Despite narrowly missing out on hosting the World Tunnel Congress 2028, the Australian Tunnelling Society is proud of the strong and enthusiastic bid we presented for Brisbane. At WTC2025 in Stockholm, our team made a compelling case to the International Tunnelling Association and Member Nations, backed by a dedicated bid committee and a passionate Australian contingent. In the final vote, Brisbane received 24 of the 50 votes, just two short of Singapore’s winning 26.
Our thanks go to bid lead Jurij Karlovsek, and committee members Annalena Chapman, Brendan Henry and Senthilnath GT, in addition we had the support of Engineers Australia through Marne Scholtz and Amanda Miller of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, and the many ATS members who supported the campaign on the ground in Stockholm. Your efforts demonstrated Australia’s readiness, capability and heart.
While disappointed, we’re undeterred. We remain committed to advancing tunnelling excellence and global engagement. Looking ahead, we turn our focus to the Australasian Tunnelling Conference in Perth, 10–14 November 2025, co-hosted with the New Zealand Tunnelling Society. We hope to see you there.
