Meet our Conference Co-Convenors
Fiona Goodbody
April 2024
What is your day job?
I work in the WA Department of Transport’s Urban Mobility Team and lead development of active transport planning and design guidance.
How did you get started in the transport industry?
I was working the publishing industry after university and met a transport professional through volunteer work. He worked in the WA Department of Transport’s Travel Behaviour Change Team and told me about how they designed and delivered programs to enable more people to walk, cycle and catch public transport. As a person who has always relied on cycling and transit, and with a background in social science (including a sociology degree), I was really interested and applied for a role. From that beginning in the travel behaviour change I grew more interested in transport planning and project delivery and moved into bicycle network grants before taking my current role developing planning and design guidance.
Why did you join AITPM?
I have been attending AITPM events since my early career but really got involved as a volunteer on the 2018 National conference in Perth where I helped organise active transport events, including a bike tour and street design workshop that brought multidisciplinary professionals together to reimagine town centre streets across Perth.
I joined AITPM because active transport work connects with pretty much every other transport mode (from transit to motor vehicles to planes, ferries and more!) and discipline (planning, engineering, modelling, behavioural science, public policy, and more) and AITPM provides invaluable opportunities to meet practitioners from across industry who can add insight and inspiration to my work. Crucially, AITPM has helped me avoid a siloed approach to transport and has put me in touch with mentors, diverse thinkers, and resources I wouldn’t otherwise have access to.
Why did you volunteer to be co-convenor for AITPM National Transport Conference Perth?
My main reason was that I have experienced the amazing impacts these conferences can have. The 2018 conference broadened my network and knowledge across the industry in a positive way, and I was excited by the prospect of helping shape such an event. I was also really excited to work with Manoj, Richard and the rest of the committee – many of whom I know through the industry but don’t have the opportunity to work closely with in my day-to-day job.
What skills do you need to be a co-convenor and what are you enjoying about it?
I view the role as one of a facilitator so would say the most important skills are active listening, project management, ability to bring people together, and of course a bit of flexibility. So far I am really enjoying working with Manoj and the rest of the committee and AITPM staff and seeing the way they think and approach things. There is a real diversity, so I am constantly learning and adapting and I’m confident we are going to put on a really engaging, informative and inclusive conference.
Tell us a couple of your favourite places in Perth.
I promise I don’t have to say this, but one of my favourite places in Perth is the loop around the Swan River starting and finishing around Crown and Optus Stadium - our two main venues.
I’ve been riding my bike around that loop since I was a kid and it offers some of the most unique, serene views of our city and its natural and cultural places.
Another favourite place is Fremantle, especially when you catch the train down and get the coastal views that culminate in Fremantle Port. You can’t beat Freo for sights, food, beaches, and as a launching off point to Rottnest Island.