Celebrating International Women's Day Webinar | Wednesday 5 March 2026
About this event
International Women’s Day has been marking progress and challenging inequality for more than 115 years. This year, our IWD webinar created space for an honest and practical conversation about what balancing the scales looks like in Australia’s transport sector.
Guided by UN Women Australia’s 2026 theme, ‘Balance the Scales’, the discussion moved beyond awareness to action — exploring how the systems we design, the behaviours we model, and the decisions we make every day can either reinforce or remove inequality.
Hosted by our Board Chair, Ben Wood, the webinar brought together three senior leaders from within the Transport Professionals Association, each sharing lived experience from diverse professional pathways across planning, engineering, policy, and leadership.
Together, they explored why gender equality in transport matters — not only for fairness, but for better outcomes for communities, stronger economies, and a future‑ready workforce.
The conversation highlighted how designing transport systems for those most excluded leads to safer, more accessible, and more effective networks for everyone. Real‑world examples showed how small design and policy choices can have far‑reaching impacts.
Importantly, the speakers unpacked what supporting women looks like in practice — from sponsorship and mentoring to inclusive leadership, allyship, and visible representation in senior roles. These weren’t abstract ideas, but tangible actions leaders and organisations can take right now.
We also heard how women across Australia are shaping transport policy, operations, technology, and strategy — and why creating space for these voices strengthens the sector as a whole.
The session closed with a clear message: meaningful change doesn’t happen in March alone. It happens when individuals and organisations commit to sustained action, challenge the status quo, and actively support women to thrive at every stage of their careers.
On-Demand Video
Speakers
Nicole Vukic | Founding Director | Avandra Advisory and NSW/ACT Branch President
Nicole is a Transport Planner and Engineer with over 25 years of experience in specialist and multi-disciplinary consultancies. Nicole’s experience encompasses all stages of the project life cycle from strategic planning to design and operation of transport infrastructure.
For over half her career, Nicole has managed technical transport planning and modelling teams, which have grown and transformed under her leadership. Nicole is passionate about working on city-shaping projects, contributing to the creation of great places and influencing how people move between these places efficiently and sustainably, now and into the future.
Naomi Langdon | Director - Strategic Roads, Active Transport and Tram Planning | Department of Transport and Planning VIC and TPA Board Director
Ms Langdon has served in a range of leadership positions within Victoria’s Department of Transport and Planning and is currently serving as a Director of the Board of TPA. In her current role as Director of Roads, Active Transport and Tram Planning, she is responsible for multimodal network development and long-term strategic planning. In these roles, she has led the creation of Victoria’s Bus Plan and Melbourne’s Tram Plan, helped secure funding for infrastructure and service changes, and shaped the policies and plans that will guide the network for decades to come. Ms Langdon’s career has been shaped by a love of problem-solving, a commitment to equity and accessibility, and a belief in the power of public
Rebecka Gunnarsson | Principal Consultant - Transport Advisory | Veitch Lister Consulting and VIC/TAS Branch President
As a Principal Consultant (Transport Advisory) Rebecka's role is to lead the delivery of transport planning projects. She understands the challenges and opportunities that come with planning, designing and delivering complex transport solutions that are on time, to budget and specification.
Rebecka has more than a decade’s experience in transport planning and engineering in Europe and Australia, working on private and public sector projects. Her main focus has been on multimodal projects, engineering with project management and coordination across the full lifecycle of delivery.
Throughout her career, Rebecka has delivered small to large scale projects with effective stakeholder management. Her experience ranges from level crossing removals, traffic impact assessments, precinct structure plans and retail asset expansions to integrated transport plans, cycling strategies and safe neighborhood plans.
Rebecka holds a Bachelor of Civil and Construction Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology.
Ben Wood | Partner | Hadron Group and TPA Board Chair
Ben’s focus is on leadership of complex projects and programs of work that are reliant on the collaboration of a diverse range of stakeholders and practitioners.
Ben has a track record of leading engagements that involve diverse stakeholders and support different teams and organisations to effectively communicate and collaborate. His proactive approach to clear communication and stakeholder engagement, combined with his candour, drive optimal outcomes from the Hadron engagements he leads.
Ben’s strength is in implementing cultural change and improving team performance. In addition to assisting his clients creating an effective framework and processes for people to follow, Ben is an expert in supporting people to adapt and build habits that align with organisation goals.
Event Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in presentations and at events are those of the individual presenters and do not reflect the official policy, position, or views of the Transport Professionals Association (formerly AITPM).
We proudly support and encourage diversity of thought and perspective within our professional community. By providing a platform for a broad range of voices and ideas, we aim to foster respectful dialogue, innovation, and continuous learning across the industry.
Join the Transport Professionals Association members from these organisations who have already registered including:
| Organisation | State |
|---|---|
| CrowdLab | VIC |
| Veitch Lister Consulting | VIC |
| O'Brien Traffic | VIC |
| Transport for NSW | NSW |
| Yarra Ranges Council | VIC |
| Transport for NSW | NSW |
| Eukai | VIC |
| City of Melbourne | VIC |
| Department Transport and Main Roads | QLD |
| Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland | QLD |
| Brisbane City Council | QLD |
| PSA Consulting | QLD |
| Transport Professionals Association | VIC |
| Arcadis | NSW |
| City of Sydney | NSW |
| Egis | QLD |
| Main Roads WA | WA |
| Veitch Lister Consulting | VIC |
| SCT Consulting | NSW |
| Department of Transport and Planning | VIC |
| Veitch Lister Consulting | VIC |
| Transport Professionals Association | NSW |
| SCT Consulting | NSW |
| Department Transport and Main Roads | QLD |
| Veitch Lister Consulting | QLD |
| Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure | WA |
| Brisbane City Council | QLD |
| North Western Surveys | NSW |
| One Mile Grid | VIC |
| SITE Traffic | QLD |
| Stantec Australia Pty Ltd | QLD |
| O'Brien Traffic | VIC |
| Department of State Growth | TAS |
| Transport for NSW | NSW |
| Arcadis Australia | VIC |
| Eukai | VIC |
| JG Transport Consulting | NSW |
| Aurecon | VIC |
| Stantec | QLD |
| Brisbane City Council | QLD |
| Transport for NSW | NSW |
| One Mile Grid | VIC |
| Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure | WA |
| Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads | QLD |
| Transcend Mobility | QLD |
| Avandra Advisory Pty Ltd | TAS |
| Department of State Growth | TAS |
| Veitch Lister Consulting | QLD |
| AECOM | QLD |
| Arup | QLD |
| Transport for NSW | NSW |
| Northern Beaches Council | NSW |
| WSP Australia | QLD |
| Monash University | VIC |
| Veitch Lister Consulting | QLD |
| SCT Consulting | NSW |
| Department Transport and Main Roads | QLD |
| Egis | QLD |
| Department Transport and Main Roads | TAS |
| Veitch Lister Consulting | QLD |
| Stantec Australia Pty Ltd | VIC |
| Transport for NSW | NSW |
| Department for Infrastructure and Transport | SA |
| Baw Baw Shire Council | VIC |
| Movement & Place Consulting | VIC |
| ACT Government | VIC |
| City of Moreton Bay | QLD |
| Transport for NSW | NSW |
| Department for Infrastructure and Transport | SA |
| Department Transport and Main Roads | QLD |
| Transport for NSW | NSW |
| GHD | QLD |
| Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) | ACT |
| Merri-bek City Council | VIC |
| Get Around Caboolture | QLD |
| WALGA | WA |
| Department Transport and Main Roads | QLD |
| Albury City Council | NSW |
| Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland | QLD |
| Veitch Lister Consulting | QLD |
| GHD | NSW |
| Veitch Lister Consulting | QLD |
| SLR Consulting Australia Pty Ltd | QLD |
| City of Gold Coast | QLD |
| Traffix Group | VIC |
| SMEC | VIC |
| WSP Australia | NSW |
| Department Transport and Main Roads | QLD |
| Infrastructure Victoria | VIC |
| Penrith City Council | NSW |
| Veitch Lister Consulting | QLD |
| Brisbane City Council | QLD |
| Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure | WA |
| GHD | NSW |
| University of South Australia | SA |
| SMEC | VIC |
| Kaizen Transport Solutions | QLD |
| Vivendi Consulting | NSW |
| Transmax | QLD |
| Department of Transport Main Roads | QLD |
| One Mile Grid | VIC |
| Colliers International Engineering & Design (TTMC) Pty Ltd | QLD |
| Transport for NSW | NSW |
| RMIT University | VIC |
| Jacobs | VIC |
| StudioWAY | VIC |
| City of Onkaparinga | SA |
| Translink, TMR | QLD |
| City of Cockburn | WA |
| Arup | NSW |











