AREEA IR & ER ANNUAL FORUM 2026
Navigating change, complexity & compliance
Perth | Thursday 20 August
Brisbane | Thursday 27 August
Australia’s industrial relations environment is entering its most volatile and interventionist phase in decades.
Ensure you’re equipped with the right tools and insights to navigate complexity and compliance across the regulatory landscape.
With two events spanning the country in Perth and Brisbane, AREEA’s IR and ER Forums have all the issues covered, with a program that explores nation-wide challenges and local concerns.
Join your sector colleagues and an exceptional line-up of Australia’s leading IR and ER insiders, policy-makers and news-breakers across government and industry, as we unpack the big issues impacting Australian workplaces and your organisation’s productivity.
AREEA’s IR & ER Forums are followed by AREEA Gala Dinners at the same venue, with a special combined price for attendance at both events.
PERTH | Thursday 20 August
IR & ER Forum + Gala Dinner
Forum Time: 8.30am to 4.00pm
Gala Dinner Time: 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Venue: Perth CBD
BRISBANE | Thursday 27 August
IR & ER Forum + Gala Dinner
Forum Time: 8.30am to 4.00pm
Gala Dinner Time: 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Venue: Brisbane CBD
2026 Big Issues
AREEA’s IR & ER Annual Forum 2026 is your critical opportunity to test your strategy, hear directly from those shaping the system, and ensure you’re positioned to manage risk and maintain competitiveness.
Intensifying industrial action and bargaining disruptions
High-profile disputes across mining and energy operations, including the first strikes in decades in the Pilbara, signal a clear shift toward more frequent and sustained industrial action, including costly disruptions during enterprise bargaining.
Could you maintain operational continuity in a more adversarial bargaining environment?
Union power expanding on-site
Recent court and Commission rulings, such as labour hire orders that further narrow the services contractor carveout and decisions that extend delegates rights, are strengthening union presence and expanding right-of-entry across resource workplaces.
Do you have the strategy and capability to manage a more assertive union presence?
System settings driving a surge in claims and litigation risk
Changes in Fair Work Commission processes, low application thresholds, and minimal filing costs, combined with the ability to escalate matters into the Federal Court, are contributing to a dramatic increase in unfair dismissal and general protections claims.
Do you understand how evolving tribunal and court settings are increasing your exposure to claims and the true cost of getting it wrong?
Regulation extending into contractors and supply chains
New Fair Work Commissions interventions such as the recently passed emergency fuel powers, are moving beyond direct employment to influence contractors, labour hire and transport supply chains, reshaping costs and accountability across entire business models.
How exposed is your business to regulatory intervention beyond your direct workforce?
Who should attend
The pace of workplace change means there’s no better time to tap into the expertise of Australia’s IR and resources and energy leaders. AREEA’S 2026 IR & ER Forums are essential for:
Executives and senior leaders
HR and workforce strategy leaders
Operational leaders integrating AI into sites and systems
