Join us for a practical, in-person workshop exploring how to protect and maintain diversity, equity and inclusion during periods of organisational change.

Restructures, mergers and acquisitions, and shifts in strategy are all part of organisational life. When this kind of change happens, DEI progress - often built over many years - can be unintentionally impacted. Organisations under pressure will often move quickly and quietly to establish new approaches with a clear operational outcome in mind, and in doing so, hard earned progress on representation, fairness, and inclusion can be eroded.

This workshop focuses on how to keep DEI part of the conversation when it matters most, and how to influence change in a way that achieves organisational outcomes and maintains progress.

AI: A Friend or Foe of Diversity Practitioners?
AI is increasingly shaping how organisations design policies, make decisions and communicate with their people. AI can both reinforce inequities or promote equity and support inclusion. DEI practitioners have an opportunity to use AI critically, weighing risks like bias and lack of transparency against benefits such as increased efficiencies and stronger insights.
This practical and thought‑provoking session is designed specifically for DEI practitioners who want to engage with AI critically, confidently, and responsibly. Rather than positioning AI as inherently good or bad, the workshop explores its dual role and the real-world implications for DEI work.

As we continue to evolve our workplace policies to foster more inclusive and respectful environments, it is essential that we also address psychosocial safety as a key priority for our organisations.  

Legislative changes affecting Queensland businesses underscore the responsibility of employers to safeguard the mental health and wellbeing of their teams. These new regulations emphasise not only the need to address risks when they arise, but also the importance of preventing harm proactively before it occurs.

Join our lunch & learn roundtable discussion on how these changes are being addressed and share practical initiatives that are far reaching. 

Let’s start 2026 strong and together.  Join the DPA community for an informal, in-person connection event designed to share ideas, and set ourselves up for a successful year ahead.

DPA members will receive a calendar invitation directly.

Employee and resource networks play a vital role in driving inclusion, engagement, and culture change—but sustaining their energy and impact over time takes more than passion.

Join us for an interactive workshop exploring how Diversity and Inclusion practitioners can best support and recognise employee networks to help them thrive. Together, we’ll unpack what meaningful recognition looks like—from career development opportunities and visibility, to tangible rewards and organisational sponsorship—and how to balance fairness, impact, and sustainability. 

This discussion will include insights from Malcolm Barter, Senior Manager People Networks at PwC Australia, and Tash Lavelle, Indigenous Workforce Engagement Business Partner at GHD.

This session will focus on practical strategies to develop and implement workplace adjustments. Achieving meaningful and effective adjustments is not always straightforward—many organisations encounter challenges. However, getting it right is essential. When workplace adjustments are thoughtfully designed and implemented, they not only ensure compliance with legislation but also foster an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and able to contribute.

Diversity practitioners like you play a vital role in leading these efforts. Your insights and experiences are invaluable in shaping inclusive and supportive environments for all.

The importance of neurodiversity in the workplace is gaining recognition, yet many organisations still struggle to provide truly inclusive environments for neurodivergent people. This workshop is an opportunity to dive into practical tools and strategies that can support neurodivergent team members across the entire employee lifecycle—from recruitment to retention.

In this practical workshop Catherine Lee, founder and director of the Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative (NDSW), will guide participants through the application of the NDSW Self-Assessment Tool. This tool is designed to help organisations evaluate their current practices and strategically improve leadership approaches, ultimately fostering a neuro-inclusive workplace culture that benefits all employees.

Over the past 12 months, DEI strategies and programs have faced increased scrutiny, shifting priorities, and plenty of external ‘noise’ – and yet it’s never been more essential. This workshop is an opportunity to step back, reflect, and determine how best to reframe our work in DEI to be sustainable and impactful in the long term.

In this practical, peer-based session, we’ll explore how to redesign DEI strategies and programs to maintain momentum, adapt to change, and build lasting engagement across both private and public sector organisations.

As local and global landscapes shift — from changes in Queensland’s approach to treaty to broader challenges facing DEI globally — the need for meaningful, grounded reconciliation has never been more urgent.

Join us for an engaging fireside conversation with distinguished leader Vonda Malone, as we explore what sustainable reconciliation looks like in practice. Drawing on her experience across government, diplomacy, and community leadership, Vonda will share insights into truth-telling, inclusive leadership, and how to drive change that honours and uplifts First Nations peoples.

Join the DPA community for an informal, in-person connection event designed to share ideas, and set ourselves up for a successful year ahead.

DPA members will receive a calendar invitation directly.

In the ever-evolving field of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), understanding the legal landscape is critical for driving meaningful  change within organisations. Join this event, where Tom Reaburn, Partner and experienced Workplace Health and Safety an Employment Relations expert at McCullough Robertson will provide an overview of state and federal legislative framework shaping DEI work for Queensland-based practitioners. 

We are excited to invite you to our End of Year Networking Lunch and AGM, an opportunity for networking, learning, and celebrating the achievements of the past year.

What you'll enjoy: 

• A light lunch and drinks from 12pm

• A case study from Andrea Smith at Energy Queensland on work to attract, recruit and retain women in trades, growing their cohort of apprentices and tradeswomen to be one of the largest in Australia's Energy Industry

• DPA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) - reflecting on DPA's activities over the past year, presentation of the financial report and nomination of DPA's 2025 committee 

• Drinks and further networking on the terrace with fellow practitioners passionate about diversity, equity & inclusion 

Join us for an insightful session designed specifically for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practitioners. In today's rapidly evolving landscape, DEI professionals shoulder a heavy mental load when it comes to fostering inclusive environments and driving meaningful change. This important work can often lead to significant personal and professional challenges, including burnout and unhealthy levels of stress.

This session will provide practical strategies and support for DEI practitioners to manage their psychological wellbeing effectively.

Join the Diversity Practitioners Association's next workshop to build the skills and confidence to navigate the complexities of providing advice on socially polarising issues within your organisation.

As DEI leaders and specialists well know, workforces often reflect the broad spectrum of societal and political views. Many sensitive and deeply personal issues emerge within workplaces. As organisations strive to be inclusive and responsive to the world around us, often DEI practitioners are called upon for advice. 

Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) have been around since 2006 and today over 2700 organisations have a RAP.

Join us in conversation with Melanie Grills as she draws on her significant experience in the establishing and delivering of RAPs.

In this discussion, we will unpack the power of RAPs to contribute significant societal change and explore what gives them legitimacy as a tool of change rather than becoming another artifact of tokenism.

This session will include an interactive Q&A, all attendees…

Diversity Practitioners Association members are invited to an this informal networking event - an opportunity to have a drink and connect with other DEI practitioners and advocates.

We invite our members to bring along a ‘plus one’ to this event: a colleague or friend to share in our conversations, we’d love to meet them! Say for as little or long as possible between 4:30 - 6:00pm.

A calendar invitation with all the relevant details has been sent directly to members.

The DPA have teamed up with Workplace Respect to bring you a practical, inspiring session on creating a genuine culture of respect in our workplaces.

As practitioners we need to know how to meet our positive duty obligation to provide a safe, harassment-free workplace, and we want to understand: what does great look like? How can we build our maturity beyond merely complying with our obligations, and into leading practice?

The team at Workplace Respect will take us through a practical, in-person workshop including:

Come sit down with us IRL (that’s In Real Life for those of us not down with the lingo!) and break bread. We have a lot to catch up on.

A calendar invitation with all the relevant details has been sent directly to members.

The Diversity Practitioners Association is proud to present Nidhi Kalaiya, Partnerships and Engagement Lead, Logit Australia, for our final 2023 Masterclass Introduction to Intersectional Frameworks. 

In this workshop, you will understand the historical context of the term “Intersectionality”, why it is important and how an intersectional lens can shape a more equitable world. The material covered will provide diversity practitioners and key decision makers an understanding the impact of intersectionality in various contexts, and provide the tools to apply an intersectional framework to policies, practices, data analysis, policies, and research.

Diversity Practitioners Association members are invited to join an in-person roundtable discussion on turning diversity and inclusion metrics and data into action.

A key skill for D&I practitioners is creating data-driven strategies that drive real change, harness opportunities and address inequality. A strong evidence-base is also one of the best ways to prevent subjective decisions by sponsors and collaborators. But what is evidence? For a time-poor practitioner, what is a sound set of metrics in 2023 and the best way to validate them against the daily experience of employees? Well also share tips for DEI planning and modelling.

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing work and life as we know it. 2023 has seen a range of new AI tools become readily accessible to consumers, including ChatGPT and Google’s new search tool, Bard. However, many of these tools are built using historical data that’s riddled with bias, and as we begin integrating them into work and life, a significant new risk to diversity, equity and inclusion is emerging. 

Diversity Practitioners Association members are invited to join a virtual roundtable discussion on supporting workplaces through The Voice referendum.

As part of the Australian Government’s commitment to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a referendum will be held between October and December 2023 to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. You can read more about…

DEI practitioners, leaders and advocates are often faced with navigating extremely sensitive topics. Our work is about understanding how the deeply personal characteristics of who we are (ethnicity, sexuality, disability - to name a few) impact experiences of inclusion, bias and discrimination at work. 

Yet, one topic has remained taboo and glaringly absent from DEI agendas: body size. 

With one in five…

The Diversity Practitioners Association is proud to present Dr Juliet Bourke for an interactive exploration of her PhD research on interpersonal inclusion between colleagues: the small behaviours that foster individual performance in project teams. 

While much has been said about the potential of diversity and inclusion to drive business results, and the criticality of inclusive leadership, there’s been little exploration of the dynamics between coworkers in driving inclusion and performance… until now. 

Juliet’s research examines the nature of inclusion between peers in workplace teams revealing: Click to read more…

Join us as we celebrate Human Rights Month this December–a virtual lunch with Adjunct Professor Sandra Creamer AM and seasoned practitioner Neville Hoehne.

Many organisations aim to create meaningful relationships with First Nations peoples through respected community organisations, First Nations-led businesses, Prescribed Body Corporates (PBCs), or with local Custodians or Elders. 

In our final event for 2022, Sandra and Neville will help us understand guiding principles and practical steps in building partnerships with First Nations communities. They will also share their reflections on the role of employers in advancing the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Queensland Path to Treaty. Click to read more…