Sustainability Education

National Environmental Education Council members

Council member profiles

Paul J Perkins AO - Chair
Adjunct Professor in Sustainability, Australian National University
Chair, the Barton Group, Chair CRC CARE Ltd

Paul Perkins, adjunct professor at the Australian National University, is a national leader in public sector utility reform (water, wastewater, energy & health services) and the emerging sustainable development movement.

He is presently chairman of the new Adelaide based Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Environmental Remediation (CRC CARE).  Professor Perkins is a member of the Australian Government’s Business Roundtable on Sustainable Development and Chairman of the Barton Group, a national CEO alliance responsible for leading implementation of the Environment Industry Development Action Agenda & project director of their national Water industry Development Roadmap study.

He was CEO of ACTEW, a unique government-owned holding company which operates electricity, gas, water, sewerage and broadband telecommunications operations through ActewAGL, the first equity-based public-private partnership in multi-utility operations in Australia.

He has held board positions in more than a dozen companies and numerous government and industry committees and taskforces. He served on National Task Forces on Environmental Competitiveness, Export, and Critical Infrastructure, was the long time chairman of the Australian Science Festival and is presently adviser to governments on water, sustainability strategies and resource policy related matters. He is a past chairman of both Environment Business Australia and the Australian Environmental Export Corporation Ltd.

He studied at Charles Sturt University, UNSW, and Harvard Business School.  He is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants (FCPA), the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD), Companion of the Australian Institution of Engineers, and a Life Member of Environment Business Australia. He was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2005.

Councillor Robert (Bob) Abbot
Mayor of Noosa Shire

In 1982, Cr Abbot was first elected as a Councillor of Noosa Shire in the rural Division 1. He spent six of those fifteen years as Deputy Mayor before being elected Mayor in 1997. Cr Abbot is the first Mayor elected in Noosa from a true community development platform.

Cr Abbot has combined his extensive knowledge and experience in local government and its own particular environment with a burning desire to help those in need and to develop the social infrastructure essential to the Noosa community. Cr Abbot is committed to providing all Noosa residents with opportunity – regardless of age, race or disability – and to providing support to those who are less fortunate than others.

Cr Abbot is Chairman of the Northern Regional Organisation of Councils, Junior Vice President of Local Government Association of Queensland, Director of the Australian Local Government Association, Executive Member of Urban Local Government Association, Council representative on South East Qld Regional Organisation of Councils, Chairman of the Northern Implementation Group of the Moreton Bay Healthy Waterways Partnership and has been a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors since 2003.

Mr Greg Bourne
Chief Executive Officer of WWF – Australia

Greg Bourne studied chemistry at the University of Western Australia under a scholarship from BP Refinery, Kwinana. After graduating with honours in 1971, he carried out research into refinery processes for two years at BP's Research Centre in Sunbury in England before joining BP Exploration as a Drilling Engineer in Abu Dhabi. His Exploration activities saw him living and working in the United Kingdom, America, Canada, Ireland, Brazil, China, Venezuela and Australia.

Seconded to the Prime Minister's Policy Unit at 10 Downing Street in 1988, he was the Special Adviser on Energy and Transport, and returned to BP in January 1990 to take up the position of Chief Executive, BP Marine, London.

He returned to Australia in October 1992 as President and General Manager - Exploration and Gas, BP Developments Australia Ltd, with responsibility for BP Exploration's activities in Australia and Papua New Guinea. After working overseas as Director BP Scotland and then Regional Director - Latin America, based in Caracas; he returned to Australia in January 1999 to become Regional President - BP Australasia the position from which he retired from BP in September 2003. Greg took up his current position as CEO WWF-Australia in October 2004.

Greg is also a Member of the CSIRO Sector Advisory Council to the Natural Resource Management and Environment Sector, Chair of the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities Reference Group and a member of the Victorian Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability’s Reference Group. He was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to the environment.

Mr Grahame Collier
President of the Australian Association of Environmental Education

Mr Collier is an experienced educator who has worked in education for social change for many years. He has worked at a senior level in the public health and environment sectors. He has been responsible for the management of environmental education and HIV/AIDS and sexual health in two NSW Government agencies.

At the NSW Environment Protection Authority he was Director of Industry and Community Education for a number of years. Prior to that time he was Manager of Education and Prevention in the AIDS Bureau, NSW Health. Mr Collier has also been the Education Manager for the NSW Family Planning Association and worked for the World Health Organisation in the AIDS Prevention Program. More recently Mr Collier has contributed to education for social change through working extensively as a private consultant as the Director of T Issues Consultancy.

Mr Tony Cook
General Manager, Student Learning Division, Department of Education and Training, VIC

Tony Cook participates on the Council as a representative of the Australian Education Systems Officials Committee (AESOC). As the General Manager of the Student Learning Division within the Victorian Department of Education and Training, Tony manages a Division that is responsible for the development of learning and teaching policies, strategies and programs across a range of education sectors within Victoria. This includes initiatives that focus on the early, middle and later years of schooling as well as those that improve the participation of various groups of learners. The Student Learning Division is also responsible for policy and resource developments in the areas of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment and reporting.

Prior to moving to Victoria, Tony was Assistant Director of the Assessment and New Basics Branch within Education Queensland and assisted in the development of new models of curriculum, teaching and learning, assessment and reporting to meet the future needs of students. He is a registered primary school teacher and has also been a Deputy Principal and taught in schools within Queensland and the United Kingdom.

Ms Lizzie Corke
Co-founder of Cape Otway Centre for Conservation Ecology

Lizzie graduated from Melbourne University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Zoology. With interests in Australian wildlife biology, ecology and conservation Lizzie and her partner, Shayne Neal (BSc NRM), created The Cape Otway Centre for Conservation Ecology, an exciting new award winning Advanced Ecotourism initiative which offers guests from around the world the experience of a lifetime, sharing spectacular scenery and intriguing wildlife, while treading almost imperceptibly on Australia’s pristine and beautiful land.

On World Environment Day, 2005, Lizzie became the first female and youngest ever recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Environmentalist of the Year.

Professor Kerry Cox
Vice Chancellor, Edith Cowan University

Professor Cox has extensive experience in both Australia and overseas as a scientist, an academic and a senior university administrator. Previously Vice Chancellor of Ballarat University, he was also a former Dean of Biological Sciences; Head of Faculty of Science and Engineering, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Cox's academic discipline is microbiology/immunology. Professor Cox has been a research scientist at leading research institutions in Stockholm (The Karolinska Institute), in London (The Clinical Research Centre at Northwick Park), and in Melbourne (The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research). His research work, published in the international literature, focussed on the mechanisms of autoimmune disease and the mechanisms of immunological self-tolerance.

Professor Cox has always worked hard to connect fundamental academic work with the diverse groups in the community that support universities. He speaks frequently regionally, nationally and internationally on the role of universities, on societal and technological change, and, on the importance of learning for everyone throughout their lives during a period of immense change globally. His current areas of particular interest include: the need to nurture the economic, intellectual and social potential of individuals and communities that are disadvantaged in the knowledge economy; technological and sociological change; global change; organisational change; technology transfer and sustainability.

He serves as a Director on several Boards and as a member of many advisory committees concerned with the role and funding of universities. Professor Cox is a former President of the Australian Society for Microbiology. In 2002 he was a member of Dr Nelson's Higher Education Reference Group.

Mr John B Gough
AO OBE LLD Hon

John Gough is a former Chairman of the ANZ Banking Group, and a former Chief Executive and Chairman of Pacific Dunlop Limited and Chairman of the Melbourne Business School. He was a former Director of Amcor Ltd, BHP Ltd, CSR Ltd and ICI Ltd. He is former President of Trustees at the National Gallery of Victoria and Vice-President of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. He is a former Member of the General Motors Australian Advisory Council and a former Board Member of the Menzies Research Centre.

He is currently a Governor of the Ian Potter Foundation and of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and a Board member of the Australian Landscape Trust. He is also a Chairman of the Dookie College Farms Research and Development Fund.

Mr Gough was heavily involved in international trade and led three trade missions to each of India, Malaysia and Israel.

Dr James Bradfield Moody
PhD, BEng (Elec), B.Info.Tech.

James Bradfield Moody is currently the Director, Divisional Business Strategy at the CSIRO Division of Land and Water. James was formerly the Managing Director of Natural Resource Intelligence (NRI) an Environmental Spatial Information company member of the publicly listed Natural Intelligence group. James remains on a number of company and industry association boards, including the Australian Spatial Information Business Association and the Brisbane Institute, and is committed to the spatial information industry in Australia.  In addition, James is currently a visiting fellow for the Australian National University Department of economics, developing a research programme around the linkages between sustainability and innovation at the firm and national level.

In the last five years James Moody has been heavily involved with the United Nations, and from 2000 to 2002 was co-facilitator and Australian representative of the youth advisory council to the UN Environment Program (UNEP).

In 2000, James was named Young Professional Engineer of the Year and in 2005 was named one of the 100 most influential engineers in Australia.  While holding this title he promoted the engineering profession and his particular brand of ‘socially conscious engineering’.  In 2000 James was also awarded Young Queenslander of the Year and in 2001 was awarded Young Australian of the Year in Science and Technology.

James is passionate about the supporting role that young socially conscious business people can play in society and has been active in roles such as the Founding President of the International Young Professionals Foundation and Young Engineers Australia. He actively works towards communicating these views to the general community and makes regular appearances at industry conferences, schools and other events. James is currently a panel member of the ABC Television show “The New Inventors”. He believes that issues such as sustainability and environmental management are only going to become more important in society.

Ms Robyn Priddle
Acting Branch Manager Client Engagement Branch – Industry Skills Development Group, Department of Education Science and Training

Robyn Priddle is Branch Manager, Client Engagement Branch in the Industry Skills Development Group of the Department of Education, Science and Training. The Branch has responsibility for policies, programmes and projects associated with all client groups in the national Vocational and Technical Education system particularly people with a disability and Indigenous Australians. The Branch also manages the Language, Literacy and Numeracy; Workplace English Language and Literacy; Disability Co-ordinator Officer and Basic IT Enabling Skills Programmes.

Ms Priddle has an extensive background in policy development in the resources and energy industries – both in government and the private sector. She has recently returned to the public sector after seven years working in industry associations where her most recent appointment was as the Executive Director of the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network. In addition Ms Priddle held senior executive positions at the Minerals Council of Australia and drove the Council’s progressive safety and health as well as environmental policies and programmes.

In government, Ms Priddle contributed to resource and energy policy including on such matters as environment, resource access, taxation and trade.  Ms Priddle was posted to the Australian High Commission in London from 1992-94 as the Australian Government’s Counsellor (Agriculture and Resources). She was elected as the Chair of the International Sugar Organisation for 1994 and was active in the successful negotiation of the International Grains Agreement and the Food Aid Convention – again in 1994.

Mr Rod Shogren

Mr Shogren is a consultant with Access Economics, providing advice to both private and public sector clients on aspects of public policy, especially in regulatory economics. He is a part-time member of the Australian Competition Tribunal and the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and has other roles in dispute resolution and adjudication of appeals from regulatory bodies.

In 2002 he completed a five-year term as a commissioner with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), where he had particular responsibility for telecommunications and energy matters. Mr Shogren was involved across the full range of the ACCC’s activities as the general competition regulator, including dealing with mergers and cartels, and consumer protection.

As head of Fiscal Policy Division in the Commonwealth Treasury from 1993 to 1997, Mr Shogren was responsible for the budget and inter-governmental fiscal relations. In the early 1990s he headed the Structural Policy Division at a time when Treasury greatly increased its activity in environmental issues.

He holds a Bachelor of Science with first class honours in mathematics from the University of Queensland and an MBA from Stanford University.

Professor Ken Wiltshire AO
JD Story Professor of Public Administration, University of Queensland Business School

Professor Kenneth Wiltshire AO is the J.D.Story Professor of Public Administration at the University of Queensland Business School. He has recently completed a six year term as Australia's Representative on the Executive Board of UNESCO and served five terms as the Chairman of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO. He was the inaugural Chair of the World Heritage Wet Tropics Management Authority and was also Chair of the Australian Heritage Commission.

Professor Wiltshire served for three years as Special Adviser to ANTA the Australian National Training Authority, Chaired the Review of the Queensland School Curriculum, and conducted the Review of NBEET the National Board of Employment Education and Training.

Professor Wiltshire has served as Consultant to Royal Commissions, Parliaments, Governments, Government Business Enterprises and private sector organisations. He is a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, and an Honorary Trustee of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia. In 1998 he was awarded the Order of Australia for services to policy making, public administration and UNESCO.

Mr Peter Woods
Chief Information Officer, Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

Appointed to the Council in an ex officio capacity Peter Woods has executive responsibility in the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts for developing and implementing national policy on education for sustainability. He chaired the National Reference Group established to oversee the development of the Australian Government's National Action Plan for Environmental Education. He currently chairs the National Environmental Education Network, comprising representatives from State and Territory education and environment agencies. Among the initiatives for which he has had executive responsibility are the Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability at Macquarie University, the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative and the National Environmental Education Statement for Australian Schools.

Peter also represents the Australian Government on the Board of Trustees of the Japanese Government's Institute for Global Environmental Strategies. He has also represented the Australian Government at international environmental forums including ECOAsia and UNESCO.

Peter has extensive experience in public policy and community consultation and has worked previously in a variety of areas in the Australian Government.

• Past National Environmental Education Council Member Profiles