The International Association for Impact Assessment has released the First Announcement for its 46th Annual Conference, and this one lands much closer to home than usual.
IAIA27 will be held in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand, from 20 to 23 April 2027, under the theme Ka mua, ka muri: Looking back for the future of impact assessment. The theme draws on the Māori proverb Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua, which Dame Patsy Reddy, former Governor-General of Aotearoa New Zealand, translated as “look to the future while being mindful of the past.”
With more than 50 years of formal impact assessment practice behind the sector, IAIA27 is positioning itself as a moment of global reflection. The programme will explore how the discipline has evolved, what’s been left behind, and how practice needs to adapt to environmental, social, and governance pressures. Indigenous-led impact assessment and the role of traditional, cultural, and local knowledge sit as central threads through the streams.
Why this matters for AELERT members
For AELERT’s membership across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, having IAIA land in Christchurch is a rare opportunity. International conferences of this calibre usually involve long-haul travel, significant budget bids, and a small delegation from each agency. With New Zealand hosting, the travel and cost equation shifts considerably, so more regulators, policy teams, and early-career staff can realistically attend.
It’s also a chance to showcase work being done in our region. Australian, New Zealand, and Pacific regulatory agencies have led some of the most interesting thinking on adaptive management, cumulative impacts, monitoring, and working alongside Indigenous rights-holders. Session proposals and papers from AELERT members would be right at home in this programme.
Key dates to note
- 10 June 2026: Training course proposal deadline
- 30 July 2026: Session proposal deadline
- 2 November 2026: Paper and poster abstract deadline
- 13 January 2027: Registration deadline for anyone listed in the final program
The conference website is now live at 2027.iaia.org, and the first announcement is available to download.
If your agency is considering a session proposal, a paper, or sending a delegation, now’s the time to start the internal conversations.
