Advisory Board

The Centre seeks to ensure that its activities are of practical utility. It has the benefit of an Advisory Board whose members have collective experience that covers the whole spectrum of environmental, energy and natural resources developments in Australia, as well as international and comparative research and teaching.

 
Associate Professor Pieter Badenhorst (Deakin University)

Pieter Badenhorst is currently an Associate Professor of Law at Deakin University. He was previously professor of Law at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Pieter is admitted as an attorney and notary of the High Court of South Africa. Since 1985 he is author and co-author of 97 articles, notes and case discussions. Pieter is author and co-author of 4 books on South African Property law and Mining law. This includes the current Mineral and Petroleum Law of South Africa, which is a commentary on the new South African Mineral law system.
 
Russell Byard (Senior Member, VCAT)

Russell Byard is a lawyer and Senior Member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and the Planning and Environment list maintained by VCAT.
 
Elisa De Wit (Partner, Norton Rose)
Elisa de Wit is a partner in the Melbourne office of Norton Rose Australia, a leading international law firm. She leads the environment group of the Melbourne office and heads the Australian climate change practice. With over 20 years of experience, Elisa’s practice covers both environmental and climate change matters, and she has practiced in three Australian jurisdictions and the United Kingdom. A regular presenter and author of articles on climate change and emissions trading, Elisa is also editor of Norton Rose Australia’s environment and climate change newsletter, “Legally Green”. Elisa was recently named as a “leading lawyer” in the Australasian Legal Business Guide for Environmental Law.
 
Professor Roz Hansen (Managing Director, Hansen)

B.Arts (University of Melbourne); Dip. Education (Melbourne State College); Dip. Town & Regional Planning (University of Melbourne); FPIA; FVPELA.

Roz Hansen is Managing Director of Hansen Partnership being a multi award winning company offering professional consultancy services in urban planning, urban design and landscape architecture. Roz is a highly skilled urban planner with more than 30 years of experience in a diverse range of projects in Australia and overseas. Roz offers a sound understanding of planning and development issues at the local, national and international levels. Her strong leadership qualities, coupled with her excellent communication skills and capacity to think in an innovative and creative manner, have been applied in collaborative projects in Australia and overseas. Roz regularly appears as an expert witness at VCAT and Planning Panels Victoria. A recipient of a Centenary Medal from the Federal Government and her on-going appointment as an Adjunct Professor at Deakin University since 1995 is testimony of Roz’s wealth of experience in the planning arena.
 
Professor Ray Ison (Monash and Open University, UK)
As Professor of Systems (UK Open University; 1994 - present) Ray has led or facilitated the development of new teaching programs (MSc's in Environmental Decision Making, Systems Thinking in Practice, Information Systems and a undergraduate Diploma in Systems Practice) and established the Open Systems Research Group. He was Head of the Systems Department (1995-8; 25 academic staff) then from 2000-04 he successfully coordinated a major interdisciplinary 5th Framework program (30 researchers, 6 countries) researching social learning for sustainable catchment management as well as running an EPSRC funded Systems Practice for Managing Complexity Network. From 2002 -7 the Environment Agency (England & Wales) funded research to apply social learning to implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. In September 2008 he moved to 0.3 time at the Open University (OU) and a 0.7 Professorship at Monash (Systems for Sustainability) where he has developed a Systemic and Adaptive Governance Research program within Monash Sustainability Institute and the School of Geography & Environmental Science.
Sam Johnston (Senior Research Fellow, United Nations University)

Sam Johnston is a Senior Research Fellow at the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies - a policy think tank for the United Nations based in Japan. His principal responsibilities are to provide strategic guidance to the Director regarding the research priorities of the Institute, develop new research activities for the Institute and assist with fundraising efforts.

His research interests include International Environmental Law, Governance of International Spaces, International Regulation of Biotechnology, Law of the Sea and Antarctica. In 2011 he taught and was the coordinator for the International Environmental Law Masters Course offered by the Faculty. He has have raised over $10m in research funding from governments, international organizations and philanthropic organizations.

Johnston has degrees in chemistry and law and is a qualified lawyer in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia.
Craig Pearson (Director, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne)
Professor Craig Pearson FAIAST, GAICD, foundation Director of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute. Craig facilitates interdisciplinary research to contribute to creating a sustainable society. His interests are in strategic research management, institutional change, and in disciplinary areas relating to agriculture and cities. He has held senior administrative and professor/honorary professor positions in nine universities in Australia, Canada and China and published several books, the latest being co-authored by an art historian.