics, and the use of big data to support sustainable development.

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Secure your place in this high-impact workshop