With the support and commitment of our eight Member Organisations the AGC is developing the AGC Convention 2018 (AGCC 2018). This will be held in Adelaide during Earth Science Week (14-18 October, 2018). Planning is underway with the recent appointment of a Professional Conference Organiser, finalisation of the venue and formation of the Organising Committee. Dr Chris Yeats will Chair the Technical & Scientific Program Subcommittee and various other Subcommittee Chairs are currently being appointed.

The purpose is to promote Geoscience as a major and essential field of Science in Australia. Geoscience plays a fundamental part in every Australian’s life; it constitutes our immediate environment, and provides many of the materials we use in everyday life.

The convention will provide an opportunity for geoscientists from Australasia to come together to discuss and promote all aspects of Geoscience and to gain valuable professional development from an engaging program of high-quality technical content. The Australian Geoscience Council (AGC) will host this forum and our Member Societies will be encouraging leading geoscientists from Australia, New Zealand and further afield to share their knowledge and experiences in the many diverse aspects of Geoscience. A number of Keynote Speakers of international repute have already expressed interest in championing some themes. A strong media presence will be there to focus attention on the issues and potential solutions facing Australian Geoscience.

The convention is expected to cover all aspects of Geoscience. The proposed topics are wide-ranging, potentially covering science and technology, mineral and energy resources, sustaining our environment and supporting our people, the impact of Geoscience on society and ways of educating everyone about Geoscience.

The Australian Geoscience Council Convention in 2018 is the inaugural forum for bringing together Geoscience professionals from all Member Societies of the AGC to showcase their part in Geoscience for the 21st Century. The compelling reason for doing this is to develop broad cooperation, synergies and strong linkages between industry and academia, researchers and practitioners, educators and community stakeholders wishing to further their understanding. By developing the big picture for Geoscience in our Region we will ensure that our important science has a strong future and we can maximise the benefit of our common field of endeavour for all Australians.

The proposed Technical Sessions are:

1. Understanding the Earth
2. Life on Earth – origins and diversity
3. Resources – discovery, development, use and sustainability
4. Applied Geoscience in the 21st Century – innovation, technology and the future
5. Beyond the Rocks – Geoscience in our society: current application and future trends

We expect that Technical Session 5 will include sessions engaging with the broader community interested in Geoscience including:

• Geoscience and education
• Geoscience in economics and finance
• Geoscience advocacy, professionalism and ethics
• Geoscience solutions – understanding, prediction and adaptation

Running across these Technical Sessions we plan to have a number of half-day Thematic Sessions. The overall plan is to engage with as many presenters, speakers and attendees as possible. To do this we have planned an innovative approach with extensive use of electronic resources and poster presentations.

If you are interested in providing a paper, helping develop a Technical Session or championing a Thematic Session please contact any of the following:
Dr Chris Yeats – Scientific and Technical Program Convenor
chris.yeats@industry.nsw.gov.au
Dr Bill Shaw – President of the AGC
president@agc.org.au
Ms Leanne Gunther – Administration Officer of the AGC
admin@agc.org.au

Now is the time to start your planning to help us make a difference in Australian Geoscience.