MWA: Showcasing the solutions of tomorrow

Municipal Works Australia’s National Municipal Works and Engineering Conference is back once again, with its 31st iteration set to focus on providing the tools and ideas for improved solutions sector-wide. Roads & Infrastructure speaks with CEO Peter Ali to learn more.

Municipal Works Australia has a rich history, playing an integral role in the growth and continued development of the municipal works sector.

Its origins can be traced back to 1936, when the non-for-profit, member-based organisation first laid its roots in fostering excellence. In recent times, the Association’s community-based events have also shined a spotlight and inspired further development for companies providing products and services for local government.

Now in its 31st year, the National Municipal Works and Engineering Conference has made Bendigo, in Western Victoria, its home. As Peter Ali, Chief Executive Officer – Municipal Works Australia explains, the show, and the Association, has undergone big changes, especially in the past few years.

“We’ve had eight shows now in Bendigo, before that the show moved around. The conference has a really rich modern history at Bendigo,” he says. “Off the back of the success of the event last year, we’ve almost doubled the number of exhibitors, 25 of which are brand new members of the Association as well.”

Peter Ali, Chief Executive Officer – Municipal Works Australia.

Ali attributes this growth to local governments understanding and identifying the value and benefits that these types of events provide, especially when it comes to training and development.

“Local government has matured a lot,” Ali says. “The conference is one of the few chances we get as a sector to come together in this region, to learn specifically about the day-in, day-out and how to improve it.

“Those improvements are now being demonstrated through this conference, while also connecting and helping individuals to network in a supportive environment.”

The main theme of the 2025 National Municipal Works and Engineering Conference is “sharing solutions” – providing opportunities for corporate members and local governments to share knowledge and learn from each other.

“We believe that’s exactly what our Association strives to do,” Ali says. “There’s a whole range of maintenance approaches and techniques to solve any problem. We’re hoping that attendees will come with their day-to-day problems in mind and ask, ‘how do I solve this?’, and then leave with three to four different approaches that they can take back to their roles.

“Some solutions might work better for others than it does for you, but it’s about opening your eyes and seeing that there’s so many ways to tackle industry challenges.”

Field day expansion

This focus on sharing solutions will be delivered in a variety of ways, with the show designed as both a conference and a field day.

Introduced in 2024, the National Municipal Works and Engineering Conference’s field day component provides an opportunity for attendees to see the latest equipment and innovations from some of Australia’s leading industry providers.

Ali says the growth of this area represents a strategic shift by organisers to better engage local government staff and provide them with a more immersive and hands-on experience.

“We’ve done a lot of work around engaging local government attendees. In the past it was more of a formal conference format, now we also treat it as a field day, that way anyone can attend and go through the trade floor,” Ali says. “It’s one of the biggest reasons we’ve seen increased foot traffic over the past few years.”

This section continues to expand, as Ali explains.

“An innovation this year is the introduction of an operators challenge, which will be run by RDO Equipment,” he says. “It aims to highlight the skills and capabilities of people in the workplace. Amongst the prizes is the opportunity to represent Australia at the PWX competition in the US in 2026, which is the American version of our event.

The National Municipal Works and Engineering Conference is returning once again in 2025.

“We’ll be looking to expand that portion of the event even more in the near future.”

The National Municipal Works and Engineering Conference will also include a live demonstration, showing road pavement reconstruction equipment in action, thanks to Hiway.

Other innovative technologies, such as electric vehicles, will be on full show from some of Australia and the world’s most renowned manufacturers.

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Tackling important topics

The National Municipal Works and Engineering Conference will also provide thought-provoking content that goes beyond just technical presentations, with a mix of keynote speakers alongside more traditional local government case studies and showcases.

These keynote speakers include Nicole Livingstone. A sports administrator and commentator, Livingstone is a former Olympic swimmer who represented Australia at three Olympics, winning a silver medal and two bronze medals.

Livingstone has also been the General Manager of Women’s Football and was appointed as the CEO of the Victorian Institute of Sport last year.

She’s joined by another former professional athlete, AFL great Shane Crawford, a Brownlow Medal-winner and four-time All-Australian player.

Other keynote speakers include Mell Greenall, CEO of Before You Dig Australia, who will be promoting safe excavation practices, Justin Herald, Managing Director – Major Motivation will touch on reshaping people’s perception of success and his experience as a self-made, global business owner, as well as entertainer and former Australian Cricketer Rodney Hogg.

These keynote speakers will be joined by sector experts and leaders, touching on a wide range of industry topics.

Speakers will focus on showcasing solutions and engaging in discussions to improve processes across the entire municipality sector.

Just one of these is a “next gen” session, focused on career and intergenerational discussions to explore the gap between older and younger workers in local government.

It’s a growing area of focus that’s needed in the municipal works sector, as Ali explains, to bridge the gap between experienced workers in the industry and the next generation coming in.

“We started this panel because we thought it was an area that was really misunderstood,” Ali says. “What we saw in local government was a lot of older people that had served their careers and transitioned out. Then there was a whole group of new people coming in, which left a massive gap in the centre.

“Sometimes you see these ‘next gen’ sessions and they’re all geared towards ‘let’s get young, emerging people in the room and make a session just for them’. That’s not what this is about. It’s about exploring concepts, facilitated by our younger members, that’s relevant to everyone. We want to bring everyone together for that knowledge exchange.”

Following the success of the Bendigo show, Municipal Works Australia is seeking to further grow its participation in events and conferences.

Just one of these events is Converge, the only Australian-owned major event showcasing the latest tools and technology in the municipal works, civil and commercial construction space. The show will bring together leading decision makers from these sectors to see the latest developments helping them to build Australia’s future infrastructure.

“Converge and similar events are really important to us,” Ali says. “It’s great to have something that can provide for our urban-based government members. Partnering with Converge allows us to do that.

“We’re also examining how we can expand our own events, particularly in states such as Queensland. It might not be the size of Bendigo initially, but we’ve got to start somewhere and build ourselves up. That’s a big goal for us.”

The National Municipal Works and Engineering Conference will feature equipment showcases from some of the biggest manufacturers in the country.

Ali says 2025 is the year of growth and solidifying the Association’s impact and reach throughout the market.

“We’re really excited about the level of traction that we’re getting, as well as the companies and local government members that are signing up right across the country,” he says. “We really believe in the people that work in this industry, and how we can have a positive impact in terms of support and recognition.”

And for those who might be sitting on the fence when it comes to the National Municipal Works and Engineering Conference…

“Come have a look. I’m certain you won’t be disappointed,” Ali says.