“Celebrating World Wetlands Day”
Join us at our state-of-the-art Centre amidst the Beeliar Wetlands for
The 22nd Annual Western Australian Wetlands Conference
that will be held from Wednesday, 5th February to Friday, 6th February 2026at The Wetlands Centre Cockburn, 184 Hope Road, Bibra Lake, Western Australia 6163
Registration Portal
Click the link to register your participation.
Call for Registrations
The Wetlands Centre Cockburn invites you to attend its 22nd Annual Western Australian Wetlands Conference. We are delighted to welcome you to the Cockburn Wetlands Precinct and our leading-edge eco-focused facility for a two-day conference on the 5th and 6th of February 2026. This conference commemorates World Wetlands Day, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in Ramsar, Iran, on 2nd February 1971.
Our conference typically draws over 200 attendees from across Western Australia and neighbouring regions, bringing together professionals and enthusiasts from all fields connected to wetland conservation. The event will feature keynote addresses, expert presentations, case studies, research sharing, plenary discussions, guided tours, and ample networking opportunities. Early Bird Registrations are now open.
Objectives of our conference
“To increase knowledge, awareness, understanding and commitment to the conservation, interpretation and management of Wetlands.”
“And, to provide an annual networking forum for organisations and individuals involved in the above”.
Conference Themes
The overarching conference theme follows the Ramsar theme for 2026 of ‘Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage.’
The two day conference is divided into 4 half-day sessions, which are set to incorporate the following focus areas – Leadership and Partnerships; Scientific Research & Innovation; Sustainability & Climate Resilience; Workshops; Case Studies & Success Stories; Reconciliation & Indigenous Knowledge; Ramsar Theme or International Perspectives; Education, Humanities & Community Engagement; Wetland Restoration, Assessment or Monitoring; Policy, Governance & Practical Management.
Conference Structure
We believe that everyone has a stake in the conservation of our wetlands and the critical issues that surround them. Building on past successes, this year's conference continues our commitment to fostering broader participation from all walks of the community. Our program features a wide range of wetland topics, with a strong emphasis on addressing the climate challenges that lie ahead.
The conference is structured into four half-day phases, each centred around the following core themes, offering a platform for engagement, learning, and collective action.
01.
WETLANDS & COUNTRY
Designing stewardship from Country-up
Can wetlands governance in a climate-chage facing landscape truly centre Country, species and environmental efforts? Across Indigenous-led catchment models, monitoring, invasive-species work, seabirds and international sites, this session explores environmental care accross varied projects. Learn practical strategies for Country-led stewardship.
Keynote by Professor Walter McGuire & Francesca Flynn
02.
WATER & COMMUNITY
Aligning Hydrology with Cultural Geography
What changes when urban water management treats wetlands as living relations, not just infrastructure? Talks on engineered diversions, connectivity, soil–water–community projects and local histories test planning under drying, stressed conditions of wetlands. Participants sharpen ways to share water decisions locally and regionally.
Keynote by Cristina Ramalho
03.
SCIENCE & STEWARDSHIP
Tracking Emerging Resilience Patterns
Which tools genuinely help steward wetlands under changed climates, pests and species decline? Sawfish studies, flow design, plant indices, pest surveillance and international restoration trials together show which methods best guide action. Get rethinking about management strategies to match future-foccused goals and stewardship.
Keynote by David Morgan
04.
PRACTICE & PARTNERSHIPS
From critique to co-creation
How do critiques of colonial wetland histories weigh up against long-term, cross-sector partnerships on the ground? Keynotes, citizen science, turtle groups, arts-based learning, yarning circles and nursery practice brought into one frame. Leave with adaptable designs for culture-strong, place-based partnerships.
Keynote by Rod Giblett
Registration Fees
All participants are required to officially register to attend the conference (including presenters). The fees are payable online on our Registration Portal by Stripe with a Credit/Debit Card. If you wish to make a payment by an alternate method, or for bulk bookings of greater than 10 delegates, kindly contact us to arrange your registration. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, fees are kept to a minimum to enable all sectors of the community to attend this conference.
Concessional Registration is applicable to students, unwaged, pensioners and concession card holders.
*All fees inclusive of GST
| Type | Both days | Any 1 day |
| General registration: | $ 380 | $ 200 |
| Concessional registration: | $ 180 | $ 95 |
| Members registration: | $ 300 | $ 165 |
| Presenter registration: | $ 60 | $ 60 |
Registration Portal
Click the link to register your participation.
General Registrations Closing Extended
We encourage you to register well before the closing date to avoid disappointment.
28th January 2026
Wednesday
The Venue
Located 15 km south of Perth, The Wetlands Centre Cockburn is located on the bushland west of the resplendent Bibra Lake. It is easily accessible by freeway, about a 30-minute drive from Perth CBD. If you plan on driving down, please note that there is limited on-site parking is available. Where possible we encourage the more sustainable option of carpooling (please opt-in when you register if you are interested). If you plan on taking public transport, the nearest train station is Murdoch. However, there are fewer bus options, with the closest bus stops about 1km away from the centre by walk.
Link to view directions on Google Maps: The Wetlands Centre Cockburn, 184 Hope Rd, Bibra Lake WA 6163
The Program
We are excited to present the full program. Please note that it is still tentative, however changes, should any happen, will be minor. At the start of each of the four themed sessions, our distinguished keynote speakers will set the stage with their inspiring stories, fresh perspectives and pioneering concepts. They will be followed by exemplary guest speakers who, with their presentations, will keep up the energy and vibrancy of the sessions, flowing into plenary discussions that will bring every session to a close with a fusion of ideas and a merger of minds. There will be plenty of networking opportunities during well-timed breaks, with refreshments being served.
The Audience
The conference is intended to bring together a community of volunteers, landowners, students, local and state government officers, industry and private sector environmental officers, educators, academics, community leaders, aboriginal representatives and cultural stakeholders involved with wetland-related work and endeavours. Our past conferences have fostered meaningful interactions, discourse and exchange between the audience. We hope that our new two-day format allows for rich, deep, and diverse conversations and engagement among all attendees.
Photographs and Recordings
Important: Please note that we retain your implicit permission to capture/record and use your photographs and video recordings during the conference. We will do our best to accommodate image takedown requests post publication, but it will be at the organiser’s discretion.
Conference Proceedings
Papers, presentations, workshop session recordings and takeaways will be collected and be available on our website www.thewetlandscentre.org.au/conference. You are welcome to review the 2025 Conference Proceedings as an example at www.thewetlandscentre.org.au/conference/proceedings/
Sponsors
We would like to thank and acknowledge the generous support of our sponsors, who make this event possible. If your organisation would like to consider sponsoring this event, please visit our sponsorship webpage to know more.
For further details
please contact the conference organisers
The Wetlands Centre Cockburn
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184 Hope Rd, Bibra Lake WA 6163 |
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(08) 9417 8460 |
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conference@thewetlandscentre.org.au |
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www.thewetlandscentre.org.au/conference |
