2025 Rural SIG meeting in association with the Mackay Anaesthetic Community (MAC)
Registrations are now open!
Welcome
Registrations are now open for the the 2025 Rural SIG meeting, held in association with the Mackay Anaesthetic Community (MAC). The theme of the meeting is "Riding the tides" and will take place at the Coral Sea Marina Resort in Airlie Beach, Queensland, from 11-13 July 2025. Please click here to register.
We look forward to gathering with professionals in the field to share knowledge and advance discussions in the rural anaesthesia space. It promises to be an engaging and productive time in a beautiful location.
The program features exciting plenary sessions from our distinguished invited speakers, Professor Laurence Weinberg, Director of Anaesthesia at Austin Health, and Professor Philip Peyton, Head of Anaesthesia Research at Austin Health and former Chair of the ANZCA Clinical Trials Network. Additionally, hands-on CICO (Can’t Intubate, Can’t Oxygenate), ultrasound for regional nerve blocks and a haemodynamic monitoring workshop are available for participants.
For the social program, you have the opportunity to book a ticket for the sunset cruise on Saturday afternoon and/or the meeting dinner under the stars at the Coral Sea Marina Resort.
We look forward to seeing you in Airlie Beach.
Co-convenors
Dr Justine O’Shea and Dr Suresh Singaravelu
Accommodation
Accommodation at the Coral Sea Marina Resort is booked out. Please see below suggested accommodation options:
Sunlit Waters Studio Apartments
Heart Hotel and Gallery Whitsundays
at Waterfront Whitsundays Retreat
Other websites:
Cost and registration
Registrations are now open. Click here to register.
Non-members of ANZCA can register online too. Once you have completed your registration you will be provided with a college ID number and prompted for a password. This will allow you to register online for future meetings as well so please keep your college ID number.
Your registration will include all refreshment breaks, the welcome reception and plenary sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
All registration fees are quoted in Australian dollars and are inclusive of GST.
| Registration type | Fee (includes GST) |
|---|---|
| Full registration | $A990 |
| Trainee registration | $A814 |
| Nurses/Allied Health registration Limited places available. Please contact ANZCA events to register | $A550 |
| Ultrasound and CICO workshops | $A150 |
| Dinner at the Coral Sea Beach resort (Saturday 12 July) | $A165 |
| Sunset Private Charter (Saturday 12 July, 4-6pm) | $A66 |
Co-convenors and speakers
| Convenors and speakers | Title |
|---|---|
| Dr Suresh Singaravelu | Meeting co-convenor |
| Dr Justine O'Shea | Meeting co-convenor |
| Professor Laurence Weinberg | Director of Anaesthesia at Austin Health |
| Professor Philip Peyton | Head of Anaesthesia Research at Austin Health and former Chair of the ANZCA Clinical Trials Network |
| Dr Deborah Simmons | Senior consultant anaesthetist and rural generalist |
| Dr Elayne Anderson | Staff specialist anaesthetist |
| Dr Sarah Bayman | Anaesthetist |
| Dr Hannah Bennet | General Practitioner, Pain medicine specialist |
| Dr Chris Buck | Rural generalism |
| Dr Richard Cooper | Specialist anaesthetist |
| Dr Malcolm Dias | |
| Dr Joe Follows | Staff specialist anaesthetist |
| Dr Shane Gardiner | Anaesthetist |
| Nicole Galletly | |
| Dr Pete Gilchrist | |
| Matthew Hiskens | Research Fellow at Mackay Institute of Research and Innovation |
| Associate Professor James Hooper | Medical Director, CareFlight NT |
| Dr Anand Jayaraman | Anaesthetist |
| Dr Bipphy Kath (online) | Anaesthetist |
| Dr Anand Natarajan | Anaesthetist |
| Dr Shelly Lee | |
| Dr Melvin Lee | |
| Dr Sean Morrow | Anaesthetist |
| Dr Rod Martin | Rural Generalist, ACRRM President |
| Dr Kate Ralfe | Anaesthetics Registrar |
| Dr Jonathan Stacey | Anaesthetist |
| Dr Keith Walsh | Trainee |
Social activities
Welcome reception
When: Friday 11 July, 5-6.30pm
Cost: Included in delegate registration
Join us on a jetty at the Coral Sea Resort for canapes and drinks.
Conference dinner
When: Saturday 12 July, 7-10pm
Location: Coral Sea Resort - lawn
Cost: $A165
Dress code: Smart casual
The perfect outdoor setting for the conference dinner that boasts absolute uninterrupted views over the Coral Sea and Whitsunday coastline.
Social volleyball
When: Saturday 12 July, 2-4.30pm
Cost: FREE
Dress code: Smart casual
Come and enjoy the afternoon at Shingley Beach with your friends and colleagues.
Sunset cruise
When: Saturday 12 July, 4-6.30pm
Cost: $A66
Dress code: Smart casual
A coach will pick you up from Coral Sea Resort at 4pm and return at 6.30pm.
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Poster presentation
Submission guidelines
- Originality. The abstract submitted must be of an original scientific nature and must not have been published previously or accepted for publication in whole, or in part, by any medical journals before 1 July 2025.
- Number of submissions. Authors may submit more than one paper.
- Acknowledgement of receipt. Upon submission, authors will receive confirmation by email.
- Mode of presentation. Presentations will be displayed in electronic format. Further information will be available closer to the meeting.
- Registration. All presenters are required to register and pay for the registration fee. Failure to do so will result in exclusion from the final program.
- Publication. Abstracts may be published on the ANZCA website.
Abstract format
- Word limit. Abstracts must not exceed 400 words. A maximum of 3 tables or figures saved in JPEG/GIF/ TIF format with resolution of at least 300 dpi can be included in your abstract.
- Abstract title. The abstract title must be in Initial Capital / lower case format, e.g. The online abstract submission. The title should be brief and descriptive.
- Author information. Please include the first name in full and family name of the author(s) and do NOT include degrees or professional titles (Dr, PhD, Prof, MD, etc.).
- Content. Each abstract must contain sufficient details for evaluation. Make the abstract as informative as possible. Clearly indicate the aims and conclusions supported by data. Results stated in the abstracts must be complete (though concise) and final. It is unsatisfactory to use statements such as 'data will be presented' or 'results will be discussed'.
Organise the body of the abstract as follows:
(a) Introduction
(b) Methods
(c) Results
(d) Conclusions, and
(e) A limited number of references.
Use standard abbreviations and generic drug names. Place unusual abbreviations or acronyms in parentheses after first use. Do not identify author(s) or institution(s) in text.
The cut-off date for abstract submission is 13 June and notifications will be emailed week commencing 23 June.
The top 5 posters will be selected for a plenary session, with 5 minutes allowed for presentation with slides and 2 minutes for Q&A by a panel of judges. This will be held on Sunday 13 July. The finalists will compete for an award.
For further information and/or to submit your poster, please contact events.
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Sponsorship opportunities
If you wish to be an exhibitor at the 2025 Rural SIG meeting in association with the Mackay Anaesthetic Community (MAC), please view the HCI prospectus.
To see the sponsorship opportunities for all our events, please click here.
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Continuing professional development (CPD)
Participants in the ANZCA and FPM CPD Program will automatically have their attendance auto-populated to their CPD portfolio within 14 days of the conclusion of the meeting.
ANZCA and FPM CPD Program
This event is claimable by ANZCA and FPM CPD participants within the practice evaluation, knowledge and skills, or emergency responses categories.
Category 2: Knowledge and skills
Lectures/plenary sessions under ‘Learning sessions’
Workshops and small group discussions under ‘Short format learning’ activity
Category 3: Emergency responses
Where the workshop states that its satisfies an Emergency response CPD requirement, it has been recognised as suitable to be claimed as an emergency response activity, such as the CICO workshop.
If you're not a member of our CPD program
If you’re not participating in the ANZCA and FPM CPD program, please check with your respective college/provider regarding your CPD classifications. Post-event, you may request an electronic certificate of attendance for CPD evidence from the event organiser.
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