Infrastructure Australia is the Government’s independent advisory body, charged with national coordination of infrastructure. Under the chairmanship of Sir Rod Eddington, it will audit nationally significant infrastructure this year and develop a priority list by March 2009 to help guide billions of dollars in public and private investment in infrastructure around the nation.
On 19 May the Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced the full membership of the Board of Infrastructure Australia, including the appointment of Professor Peter Newman of Western Australia.
Professor Newman has a wealth of experience in Local Government, including as a Councillor of Fremantle City Council. He is currently the Professor of City Policy and Director of the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy, at Murdoch University.
He is well known in Perth for his work in rebuilding Perth’s rail system which is now seen as a model for modern cities.
Peter’s academic work includes his book with Jeff Kenworthy ‘Sustainability and Cities: Overcoming Automobile Dependence’ which was launched in 1999 and his 2001 co-authored book is called ‘Back on Track: Rethinking Australian and New Zealand Transport.’
He is also the author of the chapter on Greening Urban Transportation in Worldwatch Institute’s ‘State of the World, 2007’.
Rod Eddington
Non-executive Chairman (Australia& New Zealand) of JPMorgan
Rod Eddington has non-executive roles with News Corporation, Rio Tinto plc, Allco Finance Group Limited, CLP (China Light & Power) Holdings, and John Swire & Sons Pty Ltd. He is also Chairman of Victorian Major Events Company.
Terry Moran
Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
Terry Moran was previously head of Victoria’s Department of Premier and Cabinet, Chief Executive of the Victorian State Training Board and the Australian National Training Authority, and Director-General of education in Queensland.
Ken Henry
Secretary to the Treasury
Ken Henry is an ex-officio member of the Board of Taxation, member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Alternate Governor (for Australia) of the International Monetary Fund and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Australian Office of Financial Management.
Dr Kerry Schott
Managing Director and CEO of Sydney Water
Kerry was previously Deputy Secretary of New South Wales Treasury, and an investment banker working in the infrastructure area. She has also worked as an economic policy adviser at the Reserve Bank of Australia and for the Commonwealth Government.
Jim Hallion
Chief Executive of the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure
Jim has facilitated the Adelaide-Darwin Railway and SeaGas pipeline and leads the design, approval and construction of major infrastructure projects for South Australia.
Anthony Kannis
Executive Director of Western Australian Treasury
Anthony has held a number of senior positions across the Department, providing advice on financial strategy, budgeting and infrastructure planning. He is now the senior officer responsible for the preparation of the Government’s first State Infrastructure Strategy.
Professor Peter Newman
Professor of Sustainability at Sustainability Policy Institute of Curtin University
Directed the production of WA’s Sustainability Strategy in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet – the first state sustainability strategy in the world.
Phil Hennessy
Queensland Chairman of KPMG
Phil Hennessy also practices in the area of corporate reconstruction. He has experience across a wide range of market sectors and has undertaken numerous insolvency related assignments and viability reviews for lenders, creditors and other stakeholders. He is Chair of the Government Owned Corporation, SunWater, Queensland President of the Starlight Children’s Foundation, Chair of the Mater Hospital Foundation, Director of Western Corridor Recycled Water Pty Ltd and Chair of the Premier of Queensland Export Awards Committee.
Heather Ridout
Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group
Active in developing Ai Group’s public policy in relation to economic, industry, innovation, education and training.
Ross Rolfe
Senior Executive, Infrastructure, Babcock & Brown
Formally Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet since 2005, oversaw the south-east Queensland water grid, Queensland Government’s health action plan, Cyclone Larry response, and forming future policy.
Garry Weaven
Chair of Industry Funds Management
Garry Weaven is the Director of Members Equity Bank (owned by 40 superannuation funds) and of Pacific Hydro (world leader in renewable energy). He is also a Board Member of VicUrban, the Victorian Government’s residential and urban renewal development agency, and was a foundation board member of Melbourne’s Docklands Authority. He was recently appointed to the Federal Government’s Superannuation Advisory Committee.
Mark Birrell
Chairman of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia
Mark is also Deputy Chairman of the Board of Australia Post, Chairman of Evans & Peck Pty Ltd, and Special Counsel at Minter Ellison Lawyers and national leader of its infrastructure industry team. He was previously a Cabinet Minister and Government Upper House Leader in Victoria.