Fresh perspective: Reflecting on the 2026 Clean Air and Environment Conference
In August 2026, the PJRA Team took a trip up to Cairns to hear from some of the brightest minds in air quality and odour assessment. Now, those learnings are helping the team provide clients with practical, up-to-date advice.
The 28th International Clean Air and Environment Conference brought together more than 300 delegates and 80 speakers to collaborate and share knowledge under the theme 21st Century Challenges.
From 31 August to 2 September 2026 event ran two independent scientific programs under one venue and a single registration, at the Shangri-La The Marina in Cairns. Core sessions covered climate impacts, air quality science, dispersion modelling, public health, fugitive emissions and environmental compliance, while a dedicated stream addressed odour management, including sewer network odours, hydrogen sulfide catchment management and continuous odorant monitoring.
Air quality and odour assessments are two of Peter J Ramsay & Associates’ (PJRA) core service areas, so two of our experts, Senior Consultant James Linfoot and Consultant Fraser Rathmell made the journey up to Cairns to sharpen their skills at the event.
Modern solutions for 21st Century challenges
As Australia’s regulatory landscape evolves air quality requirements are also becoming a more prominent factor in project approvals, and unmet expectations can be a source of delay.
PJRA carries out air quality impact assessments and management advice across industries including waste to energy, composting, landfilling, food manufacturing, mining and chemical treatment, and has conducted odour assessments covering complex emission mixtures and individual odorous chemical species to support the design of abatement systems, so it’s vital that our team stays up-to-date with the latest technology, standards and regulations.
For James, attending the 2026 Clean Air and Environment Conference was “a rare opportunity to hear from colleagues in the consulting space, but also from industry, regulators, and other areas such as lawyers and judges”.
“It was a very positive experience,” he said.
“It is really useful to hear real-world experiences from other consultants that I can then bring back into my own work to help me provide clients with more informed and practical advice.”
In 2024, both James and Fraser also attended the previous Clean Air and Environment Conference in Hobart, and for Fraser attending again in 2026 was hugely beneficial.
“I was a fresh grad when I went in 2024,” he said.
“This year I feel that I got a lot more out of the conference. With a bit more experience under my belt I was able to take a lot more away from each presentation.
“Being an early career professional, attending these types of conferences are extremely useful.”
Key takeaways
We had some trouble getting our team members to name a favourite session, both of them were pretty insistent that there were “too many to count”.
“There were so many interesting talks, and it was great to see all the different perspectives from regulators, consultants, academics, etc,” Fraser said.
However, one session that stood out to both of them was a presentation from Judge Dean P Morzone KC, of the Planning and Environment Court of Queensland, on the use of artificial intelligence in expert evidence.
“As we have recently been doing a lot of expert evidence projects, Judge Morzone's insights were really interesting and useful,” Fraser said.
James also highlighted a presentation from Chris Bydder of EPA Victoria on odour science.
“I always like hearing from Chris Bydder as he has a wealth of knowledge and a particular skill for explaining complex matters to a broad audience” he said.
For both James and Fraser, the conference offered a wider view of the industry beyond day-to-day project work.
“Attending the clean air and odour conference helps me to get a broader understanding of the industry, what factors I may not have considered before, what new technologies are being developed which will change the way we work, and ultimately how these will impact our ability to assist clients,” Fraser said.
“But, if I could boil it down to a single takeaway it would be that the air quality and odour industry is small and tight-knit, full of inspiring, enthusiastic and motivated people wanting to make a positive change on the world.
“It really gives me hope for the future.”