AMCouncil Maintenance & Reliability Symposium 2026 (Sydney)
Maintenance for Resilience
đź“… Thursday 27 August 2026Â | đź“Ť Sydney Masonic Centre | 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Central question:Â How do maintenance and reliability practitioners keep critical assets safe, reliable and productive when assets are ageing, systems are connected, resources are constrained and disruption is becoming normal?
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 8:30–9:00 am | Registration and tea/coffee |
| 9:00–9:05 am | Welcome |
| 9:05–9:15 am |
Setting the Scene: Introducing the Topic
Introduction to the theme of Maintenance for Resilience and the practical challenges to be explored during the day. MC: Erik Vandenberg |
| 9:15–10:00 am |
Keeping the Fleet Moving: Maintenance Trade-offs for Ageing Rolling Stock
Ageing assets, reliability trade-offs, obsolescence, constrained maintenance windows and the risks of deferring essential work. Shane Day |
| 10:00–10:30 am |
Protecting Ageing Infrastructure: Sustainable Solutions for Fabric Maintenance and Asset Integrity
Corrosion, coatings, fabric maintenance, surface protection and sustainable ways to extend asset life. Margarita Vargas |
| 10:30–11:00 am | Morning Tea |
| 11:00–11:45 am |
Maintenance Readiness in a Greenfield Network
Preparing a greenfield transmission network for long-term reliable operation before energisation, including maintainability, asset information, workforce capability, technology and design decisions. Juliano Santos and Muhammad Tayyab |
| 11:45 am–12:15 pm |
From Strategy to Tactics: Building Maintenance Plans That Deliver Reliability
Translating asset strategy into practical maintenance tactics, intervention choices, reliability outcomes and executable maintenance plans. Braeden Knox |
| 12:15–1:00 pm | Lunch |
| 1:00–1:45 pm |
PANEL: AI in Maintenance: From Predictive Insight to Practical Action
How AI, condition monitoring and digital reliability can help maintenance teams move from reactive work to predictive and planned action. Moderator: Erik Vandenberg, Verbrec |
| 1:45–2:15 pm |
Ready for Takeoff: Effective Spares Management for Operational Resilience at Brisbane Airport
Critical spares, obsolescence, supplier lead times, stockout risk and keeping operations moving when parts are unavailable. Mitchell O’Shea |
| 2:15–3:00 pm |
Managing System Disruption and Energy Dependency
Power, fuel, gas and utility dependency; maintaining critical operations when energy systems are disrupted or changing. Erik Vandenberg |
| 3:00–3:30 pm | Afternoon Tea |
| 3:30–4:15 pm |
PANEL: Practical Cross-Sector Lessons: What Should Maintenance Teams Do Differently?
Practical takeaways from rail, corrosion and fabric maintenance, greenfield infrastructure, AI, spares, energy dependency and maintenance planning. Moderator: Erik Vandenberg |
| 4:15–4:30 pm |
Closing Reflections and Key Takeaways
Summary of the main lessons and actions attendees can apply to strengthen maintenance resilience. MC: Erik Vandenberg |