23RD BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF THE AUSTRALIAN RANGELAND SOCIETY

April 8, 2026

Are you excited about the upcoming ARS Conference in Darwin 7 to 11 September – well we are!!  Preparations are well underway, with an active Organising Committee being led by Jaidyn Eastaughffe.  Planning for the conference is being supported by Jackie Habis and her team at All Occasions Group, being the organisation that helped deliver the XIIth IRC last year in Adelaide.

ARS Conferences are always stimulating and enjoyable with a wide cross-section of presentations and posters covering all aspects of rangeland uses and management.  If you are active in rangeland affairs, or keen to promote your work and views, you need to be in Darwin in September!   

Critical Dates

Before getting into some detail about the program and activities, some key dates:

Full papers are due by 30 June 2026.  Call for Abstracts – closing soon!

The ARS Conference 2026 is now ready to accept your abstract submissions for oral, lightning oral and poster presentations.  We invite you to share your insights and innovations across a wide range of topics including, but not limited to: Cattle (and domestic livestock), Culture, Conservation, Cyber, Carbon and Environmental Services, Climate Variability and Change, Conflicts, Clashes, Co-design and Collaboration. See https://Abstract Submission page for a full list of topics.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of the 2026 Conference program – abstract submissions close on 16 April 2026, 11:59pm ACST.

The Conference Program 

The format of the conference will be similar to previous ARS conferences.  It will run over five days from 7 to 11 September, including 3 days of conference and a full day visiting sites in the Darwin region.  The Conference venue is the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel on the Esplanade in Darwin.

The Conference will commence with Welcome Drinks and Nibbles on Monday evening 7 September, 

  • 3 days conference and one field day with optional workshops 
  • Welcome drinks and nibbles on Monday night
  • Tuesday Conference with a formal opening ceremony, and an evening event celebrating the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists  (IYRP).
  • Wednesday Field Tours – Four tours available (see details below)
  • Thursday Conference and Conference dinner
  • Friday half day conference and closing ceremony

Conference topics

The program for the conference will reflect the theme for the conference with sessions to cover the four headlines of the conference title – being Cattle, Culture and Conservation and Carbon. Importantly, these topics do not stand alone and we are keen to encourage presentations that explore each in depth and look at the interactions between them, via a series of selected keynote invited presentations.  We are also planning several panel discussions.  Those already been decided are:

The carbon and nature repair story – a panel discussion

We are hoping to attract a panel of noted authorities on the current and developing carbon and nature repair markets, how they are affecting the management and health of our rangelands, and implications of the new protocols being developed by the Australian Government.

Fire management in Northern Australia

This is where it all started – the Savanna Burning Methodology was conceived, created, designed, and first applied in the Top End of the NT. Hear from those involved in its inception, and those managing fire across our vast tropical rangelands for better outcomes for people, culture and country.

Celebrating the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists

A dedicated session with land managers about how they’re managing the rangelands – stories of success and resilience. 

Writing a paper for publication

Dr Paul Novelly (Editor in Chief, The Rangeland Journal) and Dr Pat Hannah (Journal Manager, CSIRO Publishing) have offered to host a session on ‘Writing and publishing a scientific paper’.  This will be of value to those conference delegates who have interesting information to publish but who are not sure how to go about it.  

Tours

The Darwin region is a rich environment for people to explore.  Delegates attending the Conference will have the choice of four full day tours, with local experts to provide commentary and address queries and questions.

  • Gamba Grass Extravaganza – managing Gamba grass for production and conservation outcomes, and looking at fire impacts on eucalypt woodland at the Territory Wildlife Park Fire Experiment Site.
  • Eva Valley landscape rehydration – including a visit to the world-famous Litchfield National Park to view the research and management activities underway.
  • Arnhem Highway Adventure – floodplain management for conservation and cattle.

Do you need to know more?

If you have any questions regarding the Darwin conference, please get in contact with us:

  • Conference Chair – Jaidyn Eastaughffe – 0459 414 000
  • Conference Program – Robyn Cowley – 0419 829 493
  • Conference Logistics – Don Burnside – 0427 357 982
  • Ticketing, registration and abstracts- Jackie Habis (AOG) – 08 8125 2200
  • Sponsorship and Exhibition – Chelsea O’Brien (AOG) – 08 8125 2200

Thanks and not long now until the Darwin Rangelands Conference!  We look forward to seeing you there.  

From the Darwin 2026 Conference Organising Committee

More Posts in

Range Management Newsletter 26/1

Back to News