Chairpersons

Lisa Andrews

Lisa has extensive experience dealing with both community and industry having held various positions within local government over a 30-year career. As a qualified town planner, with a strong background in customer service and executive administration roles, she has an excellent understanding of planning legislation, processes, compliance requirements and engagement. Lisa has been working successfully as an independent chairperson for 4 years in the resource and energy sectors including coal mining, wind farms, quarrying and metalliferous industries. Lisa's experience in managing complex relationships between all major stakeholders, combined with strong mediation and conflict resolutions skills provides the necessary balance for this role.

Brendan Blakeley

Brendan holds qualifications in dispute resolution, mediation, and negotiation. Brendan has over 20 years' experience in helping communities in metropolitan and regional areas provide input to the development of policy and land use plans and facilitating engagement processes for infrastructure and resource projects. He also chairs several Community Consultative Committees and advisory groups including the Tallawarra Power Station Community Liaison Group, Victoria–New South Wales Interconnector West Community Liaison Group, Energy Australia Lithgow Region Community Consultative Committee, Lynwood Quarry Community Liaison Group, Dubbo Quarry Community Consultative Committee, and Kariong Sand and Soil Supplies Community Consultative Committee. He is currently a director of Elumni Consulting.

Ian Colley

Ian is a professional facilitator, in full-time practice since 1996. He currently chairs the Orica Botany Liaison Committee, the Pottinger Energy Park Community Consultative Committee, the Port Enfield Community Liaison Committee, and the Shoalhaven Starches Community Consultative Committee (for Manildra). His chairing expertise grew from senior public policy roles, along with hands-on experience in ambitious practical reforms. He has facilitated contentious issues in community and stakeholder consultations such as council mergers in NSW, the Waterloo redevelopment, major Sydney Water projects, and various river remediation initiatives.

Ian taught leadership and management courses at the University of Technology from 2005 to 2024 and does so currently for NSW Health.

His main current interest is in teaching facilitation skills to other professionals and is on the convening Group for the Sydney Facilitators Network.

Kath Elliott

Kath is a senior community and stakeholder engagement specialist, principally in infrastructure planning and delivery. She has been responsible for developing and implementing community and stakeholder consultation and engagement programs, employee communication including change management, and national media and advertising strategies. Kath has worked in a wide range of industry sectors, including mining, water and wastewater, telecommunications, renewable energy, transport infrastructure and urban renewal. Kath is also a highly competent facilitator and independent chair of community consultative committees. She has led a number of multidisciplinary teams, exhibiting a strong but collegiate leadership style. Kath has been a Newcastle City Councillor and a board director for organisations in sport, education, and the arts. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Communication) from Charles Sturt University and an Advanced Diploma in Business Management from Federation University.

Brian Elton

Brian has served as independent chairperson on several Community Consultative Committees in both regional and urban areas. His project portfolio includes the Epping to Chatswood Rail Link, the Cross-City Tunnel Air Quality, Jupiter Windfarm and Dargues Goldmine Community Consultative Committees. He has a strong understanding of urban planning, infrastructure, community engagement and resources management. He has extensive dispute resolution skills and consensus building techniques to help groups develop workable solutions to emerging issues. Brian is a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Colin Gellatly (AO)

Dr Colin Gellatly is one of Australia’s most successful public servants having served as Director General in several Government Departments, including the Premier’s Department, the Industrial Relations, Employment, Training and Further Education Department and the Land and Water Conservation Department. He has chaired the NSW Government’s Electricity Sale Steering Committee as well as the Rural and Regional Taskforce and has served as General Manager and Director of Management Review in the NSW Office of Public Management. Dr Gellatly has also been a member of a diverse range of Boards and Committees in the public sector. He was a member of the University of New England (UNE) Council and a member of the UNE Foundation.

Abigail Goldberg

Abigail is a Chair and Non-Executive Director who works across the private and government sectors. She specialises in the infrastructure, property, transport, resources (including water), tourism and planning sectors. Abigail’s current roles include Non-Executive Director, Infrastructure NSW Advisory Board and Transport Asset Management NSW and independent Chair Sydney Central City Planning Panel, Sydney Water Customer and Community Reference Group, Manly Quarantine Station Community Consultative Committee and University of Sydney Infrastructure Project Control Groups. Abigail is also an independent member of several audit and risk committees.

Abigail has held C-suite roles, including Chief Executive Officer of Metro Transport Sydney and General Manager of South Sydney Development Corporation. She completed the maximum term possible as a Commissioner for the independent NSW Planning Assessment Commission. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Planning Institute of Australia. She’s been a mentor for the ‘Next Generation of Corporate Female Leaders’ (Women on Boards) as well as for the Planning Institute of Australia, and herself received the Women’s Scholarship (Australian Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales) while studying for the MBA.

Peter Gordon

Peter has a Master of Educational Leadership and was CEO of Canberra’s community foundation. Previously Peter was a senior executive in Western Australia, ACT and federal government. Peter’s professional background covers vocational education and training and economic development.

Peter also sits on the boards of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation and the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature.

He chairs a number of Community Consultative Committees in the renewable energy and industrial sectors.

John Hann

John has over 25 years’ experience leading and overseeing community-based stakeholder engagement programs across both the private and public sectors and multiple state jurisdictions. His expertise includes participating in Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Vic) and State Administrative Tribunal (WA) mediation programs.

John was appointed Commissioner with the NSW Independent Planning Commission in 2015 and during his 6-year term has been responsible for the determination of multiple, complex state significant cases. The cases spanned residential, industrial, commercial and extractive industry and involved strong, transparent stakeholder engagement. John also Chaired the IPC Risk and Compliance Committee in 2020/21. He was a Principal Advisor on the NSW Government Flood Study (2022) and Chair of the NSW Flood Technical Advisory Group. Following a role as Head of Planning and Stakeholder Engagement at North Harbour Clean Energy, John is currently AWS Regional Environmental Manager, ANZ.

Margaret Harvie

Margaret is committed to creating opportunities for respectful dialogue between community members and project proponents. She works to forge relationships with communities including in challenging situations. As a community engagement practitioner with 30 years’ experience, she is also a trainer for the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). She regularly assists project managers and other technical disciplines to attain the core skills for engaging communities and creating dialogue, including in situations of community unrest.

She is a Director and co-founder of PlanCom Consulting Pty Ltd, a company that specialises in planning and community engagement. Margaret is the Department’s appointed Community Complaints Mediator (CMM) for a number of major metropolitan Transport for NSW projects and involved with community engagement for the renewable energy sector.

Ross Hornsey

Ross is a Director at Colliers Urban Planning with over 20 years’ experience working with communities, stakeholders, governments, and proponents to guide responsible decision making in matters of major urban renewal and regional development. He is an expert in community and stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, facilitation and mediation. He has worked in senior leadership roles in Australia and the UK on the delivery of major infrastructure and urban renewal projects that span transport, renewable energy, social infrastructure, housing, commercial and complex mixed-use precincts.

He has led the development and implementation of successful strategies across all stages of the policy making and project development lifecycle from strategic planning through design, regulatory approvals, procurement and delivery. Through this experience, he has developed an advanced understanding of Australia’s planning systems, including environmental, social and economic impact assessment.

Ross has chaired the Air Quality Community Consultative Committees for the Western Harbour Tunnel, Rozelle Interchange and M4/M5 Link Tunnels projects.

Sandy Hoy

Sandy has more than 30 years’ experience as a consultant to the NSW and local governments in environmental impact assessment, land use planning, open space, recreation and sport planning and management, and in community and stakeholder engagement. Sandy is the Director of Parkland Planners in Sydney.

Sandy holds degrees in human and physical geography and in urban and regional planning and holds an International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Australasia Certificate in Engagement. Sandy is the Independent Chair of the Loreto Normanhurst School Redevelopment Community Consultative Committee (CCC) since 2022.  Sandy was the Independent Chair for the CCCs for the Belrose Waste Management Centre/Bare Creek Bike Park (2012-2016) and the Quarantine Station (2019-2022).

David Johnson

David is a qualified geologist and environmental scientist, and an experienced community consultation, mediation and stakeholder liaison practitioner, who currently chairs several Community Consultative Committees. He is a former member (Commissioner) of the NSW Independent Planning Commission (PAC) advising on environmental science and planning, pollution control and waste management. David is a former university lecturer in environmental science and was also an Acting Commissioner in the NSW Land and Environment Court. He is an expert member of several local planning panels and an alternate member for all Sydney and Regional Panels. David believes an important role of an independent chair is communicating and explaining accurate, high quality, balanced and transparent decisions to stakeholders.

Suzanne Little

Suzanne is an environmental scientist specialising in communication. She has 2 master’s degrees, one in science (chemistry and geology) and the other in non-fiction writing.

Suzanne was Environment Director of Sydney’s Olympic Games and guided 3 national corporations as their Environment Manager. Her professional career spanned utilities, infrastructure and major corporations. This included 5 utilities; gas (AGL), telecommunications (Vodafone), electricity, water and waste management (Homebush Bay remediation).

During a 40-year career she worked in corporate and government sectors. In her six non-executive directorships she was the environment representative. These boards were mostly in natural resource management, including a statutory authority, not-for-profit, and three environmental certification schemes (forestry, agriculture and household products). Suzanne has technical knowledge and practical understanding of the planning and development process from writing and supervising Environmental Impact Statements.

In 2024, Suzanne presented the online course, Australian Environmental Law & Compliance explaining environmental law across states.

Helen Lochhead AO

Helen is an experienced chair of planning panels, committees, and boards. She has qualifications in dispute resolution and mediation, and expertise in facilitation of challenging urban development and infrastructure processes with diverse stakeholders. Her career has focused on the planning and delivery of complex projects ranging from city-wide improvements programs to major urban precincts. Helen has held senior roles in the state government, has served on the Independent Planning Commission and as Chair of Sydney South Planning Panel and on various NSW local and regional planning panels, as well as Assurance Panels for Infrastructure NSW and Sydney Metro projects. Board appointments include The Sydney Harbour Trust and the National Capital Authority. She is an emeritus professor of architecture and urbanism at UNSW Sydney, a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of the Planning Institute of Australia, the Institute of Landscape Architects and Urban Design Association.

Jan McClelland AM

Jan is an experienced independent chairperson of statutory, industry, not for profit and education boards and committees. She has a strong record of leading industry and community consultative and governance forums. She has deep experience in NSW government administration, having served as Director General of the NSW Department of Education and Training, Managing Director of TAFE NSW, Acting Secretary of NSW Health and Deputy Chancellor of the University of New England.

Her senior governance roles have included Director of the Central Coast Redevelopment Authority, Waste Services Environmental Solutions and the State Transit Authority, member of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal and Chair of the Australian Consumers Association. She is currently the independent Chair of Gateway Network Governance Body and the Life Insurance Code Compliance Committee, a member of the NSW Judicial Commission, and an independent chair of audit and risk committees.

Jan is recognised for strong communication, facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills, particularly in navigating complex and sensitive issues to support effective outcomes.

Deborah Palmer

Deborah is the Independent Chair of the Appin Mine Community Consultative Committee (CCC), Clarence Colliery CCC, Dendrobium Mine CCC, Moolarben Mine CCC, Western Region CCC and the Moriah College Redevelopment CCC, supporting effective community participation on major development projects.

An independent facilitator and engagement specialist with over 25 years’ experience, Deborah is recognised for calm, confident facilitation in complex and high-stakes environments. Deborah holds a Bachelor of Law (Honours) and Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, and a Bachelor of Management (Industrial Relations/Human Resource Management). Deborah is International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) qualified, including a Certificate in Public Participation and training in Strategies for Dealing with Opposition and Outrage. She designs and leads structured engagement processes that help diverse stakeholders work through issues and reach clear, practical outcomes, with an impartial, governance-focused chairing style.

William Edward John (WEJ) Paradice AM

William currently chairs Mt Arthur Coal, Mt Pleasant and Ravensworth Operations Community Consultative Committees, all based in the Hunter Valley. He also chairs the Thunderbolt Wind Farm Community Consultative Committee based in the New England Tablelands. He has significant experience as a board member and chair of various committees and advisory boards. He has been the Deputy Chair of the Hunter Catchment Management Trust, Chair of the Hunter Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority, and Chair of the Hunter River Management Committee. He currently Chairs the Operations Committee of the Hunter River Salinity Trading Scheme. He also led the Hunter Valley Research Foundation as both CEO and Director of Research until his retirement. He has been a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors for over 30 years, and was awarded a member of the Order of Australia in 2008.

Chris Peat

Chris is a highly experienced stakeholder and community engagement professional who has worked across some of Australia's largest infrastructure projects. He is highly valued as a trusted advisor by clients and the community.

He has strong facilitation and negotiation skills, having chaired, facilitated and acted as secretariat for a diverse range of projects including the Epping to Chatswood Rail Link Community Liaison groups, the Western Sydney Corridors program for Transport for NSW, and Sydney Metro West during COVID. He has also chaired and facilitated meetings with resident action groups, as well as community, residents and business owners affected by Sydney Metro property acquisition. Chris works to ensure all parties have a voice at the table and brings parties together to develop solutions and find common ground.

David Ross

David is a strategist who helps organisations and communities navigate their most complex and divisive challenges. He is frequently called upon to independently chair, facilitate and mediate highly scrutinised projects and contentious public issues.

Trained under Johan Galtung, a recognised leader in modern peace and conflict resolution practice, David brings deep expertise in stakeholder conflict and systems thinking, and a very clear sense of calm.

His work spans some of the most sensitive and high-impact sectors, including mining, renewable energy, coal seam gas, waste management, water access in the Murray–Darling Basin and community health concerns. Drawing on this experience, he now speaks internationally on how organisations can engage constructively with stakeholder conflict, build trust in contested environments and make decisions that endure.

David is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in recognition of his contribution to strategic leadership and public dialogue.

Professor Roberta Ryan

Roberta is the principal and director of Forward-Thinking Aust Pty Ltd, was the founding Executive Director of the Institute for Regional Futures and the University of Newcastle’s inaugural Professor of Local Government.

She has gained a reputation as an independent and objective expert who brings together diverse views in complex, sensitive and contested stakeholder environments. She has a unique ability to provide a bridge to the community on technical matters across a wide range of portfolio areas. Professor Ryan is an expert in social planning, social research and evaluation, and strategic planning. She is recognised nationally and internationally for her leadership in the design and delivery of innovative stakeholder engagement, particularly between governments and the community on contested and sensitive matters.

Professor Ryan holds several ministerial appointments, including as a state and local member of NSW regional planning panels.

Donna Rygate

Donna holds various board, panel and committee chair or member roles. She is a sixth-generation farmer, and former Chief Executive of Local Government NSW and of the NSW Office of Communities, where she led a cluster including Sport & Recreation, Venues NSW, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Penrith Lakes, Youth, Veterans’ Affairs, Volunteering, Commission for Children & Young People, Children’s Guardian and Aboriginal Affairs. Donna also worked at deputy level in the Departments of Planning and Infrastructure and Community Services, and in central agencies, transport, conservation and environment protection. Donna has an Economics degree (Honours in Government and Public Administration), a Planning Masters, a Diploma of Governance, a Juris Doctor degree and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. She is an Australian Institute of Company Directors course graduate and has been admitted as a lawyer in NSW. Donna is a Fellow of both the Institute of Public Administration and the Institute of Community Directors Australia.

Michael Silver

Michael has extensive local government experience having spent 44 years working for Gunnedah local government authorities, most recently as Planning and Environment Director with Gunnedah Shire Council, overseeing the building, planning and environmental fields. Michael now runs his own community planning and project management consultancy. He is currently the independent chair of the Western Slopes Pipeline Community Consultative Committee and was previously Gunnedah Council's representative on the Watermark Coal Project and Caroona Coal Project Community Consultative Committees. His experience with highly sensitive community issues has him well placed to deal with community concerns and achieve negotiated acceptable outcomes for all parties.

John Turner OAM

John is a qualified solicitor who has served in the NSW Legislative Assembly as both Member for Myall Lakes and the Deputy Speaker of the House. He has been an Alderman and Deputy Mayor of Greater Cessnock Council. He has extensive experience in Community Consultative Committees having chaired ten in the past, including Bulga Coal, Cabbage Tree Road Sand Quarry and Maules Creek Coal Mine. Mr Turner also has served on NSW committees responsible for intermodal transport hubs in rural and regional NSW and re-writing the Local Government Act. He has also served as the Administrator of MidCoast Council following council amalgamations in NSW. Currently, he is chair of Regional Development Australia-Hunter, part of a national network of committees set up by the Federal Government to enhance regional development throughout Australia.

Michael Ulph

Michael is a highly experienced community relations practitioner, facilitator and meeting chair, who has worked on consultation projects of all sizes for local, regional and state governments and private organisations. He has a good understanding of planning and approvals processes, infrastructure delivery, community and stakeholder engagement, and a strong commitment to working collaboratively with stakeholders to establish a genuine relationship with the communities in which projects are delivered.

Michael has been involved with several project types, including rail, road, quarries, renewables, contaminated sites, demolition and remediation, water, drought and other natural hazards. Some of these projects have required outrage management and often include Indigenous engagement.

Michael has chaired Community Consultative Committees since 2016.

Scott Warren

Scott has had a long career in New South Wales in major infrastructure public affairs, statutory consultation and community relations, working both government-side and for private sector agencies. That experience includes the establishment and operation of a Public Private Partnership (CBD and South East Light Rail) and state significant developments spanning road and rail transport, freight, health, education and residential property, in both metropolitan and regional locations. He has established and participated in Community Consultative Committees, chaired Community Liaison Groups and is an experienced facilitator and chair.

Darryl Watkins

Darryl is a leading communication and engagement specialist. As an Adviser to both State and Commonwealth Ministers and in his current role as Executive Director of specialist communication and engagement company KJA, Darryl delivers solutions for high profile and contentious projects. He works with the community and government to provide solutions for issues management, stakeholder engagement and community relations. Darryl has applied his unique mix of skills and experience to projects involving sensitive environmental issues as well as balancing commercial considerations with community impacts.

Garry West

Garry was previously the Northern Regional Joint Regional Planning Panel chairman and member of the NSW Planning Assessment Commission. These roles have required the provision of advice and the determination of state and regional significant projects. During the past decade, Garry has chaired several Community Consultative Committees and undertaken land use planning reviews. He served as an elected Member and Minister in the NSW Parliament for 20 years before retiring to take up a role in corporate affairs for an international company.

Peter Whelan

Peter is a highly experienced community relations practitioner who has worked on large consultation projects for local, regional and state governments, creating productive conversations with affected communities. He has a solid understanding of urban planning and infrastructure delivery, community and stakeholder engagement, and a strong commitment to working collaboratively with stakeholders to establish a genuine relationship with the communities in which projects are delivered. Some of the projects Peter has been involved with include the CBD and South East Light Rail, Sydney Intermodal Terminal Alliance (Moorebank), the Pacific Highway upgrade, the South West Rail Link and the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor.

Denise Wilson

Denise is a well-regarded, highly experienced facilitator and mediation practitioner.

Denise has chaired many construction and community committees including the M5 East Air Quality Committee, Lane Cove Tunnel Air Quality Committee, Westlink M7, Legacy Way (QLD), Kurnell Desalination Plant and the Sydney Cross City Tunnel at the height of its controversial opening.

Denise is recognised for her ability to resolve disputes and negotiate appropriate solutions for contentious issues on complex projects and is well regarded for her interpersonal clarity and consistency, ability to lead, motivate and influence others. As a planner and communication professional, Denise understands the planning process, the construction process and communication needs in dynamic and sensitive environments.