 | |
Keynote Speakers at the Conference
 |
Professor Ed Blakely
Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Sydney.
Chair of the Premiers Panel advising on the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy
Professor Blakely is the Chair of Urban and Regional Planning and Director of the Planning Research Centre at the University of Sydney. In 2004, he was also directly involved in the planning process to re-shape the metropolitan region as Chair of the Reference Panel for the Metropolitan Strategic Plan, appointed by the Premier of NSW, The Hon. Bob Carr, MP.
Professor Blakely came to the University of Sydney from the New School University in New York where he was Dean of the School of Management and Urban Policy. While in New York Professor Blakely led the New School University efforts to re-plan Ground Zero. His previous experiences at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Southern California were as a senior administrator/faculty leader with the responsibilities of interfacing with the local city and state governments in urban policy matters. Recently, the University of California recognised Professor Blakely's contribution in creating the Edward J. Blakely Centre for Sustainable Suburban Development at the Riverside campus.
Professor Blakely is very familiar with Australia and Sydney in particular. He has been involved in major urban planning efforts in all of the state capital cities and with the federal government over the last 30 years.
Professor Blakely has positions in national, state and local government as well as the private sector. He was an appointee of President Clinton as the Vice Chair of the Presidio Trust from 1999-2001. He held post as Dean at the University of Southern California and the New School and Chair of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of California at Berkeley. He is a member of the National Academy of Public Administration, a Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellow, the author of 8 books (3 academic best sellers) and served on the Board of the American Planning Association as well as several private sector corporate boards of directors. He was senior policy advisor to two Mayors in Oakland, California and was asked to run for Mayor of Oakland, California in 1998 and came in second to former Governor Jerry Brown.
|
 |
Professor Peter Newman
NSW Commissioner for Sustainability
Professor Newman is the Professor of City Policy and Director of the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy, at Murdoch University. He is Chair of the Western Australian Sustainability Roundtable advising the Premier on how to implement their Sustainability Strategy.
Peter has been involved in city planning, particularly urban transport, at all scales from being an elected member of local government to working with the World Bank. He is a Visiting Professor in City Planning at the University of Pennsylvania.
Peter's book with Jeff Kenworthy 'Sustainability and Cities: Overcoming Automobile Dependence' was launched in the White House in 1999 and his 2001 co-authored book is called 'Back on Track: Rethinking Australian and New Zealand Transport.' In 2004 he was appointed as the first Sustainability Commissioner in NSW with the task of addressing population pressures in urban Sydney.
|
 |
Professor Garry Smith
President ‚ The Baton Forum
Director and Professor of Environmental Management at the Institute
of Environmental Studies, University of NSW.
Professor Smith completed a BSc in Science at the University of Sydney a PhD in Biochemistry at University of Western Australia, and a Master of Planning at UTS. He was a Research Fellow of the Royal Society of London, a Queen Elizabeth Fellow and Director of the Carcinogenesis Research Unit University of NSW. In 1990 and in 1995 he was a Fulbright Fellow working in the United States with the US Environment Protection Agency.
Formerly the Principal Environmental Scientist at Sutherland Shire Council NSW, he specialised in sustainability policy development, environmental risk assessment and communication methods and developed programmes for training government staff in application of sustainability principles to core business. His educational experience includes extensive undergraduate and postgraduate teaching experience at several universities and developing education forums for the public about local sustainability risks.
Professor Smith was a member of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives international team which developed the "Lisbon Protocol" in 1999 as a basis for the current global water management campaign, worked on decontamination of the Olympics 2000 site undertaking human and ecosystem risk assessments, and managed a Local Action 21 programme awarded the inaugural NSW Local Government Excellence in the Environment Sustainability Award.
He is a Commonwealth Minister of Health Appointee to the ARPANSA Nuclear Safety Committee, and was an Expert Panelist on the NSW Ministerial Inquiries into Alternative Waste Technologies in 2000 and HCB Destruction in 2004.
His current work includes development of methods to achieve government and community risk-based action on sustainability and consulting to industry and government.
|
 |
Dr Judy Henderson AO
Chair, Global Reporting Initiative
Dr Henderson has an extensive record of involvement in global and local sustainability issues. She is the Chair of the Amsterdam-based Global Reporting Initiative, which is setting global standards for corporate sustainability reporting.
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a multi-stakeholder process and independent institution whose mission is to develop and disseminate globally applicable Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The GRI incorporates the active participation of representatives from business, accountancy, investment, environmental, human rights, research and labour organisations from around the world. The GRI is an official collaborating centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and works in cooperation with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Global Compact.
Dr Henderson is also the Chair of the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority. She is a former Chair of Oxfam International and was a Commissioner on the World Commission on Dams. She is the Chair of the Centre for Australian Ethical Research and is also a board member of the NSW Environment Protection Authority.
|
 |
Councillor Mike Berwick
Mayor, Douglas Shire Council
Clr Mike Berwick was born in Dublin, spent his early childhood in East Africa, finished school in Australia and graduated with a science degree from the University of Qld in 1973. In the early 80s he became an activist in the conservation movement and battled to save Daintree from subdivision, to stop logging the rainforest and achieve World Heritage listing of the Wet Tropics. In 1985 Mike and his partner Jane purchased and ran the Port Douglas and Mossman Gazette ‚ Mike retired as editor in 1991 to stand for Mayor and is now in his fifth term.
Clr Berwick is the current Chair of Australian Tropical Forest Institute, a new research institute at James Cook University and the North Queensland Natural Resource Management Board who plan and fund the management of the region's environment and natural resources.
Clr Berwick is a member of the Sugar Industry Guidance Group, an Australian Government initiative to develop a reform plan for the Australian Sugar Industry. He is also a member of the Queensland Government's Vegetation Management Advisory Committee and is the author of the National Local Government Biodiversity Strategy.
Douglas Shire Council is recognised for its achievements in environmental management and biodiversity conservation, winning a Banksia Award in 2003 for "Environmental Leadership in Infrastructure and Services". It's work in developing ecologically sustainable agricultural systems and its partnerships with scientific organisations such as the CSIRO are well known. The Shire's planning scheme was the first in Australia to set development limits, a concept initially greeted with shock and now popular with the Shire's residents.
|
 |
Sam Robinson
National Partnerships Manager
Conservation Volunteers Australia
Sam Robinson is a National Partnerships Manager for Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA), a national not for profit apolitical organisation which attracts and manages volunteers to undertake practical conservation projects for the betterment of the Australian environment.
Sam's role as National Partnerships manager is to facilitate and manage cross sector collaborations between corporate, government and community, which help CVA to involve more volunteers in protecting and conserving our environment. Sam's background in partnering is quite eclectic ranging from the NSW Police, to experiential education with Outward Bound both in Australia and post apartheid South Africa. There she designed and delivered a tripartite experiential life skills program for marginalised Zulu youth linking primary health care, environment, vocational education and training with personal development. As School Director for Outward Bound Australia, she led the organisation through an intensive review process resulting in a major organisational restructure and culture change.
Sam has a strong belief in the power of the 'we' and in what individuals and groups can achieve given the belief in their power to positively impact their varied environments. Sam is a graduate of the 2004 Sydney Leadership Program (run by the Centre for Social Leadership) which allowed her to work with others across all sectors exploring how our community can build a shared and sustainable future.
|
For further information please contact the Conference organiser:
Julie McGraw
GEMS Pty Limited
PO BOX 1221
BURWOOD NSW 1805
Ph: 02 9744 5252
Fax: 02 9747 8366
Email: jmcgraw@gemspl.com.au
| | |
