The New Zealand Trade & Industrial Waters Forum holds its 2026 conference at the Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre from 19-21 August, drawing trade-waste and industrial-wastewater professionals from across councils, industry and regulators to work through the impacts of the Water Services legislation.
The New Zealand Trade & Industrial Waters Forum returns for its 2026 conference in Palmerston North from 19 to 21 August, gathering the people who keep trade waste and industrial wastewater moving across Aotearoa. Held at the Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre, the programme leans on the city's standing as a centre for research, education, agritech and innovation, and pairs technical presentations and keynote speakers with the informal networking that defines the Forum's events.
The conference is hosted by the NZTIWF Board, with the official invitation signed by Executive Officer Jennifer Leadley on behalf of the Forum. According to the event site, the NZTIWF describes itself as a group of like-minded individuals focused on industrial waters, drawn from every corner of the sector. The Forum's own record shows a decade-plus history, from its inaugural 2011 conference in Napier through host cities including Wellington, Dunedin, Auckland, Christchurch and Rotorua, and a previous Palmerston North edition in 2017 (nztiwf.org.nz). Logistics are run by New Zealand professional conference organiser Conferences & Events Ltd, with Beatrice Giorgi as Conference Manager.
The Forum lists a broad membership: industrial, agricultural and food manufacturers of trade waste, regional and local councils (including trade waste and compliance officers), regulators, liquid waste operators, consenting authorities, process engineers, suppliers, environmental scientists and students. The organisers frame 2026 as a moment to work through the Water Services legislation changes, inviting anyone in local government, businesses discharging trade waste, or tankered-waste services to "come and have your say" as new organisational structures take shape.
The Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre, branded the Palmy Conference & Function Centre, is described on the event site as New Zealand's first purpose-built conference facility, able to host up to 600 people across a plenary room, trade exhibition space and up to five breakout spaces. It sits centrally at 354 Main Street, Palmerston North Central, with limited free on-site parking, plentiful surrounding street parking, and a city parking coupon issued to delegates at registration. Palmerston North is served by its own domestic airport, keeping the central-North-Island location accessible for delegates travelling from across the country.
The conference is a compact but recurring association event that rotates around New Zealand cities, and its 2026 return to Palmerston North underscores the role of regional centres in hosting national sector gatherings. With a full sponsor and exhibitor roster and a purpose-built central venue, it is a clear example of an industry association anchoring a multi-day conference, expo and social programme outside the main metros.
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The free CONZTRUCT trade expo stops at Central Energy Trust Arena on 5 August 2026, giving Manawatu builders, electricians and other trades a half-day of exhibitor stands, product updates and CPD/LBP-point workshops.
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