ISAVFT 2026 is delighted to announce our Opening Keynotes: Vision, Expertise and Real‑World Leadership
Opening Keynote: Tim Parker, CEO, High Speed Rail Authority Presenting: Australia’s High Speed Rail: Generations of opportunities
ISAVFT is honoured to welcome Tim Parker to deliver the Opening Keynote in Melbourne. As CEO of the High Speed Rail Authority Tim leads one of the most ambitious transport programs in the region, overseeing a high speed rail vision designed to boost Australia’s productivity and economic development as well as transforming long distance connectivity. With more than 25 years’ experience delivering major infrastructure, including senior leadership roles at Sydney Metro and significant underground station developments, Tim brings deep technical insight and strategic clarity. His keynote will share the lessons, challenges and opportunities shaping the next generation of rapid transit.
Keynote: Professor Arnold Dix, CEO, ALARP Presenting: Nuclear Waste Underground — What Comes Next?
We are delighted to welcome Professor Arnold Dix, Immediate Past President of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, barrister, scientist, author and Chairman of the ISAVFT Symposium in his hometown, as an Opening Keynote Speaker. Building on Dr Severin Wälchli’s ISAVFT2024 presentation, Professor Dix will take delegates deeper into the evolving science, engineering and long‑term strategy behind underground nuclear waste solutions. In Nuclear Waste Underground, What Comes Next, he brings a rare combination of legal, scientific and technical authority to unpack the regulatory, societal and engineering challenges shaping this critical field. With his globally recognised expertise and trademark clarity, Arnold delivers a keynote that promises depth, leadership and a forward‑looking perspective worthy of one of the underground industry’s most influential figures.
ISAVFT Technical Advisory Committee
