ANZSOG 2025 First Nations Conference to give the Aotearoa New Zealand perspective on public sector transformation
25 June 2025
● News and media
ANZSOG’s 2025 First Nations Public Administration Conference will outline the importance, and potential to deliver better outcomes, of transformative change in the way governments work with First Nations.
To be held in Meanjin/Brisbane from 26-28 November 2025, the Leave a Legacy: Be a Transformer conference will attract an audience of public servants, academics and First Nations and Māori community representatives, keen to hear from a roster of 24 dynamic and engaging speakers.
The Conference will explore why, despite goodwill and good intentions, progress has remained challenging, and the difficult changes agencies must make to set themselves up for success.
More information about the Conference, including how to register is available here.
Leave a Legacy: Be a Transformer will include a strong focus on Aotearoa New Zealand, with several high-profile speakers sharing insights from Aotearoa, in particular the role of Treaty of Waitangi settlements in setting the stage for Māori economic independence.
Lil Anderson, former CEO of the Office of Māori Crown Relations/Te Arawhiti, will host the conference, bringing her insights into the current situation in Aotearoa, and its relevance to transformation in Australia.
Ms Anderson has worked in Australia as an ANZSOG Teaching and Leadership Fellow and is well known and respected by many Australian public servants who have participated in her ANZSOG Masterclasses.
She said that the narrative in Aotearoa over the last 10 -15 years had been one of moving from grievance and claims, to one of thinking about partnerships and moving forward.
“The movement of iwi (Māori tribes) in particular has been noticeable and inspiring. This change in the Māori landscape means that government agencies in Aotearoa have had to up their game,” she said.
“Iwi who settled their claims years ago are now well established and providing leadership across social, cultural, environmental and business sectors. Their tolerance for lacklustre consultation, uninformed policy and solutions that don’t work has dwindled and they now want more and better service from Government.”
She said that the growth in the Māori economic contribution to the New Zealand economy, and the growth in the Māori-controlled asset base from 69 billion to $126 billion between 2018 and 2023 meant that governments needed to engage better and more often with iwi – because they simply could not afford not to.
“This engagement was ably assisted by changes to the Public Service Act and Whainga Amorangi which is a programme that was led out of Te Arawhiti that sits across all Chief Executives and public servants and helps them to grow their confidence and competence in areas of understanding the history of New Zealand, language, and engagement practices to name a few,” she said.
“This programme remains an important feature of the public service landscape even though the focus of Government has changed in recent times.”
Other key Aotearoa speakers include: Justin Tipa, Chairman of Te Rūnanga Ngāi Tahu, Donna Flavell, Chief Executive of Waikato-Tainui and Chair of the Iwi Advisors Group for Freshwater, and Andy Coster, Chief Executive of Social Investment Agency
New government brings new challenges and opportunities
The election of the Luxon Government in New Zealand in 2023 has meant that there has been renewed debate around the direction of Māori/Crown relations and the role of Māori culture and language in Aotearoa.
However, Ms Anderson said that there was still progress being made, with the new government’s commitment to devolution and place-based decision-making creating new opportunities.
“There remains a commitment to finalising Treaty settlements, meeting contractual and legislated settlement promises and agencies, with their stewardship role in mind, continuing to work with iwi and communities on solutions at place and the building of capability,” she said.
“Devolution suits the way that Māori want to work and to be in control of their own destinies – however it is unclear what the pathway to devolution looks like from a policy perspective and this is a space to watch.”
Ms Anderson, who spent time in Australia as an ANZSOG Practice Fellow said that agencies in Australia could learn a number of things from New Zealand’s experience.
“Building capability to engage and partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is part of your duty of stewardship, and needs to happen regardless of the political cycle. And it’s not just about building your own capability, it’s about supporting communities to build theirs. In the end you need to lift your Indigenous communities in order to lift your wider communities.”
She said that some form of Treaty or Treaties with First Nations was inevitable in Australia and the public sector agencies needed to prepare for that.
“At some point in your future, the indigenous rights that you talk about in theory – like we did – become real and they become a force that you haven’t prepared for. So start preparing now,” she said.
“Theory does us no good unless agencies also take practical action to lead change, and when it comes to making change – there is no better time than now.”
The theme of the Conference: Leave a Legacy – Be a Transformer reflects the importance of Priority Three of Australia’s National Agreement on Closing the Gap – Transforming Government Organisations – and the need for all of us to address the limited progress made on this goal so far.
Attendees at the conference will hear from speakers, reflecting the complexity and diversity of First Nations communities and their work with governments.
Other confirmed Conference speakers include:
- Jody Broun – CEO of the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA)
- Romlie Mokak – consultant and former Commissioner of the Productivity Commission
- Geoff Richardson PSM – former senior public servant, Chief Executive of First Nations Development Services
- Jason Ardler PSM – former senior NSW public servant, co-founder and director of Thiriwirri
- Craig Leon – Conscious Solutions
- Dr Lisa Conway – Assistant Secretary First Nations Employment Policy & Programs Branch, DEWR
- Selwyn Button – Commissioner at the Productivity Commission
Registrations for Leave a Legacy: Be a Transformer are now open, with Earlybird discounts available until 31 July.
For more information on ANZSOG’s previous First Nations Conferences, resources are available here on our website. These include the ANZSOG Explainer ‘The National Agreement on Closing the Gap and what it means for public servants’ which outlines how public servants at all levels need to change how they work, to meet the goals of the Agreement.