2024 QELA CONFERENCE

InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Gold Coast 

Wednesday 29th - Friday 31st May 2024 

STUDENT PAPER COMPETITION

QELA (Queensland Environmental Law Association) is a multidisciplinary non-profit organisation, providing education on environment and planning law and the natural and built environments. The QELA Conference is an annual, two day conference event, delivering presentations on diverse matters of environmental and planning law.

QELA invites applications to the 2024 QELA Conference - Student Paper Competition. 

 Applications will be assessed by the QELA Conference Committee Chairs. 
One (1) winner and up to three (3) finalists will be selected by the Chairs.

The winning entrant will be invited to present their paper to the delegation at the
2024 QELA Conference, to be held Wednesday 29th - Friday 31st May 2024, at
InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Gold Coast. 

Full details of the prize, eligibility, and application process are outlined below.

 

PRIZE DETAILS

Winning Paper

• 10min paper presentation at the 2024 QELA Conference. 
• Opportunity to provide paper for inclusion in the 2024 QELA Conference proceeding document.
• Complimentary registration for the 2 day Conference, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st May 2024
• Complimentary accommodation at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Gold Coast, for Thursday 30th May 2024.
• QELA student membership until 30 June 2025.

Finalist Papers

• Complimentary day-only registration to the 2024 QELA Conference, on a day of finalist choice. 
• QELA membership until 30 June 2025.
  
  

CONDITIONS FOR ELIGIBILITY

The following conditions must be met for applications to be considered: 

• Entrants must be Queensland residents, currently enrolled in full time (75% load) tertiary studies and employed for less than 3 days per week in the sector of their study (note, the tertiary institute does not need to be based in Queensland).
  
  
• Entrants must be available to present at the QELA Conference, on a day and time to be determined by the QELA Conference Committee (note, allocation of time will be based on the winning paper topic and alignment to the Conference program).

• The submitted paper must present original work.  Where the paper is research-based, research must be conducted primarily by the entrant. Some assistance by other individuals (such as the student's faculty advisor) is permitted as long as the student is the “first author” on the paper in principle. QELA may seek clarification that student contribution exceeds 50%. 

• The topic of the paper should fall within the scope of the 2024 QELA Conference theme, Our Future In Focus, as outlined on the submission page.

HOW TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY

To submit an entry, proceed to the next page and review the Conference theme, 'Our Future In Focus' and complete the submission form.

Paper guidelines and requirements are outlined on the next page.

2024 Student Paper Competition closes 5:00pm, Sunday, 28 April 2024.

If you have any questions about the 2024 QELA Conference, please contact the QELA office on info@qela.com.au or telephone 07 3832 4865.

 

QELA Conference 2024 - Our Future In Focus

It’s time we celebrate Queensland’s past achievements in environmental and planning stewardship and leverage the successes and learnings of our past to build a solid foundation for the future. By celebrating these successes and understanding the challenges of the future, we can inspire the next generation of innovative thinking. Our environment and planning law in the current professional landscape provides us the opportunity to contribute to an economically resilient and ecologically vibrant Queensland.
 
'Our Future, In Focus' is a celebration of knowledge-sharing, fostering discussions that aim to shape legal landscapes and pave the way for positive change in Queensland’s environment and planning practices.

We are seeking robust, relevant, and engaging EOIs in the areas of (but not limited to):

• Environmental and social sustainability;
• Sustainable agriculture and food production;
• Achieving 'Net Zero' – emissions reduction, future fuels, transition to renewables and decarbonisation;
• Waste management, including end of life management for materials– infrastructure, technology, renewables and consumer goods, humans;
• Biodiversity and offsetting;
• 2032 Olympics - planning and infrastructure;
• Planning our communities and appropriate development;
• Infrastructure and transport;
• International commitments and Queensland’s role; 
• Novel approaches to compliance and regulation;
• Population growth, housing availability and affordability;
• Technology – innovation;
• Outside the box ideas that: streamline the Queensland planning framework; support sustainable development (windfarms, solar, critical mineral projects); achieve nature positive outcomes; improve circular economy; achieve greater social accountability; or other.

--STUDENT PAPER COMPETITION

QELA invites applications to the 2024 QELA conference - Student Paper Competition on topics in the areas suggested above or similar that relates to the conference theme.

 

ENTRY SUBMISSION FORM

• Entries should reflect the Conference theme, Our Future In Focus, and the topic areas.
  
  
• Entries should be 1000 words or less, and provided in Word or PDF format, A4, using Arial 11pt or greater font. 
   
  
• Entries should be in their final state, requiring minimal editing prior to inclusion in the QELA Conference proceedings document. 
  
  
• Student Paper Competition closes Sunday, 28 April 2024.