UNSW-Sydney 2025 ALPS ANNUAL MEETING

The ALPS Annual Meeting will take place in Sydney, Australia on May 29-June 1, 2025.  The conference will be held at UNSW Law & Justice. 

Jess Scully is an author, city-maker, and advocate for an expanded civic imagination to empower us to create a fair and sustainable future. As Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney from 2019 to 2022 and as a Councilor at the City of Sydney from 2016 to 2023, Jess introduced new models to address the housing crisis and support a more inclusive economy, worked to embed culture in the life of the city and revive Sydney's nightlife, and advocated to expand who plays a role in shaping the life of the city.

She is currently a World Bank consultant contributing to sustainable urban development in Indonesia and a Senior Associate at the Sydney Policy Lab. Her first book, Glimpses of Utopia: Real Ideas for a Fairer World, was published by Pantera Press and shortlisted in the Australian Book Industry Awards in 2021.

Blake Alan Cansdale is a proud Anaiwan man and the National Director/CEO of ANTAR. Dedicated to empowering First Nations Communities, Blake has a background in legal practice with experience in public policy, lecturing, Aboriginal affairs, business management, Aboriginal land planning and development, land acquisition and land management.

Blake holds a Master of Public Policy and Management from Monash University and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) / Bachelor Science (major psychology) from UNSW. Prior to joining the team at ANTAR, Blake held Senior Executive roles within the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector, namely as Chief Operating Officer at Tranby National Indigenous Adult Education & Training, and as Chief Operating Officer at Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council. Blake is also currently a non-Executive Director of Change the Record, a Director Observer with the Justice and Equity Centre and an Alternate Panel Member of the NSW Sydney District and Regional Planning Panels.