Permeable Pavements for a Resilient Urban Future: Stormwater, Tree Health & Greening - Brisbane Edition

A day of expert insights on stormwater, tree health & greening

This half-day program brings together leading experts in engineering, urban planning, horticulture, and hydrology to explore the role of permeable pavements in creating cooler, greener, and more resilient cities. Sessions cover the the integration of permeable surfaces in the built environment, catchment-level flood modelling, WSUD maintenance, as well as real-world applications of permeable infrastructure internationally and across Australia. The program also highlights Porous Lane’s approach and includes opportunities to engage with experts with an open Q&A panel.

Networking opportunities over coffee and lunch ensure valuable connections throughout the morning.

Any profits from the event will be donated to Greenpeace Australia.

Program

8:30–9:00am

Registration

Session 1

9:00–9:20am

Planning and Prioritising Blue-Green Infrastructure

Speaker: Kim Markwell, Urban Water Business Area Lead, Alluvium Consulting

✔ Important role of blue/green assets and the different functions they can provide

✔ The need for integrated planning and delivery of these assets

✔ Example frameworks to assist in the planning and prioritisation of blue/green assets

9:20–9:40am

Urban Flood Risk, WSUD and the Role of Permeable Pavement

Speaker: Dr Jessica Eisma, The University of Queensland

✔ Risks to urban flooding under climate change

✔ Potential of WSUD to mitigate flooding and drought

✔ Water quantity and quality impacts of permeable pavement

9:40–10:00am

Low Impact Design – practical responses for a more resilient urban future

Speaker: Glenn Browning, Senior Engineer, Brisbane City Council

✔ Responding to urban pressures: climate change, density and stormwater pollution call for managing runoff closer to where it is generated

✔ Simple solutions, multiple benefits: Water Smart Street Trees, rainwater tanks and permeable paving working together to capture, slow, infiltrate and reuse stormwater

✔ Turning research into everyday practice: co-benefits, implementation and integration into streets and residential development

10:00–10:20am

Permeable Pavement for Stormwater Harvesting and Passive Irrigation

Speaker: Sally Boer, Senior Principal Ecologist & Group Lead, Water Technology

✔ Role of permeable pavement in supporting stormwater harvesting and passive irrigation

✔ Permeable pavements as effective components of stormwater treatment trains

✔ Case study examples of permeable pavements for streetscape and open space irrigation

10:20–10:30am

Q & A

Panel discussion with Session 1 speakers

10:30–11:00am

Morning Tea Break

Session 2

11:00–11:20am

The Hybrid City: Street-Scale Design for Catchment-Scale Resilience

Speaker: Luke Cunningham, Director & Senior Principal Engineer, Rain Consulting

✔ Proven performance from real-world catchment modelling

✔ Collaboration frameworks that accelerated council buy-in

✔ Balancing water quality, flood reduction, and constructability in constrained streets

11:20–11:40am

Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Water Resilience: Hydrological Ecosystem Services and Multifunctional Benefits

Speaker: Dr Alessio Russo, Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture, Queensland University of Technology (presenting online)

✔ How urban trees, wetlands and bioretention reduce runoff, improve water quality and strengthen resilience

✔ How vegetation, landscape configuration and bioretention design shape runoff reduction, pollutant removal and ecosystem services

✔ Why multifunctional design must also consider biodiversity, amenity, community wellbeing, public acceptance and maintenance

11:40am–12:00pm

Real-World Successes Across Australia

Speaker: Mahdi Disfani, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, University of Melbourne and Co-Founder, Porous Lane

✔ Impact of site condition, and land use on design, walking through some examples.

✔ A new performance assessment framework for Permeable Pavements

✔ Waste Tyre Permeable Kerb and Channel; from lab to field and practice, lessons learnt

12:00–12:20pm

Overview of Porous Lane's Solution

Speaker: Bradley Camgoz Posselt, Market Development Director, Porous Lane

✔ Brief on product capabilities and support for implementation

12:20–12:30pm

Q & A

Panel discussion with Session 2 speakers

12:30–1:00pm

Light Lunch & Networking

1:00pm

Event close