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Freight Forward ‘26.

One day at Parliament House that made freight electrification impossible to ignore.

Freight Forward is Australia's national summit on commercial vehicle decarbonisation. Held in the Great Hall at Parliament House during a sitting week, it convenes industry, policy and investment leaders for a curated national conversation on the future of Australian freight.

It is not a trade expo. The program is built around facilitated working sessions that move the sector from discussion towards implementation. The 2026 event exceeded its targets across every measure that matters.

300+

INVITED SUMMIT
ATTENDEES

180+

ATTENDING ORGANISATIONS

25+

WORLD CLASS PRESENTERS

25+

ATTENDING
PARLIAMENTARIANS

2026 Presenters

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John Blackburn AO
Former Deputy Chief, RAAF & Chairman, Institute for Integrated Economic Research

Hon Catherine King MP
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Reg Development & Local Gov

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Mirja Viinanen
CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Australia

Martin Merrick, President & CEO, Volvo Group Australia

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Julie Delvecchio
CEO, Electric Vehicle Council

John Grimes
CEO, Smart Energy Council 

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Amanda McKenzie
CEO, Climate Council

Dr Adam Triggs
Partner, Mandala

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Jason Price
General Manager, Property and Sustainability, Linfox

Lisa Marsh
CEO, eLumina

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Deidre Willmott AM
Strategic Advisor, Global Sustainability & External Affairs, Fortescue

Alex Grant
GM of Transport, Australian Renewable Energy Agency

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Violet Sheridan
Ngunnawal Elder

Eytan Lenko
Chair, Boundless Earth

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Dr Clare Walter
Health and Policy Researcher, Faculty of Health, Deakin University

Gareth Ridge
Country Director EV, Zenobe Australia

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Anthony Headlam
Co-founder & CEO, NewVolt Infrastructure

Rachel Parry
Deputy Secretary of Transport, DITRDCA

Bruce Hardy
Executive Director, Energy Futures Foundation

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Martin Stokie
Commissioner, Productivity Commission

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Michael Kaine
National Secretary
Transport Workers' Union

Mario Philippou
Executive General Manager Group Operations Strategy, Team Global Express

Alan Beacham
Chief Supply Chain Officer, Woolworths Group & Managing Director, Primary Connect

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Daniel Bleakley
Co-CEO, New Energy Transport

Tim Washington
CEO, JET Charge

View the 2026 program

2026 Summit
Impact & Outcomes

A man in a gray blazer and glasses is standing at a podium with a microphone, giving a presentation in a large conference room. Behind him, a large screen displays a slide with text about fixing the electric truck crisis and the importance of industry action. There are green plants in the foreground to the left.

Freight Forward helped move heavy vehicle decarbonisation to the centre of the national conversation. At a time when freight electrification has come to the forefront of the global energy security debate, the event reframed discussion from diesel supply concerns to a future-focused conversation about energy sovereignty, renewables and electrification.

Freight Forward brought together industry, unions, government, and other key stakeholders to build relationships, a shared focus, and ongoing engagement to accelerate progress on zero-emission freight.