Keynote Speakers

Opening Keynote: Culture, Connection and Voice
Tuesday 20th October, 9:00am – 10:30am

This immersive and powerful story, told by the team from the Mid North Coast Local Health District and the family involved, highlights the importance of culturally responsive, person-centred palliative care in supporting an Aboriginal man’s wish to return to Country at the end of life.

Through collaboration, advocacy and partnership with family and services, Ben’s journey demonstrates the profound impact of honouring cultural identity, connection to Country and individual choice, ensuring dignity, comfort and cultural safety during his final days.

Storytellers

Aunty Jacqueline Smith (Ben’s aunty), Kristy Fernando (Ben’s sister), and Renshaya Sines (Ben’s daughter)
South West Rocks Figtree descendants.

Allison McLaughlin, Nurse Practitioner, Palliative Care,
Mid North Coast Local Health District.

BIO

Cynthia Younie, Senior Aboriginal Health Worker, Palliative Care
Mid North Coast Local Health District.

BIO

Keynote Session Two: Shaping the Future Together
Tuesday 20th October, 11:00am – 12:30pm

This session will explore some of the themes that have emerged from the consultation process for the NSW Health End of Life and Palliative Care Framework 2026 – 2031, due to be released in December. To meet current and future demands, recognising challenges, identifying opportunities, and working collaboratively will be essential. How do we effectively shape the future together?
Four keynote speakers will be followed by an expert panel exploring this theme.

Associate Professor Chris Schilling
Health Economist and Palliative Care Economics Lead, University of Melbourne
Shaping the Future of Palliative Care: What the data tells us and where to next.

BIO

Dr Kate Kennett
Senior Policy Officer, End of Life and Palliative Care, Priority Populations Unit, NSW Health
Building EOLPC Capability in the NSW Health Workforce

BIO

Dr Patricia Mackey
Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Charles Sturt University
Exploring the impact of palliative care volunteering in NSW

BIO

Dr Kerrie Noonan
Senior Research Fellow and Adjunct Associate Professor, Public Health Palliative Care Unit, La Trobe University and Director of Research, Western NSW Local Health District
Public Health Approaches to Palliative Care: Strengthening Communities and Building Death Literacy

BIO

Expert Panel

Dr Meera Agar, End of Life and Palliative Care Senior Clinical Advisor, NSW Health
Sabina Clapham, Director, Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC+)
Professor Deb Parker AM, Co-Director, UTS Ageing Research Collaborative
Charlotte Brown, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Dementia Australia

Keynote Session Three: Caring for Carers
Wednesday 21st October, 9:00am – 10:15am

This keynote session connects directly to Standard Three of the National Palliative Care Standards, while also acknowledging this year’s National Carers Week theme, Care for a Carer: Making Carers Visible. Carers NSW will set the scene followed by unique insights from carers who have supported loved ones through palliative and end of life care. 

Dr Lukas Hofstaetter
Manager Research & Development, Carers NSW
Partners in Care: Recognising, Supporting and Partnering with Carers

BIO

Kelly Chan

Coming of Age in Palliative Care: Burdens and Blessings of Caring for Prematurely Ill Parents

BIO

The Hughes Family
Our palliative care story: family, compassion, community

Ron Hughes, a much-loved husband, father, grandfather, uncle and a passionate Life Member of the Liverpool Rangers Soccer Club, sadly lost his battle to oesophageal cancer. He received care from a number of palliative care teams across different settings including the Liverpool Specialist Palliative Care ward, the Camden Palliative Care Unit and by the Wollondilly Community Nursing & Community Palliative Care Team, all located within South Western Sydney LHD.
The Hughes family have generously agreed to step outside their comfort zone to join Kirsty Blades, CEO, Palliative Care NSW on stage to talk about their experience. The good, the challenging, the confronting, and the drive they now have to give back to a sector that supported them at one of the most difficult times of their life. 

Closing Keynote Speaker | Author | Martial Artist
Wednesday 21st October, 2:15pm – 3:00pm

 

Nadine Champion is an inspiring speaker, author and awarded martial artist who truly knows what it means to use “10 Seconds of Courage” to overcome obstacles and reach her potential.
Nadine has built a strong reputation as a high-performance mindset coach and storyteller, known for offering practical tools via memorable anecdotes. She passes on the lessons learnt from years of elite performance under immense pressure, working with individuals and organisations to foster their courage, adapt positively to change and develop resilience.
The central principle of the 10 Seconds of Courage message is that action must be combined with knowledge. Nadine lives the concepts she is devoted to sharing with others, so they can move forward from allowing fear to create missed opportunities in their personal and professional lives.
She is also passionate about palliative care, following several personal experiences in her life that have been positively impacted by the support of palliative care.
Nadine, who calls Sydney home, is excited to be closing our 2026 State Conference. This is going to be an energetic, dynamic and uplifting presentation. The perfect way to conclude our conference and to leave equipped with some new tools, as we look to the future and how we can positively shape it together.
Nadine is exclusively represented by Saxton.