CommsCon delegates to learn about navigating ICAC, managing health testing and TV switchover communications

Tim Burrowes

March 9, 2014 8:22

Three case studies of complex communications issues involving multiple stakeholders will be shared at this month’s CommsCon conference.

Patrick Southam, principal and co-founder of GSG Counsel will discuss how he worked on behalf of listed company NuCoal Resources, which found itself caught up in the middle of the ICAC corruption activity into the activities the Obeid family and former visitor Ian Macdonald. The complex situation involved government relations, working with the media, communicating with investors, lawyers and activists.

And Callum Bruford, from n2n communications, will share the case study of the complex communications around keeping the public informed of the switchover from analogue television to digital. Unlike virtually every other developed country which has made the switch, the move has been made in Australia with minimal public backlash.

A third case study will be presented by Samara Kitchener, strategic adviser for communications and engagement at the Centre for Population Health, who will share details of Australia’s first pop up HIV rapid testing site. The project involved managing multiple stakeholders including statutory health, charitable and medical bodies.

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Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.