Commission Members

Andrew Mills is Chair of the NSW Independent Planning Commission. Andrew is also currently Chair of Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW, Chair of the Financial Reporting Council and a member of the Board of Tax. He has over 40 years' experience working in the private and public sectors and in a regulatory environment, including as director of several unlisted companies and not for profit entities, and as a former Second Commissioner of Taxation. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Business, a Master of Laws and a Graduate Diploma in Tax Law, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, a member of CPA Australia, a Chartered Taxation Advisor (Life) of The Taxation Institute and a member of the International Fiscal Association.

Andrew was appointed as a member of the Independent Planning Commission in February 2023.

Terry Bailey has over 35 years’ experience working in the public sector and tertiary education. In his public sector roles, Terry gained a thorough understanding of protected area management through field base and executive leadership appointments in the Victorian, NSW and Commonwealth governments, including as Chief Executive of the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.

Terry was the Executive Dean of Sciences and Engineering at the University of Tasmania and is a former Executive Director of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, in both roles he oversaw an extensive research portfolio and learning and teaching program.

Terry was the preparer of the Ningaloo Coast, the Australian Convict Sites, and the Sydney Opera House world heritage nominations and is a world heritage advisor to the Western Australian, South Australian and Queensland governments. Terry is a reporter under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 to the Federal Minister for the Environment.

Terry is a trustee of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, Chair of the Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council, member of the NSW Independent Expert Advisory Panel for Energy Transition, an Adjunct at the University of Tasmanaia, and a member of the Australian World Heritage Advisory Council.

Terry Bailey was appointed to the Independent Planning Commission in May 2021.

Sarah has over 20 years’ experience in the NSW government across portfolios of water infrastructure, planning, pricing, and catchment management; parks and recreation; and forestry. Sarah worked on state significant infrastructure in the Office of the Coordinator General in the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Sarah is a director of SCD Consulting and provides expert assurance advice for governments in several Australian jurisdictions in water, energy, housing, cultural institutions and asset management. Sarah has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement. Sarah is a former Member and Deputy Chair of the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority.

Sarah holds a Bachelor degree in Science and Executive Masters of Public Administration (ANZSOG), is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sarah was appointed as a member of the Independent Planning Commission in November 2024.

Michael Chilcott is an environmental practitioner with experience in the fields of environmental impact assessment, environmental law, natural resource planning and management, protected area planning, environmental policy, community and governmental relations. He is a nationally accredited mediator.

Michael’s tertiary training is in the fields of natural science, resource management and economics. He has worked in Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.

Immediately prior to his appointment as a Commissioner with the Independent Planning Commission, Michael completed a seven year term as a Commissioner with the Land and Environment Court (LEC) of NSW.

Prior to his appointment with the LEC, Michael worked for 20 years as a consultant in environmental planning and assessment.

He is a founding member, and past President, of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ), the professional association for environmental practitioners. In 2020 Michael was appointed an Honorary Life Member (HLM) of EIANZ, the eighth HLM bestowed by EIANZ since its foundation in 1987.
 

Michael was appointed a member of the Independent Planning Commission in October 2023.

Dr Sheridan Coakes is a Social Scientist with 30 years research and applied experience in the areas of social impact assessment (SIA) and stakeholder and community engagement. Sherie has contributed to the development and institutionalisation of SIA practice in industry and government across Australia and has been involved in numerous large-scale public and private sector development projects in diverse sectors such as mining, quarrying, oil and gas, forestry, renewable energy, infrastructure and urban development.

Sherie currently holds the position of National Social Practice Lead with Umwelt Australia, is a Convenor of the SIA Community of Practice for the Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ), has led the SIA Strategic Environmental Advisory Committee, charged with developing a specialist certification for SIA in Australia and New Zealand, and sits on the Certified Environmental Practitioners (CEnvP) Certification Board.

Dr Bronwyn Evans AM is the Chair of Building4.0 CRC, a Director of Standard Communications (GME), a Director of ACOR Consultants and a Director of listed medical device company EBR Systems Inc (ASX EBR). She was recently a member of the NSW Modern Manufacturing Taskforce and she Chairs the NSW Bushfire Mission Expert Panel.

She recently held the positions of CEO of Engineers Australia and CEO of Standards Australia. She has led innovation initiatives, including as Chair of the Growth Centre for MedTech and Pharmaceuticals

Dr Evans has 40 years’ experience in engineering, including at Cochlear, GE Healthcare, BHP Steel and Electricity Commission of NSW. She has a PhD in Electrical Engineering, an Honorary Doctorate from Swinburne University, is an Honorary Fellow of University of Wollongong and Engineers Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. In 2021 she received an AM in the Queen’s Birthday honours for significant service to engineering, to standards, and to medical technology.

Dr Evans was appointed as a member of the Independent Planning Commission in February 2023.

Suellen Fitzgerald is a landscape architect with over 35 years’ experience leading teams in both the private and public sector in the fields of urban planning, open space and park planning, landscape and environmental design and public land and property management.  She began her career with Parks Victoria and went on to build private design offices in Northern Australia, working in regional and urban environments across the Top End.

Over the last 20 years Suellen has been involved in the development of strategic policy for open space, recreation and park planning for the NSW Government. She was previously the Chief Executive of Greater Sydney Parklands Trust, bringing together all of Sydney’s major metropolitan parks into one powerful voice for parks and for the importance of the natural environment in city living.

Suellen has qualifications in Ecology and Landscape Architecture and is a graduate of the executive program of Harvard Business School. She is currently advising public and private organisations on strategy, implementation, and governance.

Juliet Grant is a recognised and respected leader in the planning and development industry in NSW Sydney and is past president of the NSW Division of the Planning Institute of Australia.

Juliet has almost three decades’ experience working in senior roles across local and state government, including with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, and Transport for NSW, as well as in consultancy, most recently as executive director and general manager of Gyde Consulting (previously known as City Plan Strategy and Development). 

Juliet has an intimate knowledge of planning legislation and policies, and strong decision-making and leadership skills as demonstrated by the wide range of strategic and statutory planning projects she has headed up in NSW.  

Juliet is presently an expert member on the Southern Regional Planning Panel, an alternate state member for all Sydney and regional planning panels. She was previously an expert member on three local planning panels (Georges River, Hornsby, and Hawkesbury).

Juliet Grant was appointed to the Independent Planning Commission in May 2021.

 

Ken Kanofski is company director and independent advisor. Current board positions include Chair of Tellus Holdings, Sydney Olympic Park Authority and Placemaking NSW, he is also a Director of Jerrara Power.  Ken is also Principal of his own advisory business provides transport and infrastructure advice to a range of public and private sector clients.

Previously, Ken has been CEO of NSW Roads and Maritime, the NSW Land and Housing Corporation, Government Property NSW and WSN Environmental Solutions.  Ken is experienced in a range of infrastructure, utilities, and services industries, including transport, roads, water, energy, telecommunications, waste, recycling, renewables, housing and local government.

Ken has served as a board member and chair on national policy bodies, statutory authorities, industry bodies and community organisations. Ken holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Business, is a Fellow of CPA Australia and the Australia New Zealand School of Government, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course and the Melbourne Business School Advanced Management Program.

Ken was appointed as a member of the Independent Planning Commission in February 2023.

Duncan Marshall is a heritage architect and consultant with a long experience in heritage conservation, including with the Australian Heritage Commission, the National Trust and in private practice.

Duncan was Chair of the ACT Heritage Council in 2012-15 and was again appointed Chair in 2023.

In 2015 Duncan was awarded the inaugural Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal.  In 2020 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia, for significant service to heritage conservation.

Alison has over 40 years of experience in statutory and strategic planning for state and local government and private practice. Alison has been a Director of SJB Planning since 2005. Prior to this, she was Director of Environmental and Commu­nity Management for Leichhardt Council and has worked in a number of local government organisations and at the then Department of Urban Planning.

Alison is experi­enced in all facets of urban and regional planning, including local government administration, statutory and strategic planning processes, policy development, public participation, appeals and conflict resolution. She is currently the chair of the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel and Canada Bay and City of Ryde Local Planning Panels.

Alison was appointed as a member of the Independent Planning Commission in February 2023.

Professor Neal Menzies is currently Dean of Agriculture and leads the School of Agriculture and Food Science at the University of Queensland.

Neal has a passion for agriculture and the environment and has used his role as a teacher and research leader to bring others into this highly rewarding field. He believes that environmental scientists must go further than identifying where human activity is harming the environment and must also deliver workable solutions to problems.

While his research spans a range of agricultural and environmental chemistry issues, he considers himself primarily a soil scientist, and sees soil science as a central discipline in the solution of a broad range of problems.

Neal's main research interests are phyto-toxicity of metals, particularly aluminium, surface charge chemistry, and the management of nutrients in tropical farming systems.

Neal is a past president of the Australian Society of Soil Science and past vice-president of the International Union of Soil Science.

Janett has over 20 years’ experience in executive roles in the NSW Public Service including in housing, human services and in the development and management of major sporting venues.

She is a Director of JMM Group, a consultancy firm working with organisations on strategy, policy and governance. She has provided advice to Infrastructure NSW on major projects and proposals and has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement.

Janett has qualifications in Social Science and Business Administration and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  She is a former Trustee of the NSW Responsible Gambling Trust, Board member of the Western Sydney  Parklands Trust, Venues NSW and is the current Chair of Barnardos Australia.

Janett was appointed as a member of the Independent Planning Commission in February 2023

Alex O’Mara is a non-executive director and independent advisor. Alex is currently a Board Member of Place Management NSW, a Trustee of Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, a Non-Executive Director of St George Community Housing, and a Non-Executive Director of Tracey Brunstrom and Hammond and has held a range of other board roles in the past, including with Sydney Olympic Park Authority and the Australian Building Codes Board. 

Alex is Director of her own advisory business Sustainable Solutions Advisory which provides advice on sustainability, engagement, place-based approaches and leadership to a range of public and private sector clients. Alex is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Deadly Ed Foundation and the Science Advisory Council of UNSW. Previously, Alex was a Senior Executive in the NSW Government for over 8 years, with roles as Group Deputy Secretary, Place Design and Public Space,  Deputy Secretary, Create NSW, and Executive Director, Resources and Industry Policy and led legal teams in Government for over 7 years.

Alex has over 25 years of experience leading strategy development, execution, and the delivery of results in the public and private sectors, including planning, infrastructure, precincts, environment, sustainability, natural resource management, energy and resources, construction, safety, culture, design, public space and placemaking. Alex has a BA LLB (Hons 1) and a Master of Administrative Law and Policy from the University of Sydney and began her career at Mallesons Stephen Jaques. Alex holds a current legal practising certificate and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Alex O’Mara was appointed as a member of the Independent Planning Commission in November 2024.

Richard Pearson has over 30 years experience as a town planner and senior public service executive, his career spanning state and local government and the private sector.

Richard is currently director of a town planning consultancy providing strategic, policy, rezoning, development and local government reform advice to state government, councils, and the private sector.

Richard was Deputy Secretary of the NSW Planning Department where he had responsibility for the assessment of state significant development projects as well as the development of strategic regional plans. He has also had substantial experience in local government, having been administrator of Inner West Council.

Richard is Chair of the City of Parramatta, The Hills and Sutherland Shire Local Planning Panels, responsible for determining sensitive and contentious development applications, and is a past member of the Central Sydney Planning Committee and Hunter Development Corporation.

Shelley Penn is a Director, independent strategic adviser, architect and urbanist with significant experience encompassing 15 years in architectural practice, and more than 20 years in senior, expert advisory roles in procurement, governance, strategy and community engagement with a focus on advancing outcomes for people through the quality of public infrastructure, urban design and the built environment.

Shelley is Deputy Chair of the ACT Government’s Suburban Land Agency, an independent member of the Advisory Board overseeing delivery of the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Woden Project and an Advisory Panel member of the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority.  Since 2017, she has held the role of Monash University Architect.  She is a member of Victoria University’s Infrastructure Planning Committee, and holds other honorary roles including Associate Professor in Architecture at the University of Melbourne, and Adjunct Professor in Architecture Practice at Monash University.  She is a long-standing member of State Design Review Panels in Victoria, NSW, ACT and WA, and is engaged in a number of private consultancies as an independent expert in urban and architectural design and procurement.  She also serves as a sounding board and mentor for a number of young professionals.

Shelley has chaired and served as a member of multiple boards, senior committees, specialist panels and design juries over 25 years, for state and federal government organisations, and within the corporate and not-for-profit sectors.  She is recognised as an independent and engaged contributor of high integrity, and is an insightful champion for high quality outcomes in the public realm.  She was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2021.

Shelley was appointed as a member of the Independent Planning Commission in November 2024.

Simon Smith has focussed his career on improving the nexus between the economy and the environment. His tertiary training was in economics.

Simon served for 30 years in the NSW public sector, including as the Secretary of the Department of Industry and deputy head of the Premiers Department and of the Environment Department. He was also a director on the boards of Jobs for NSW, Destination NSW and Infrastructure NSW.

In the period after leaving the public sector he worked as Chief Operating Officer of the ASX listed PEXA Group, which provides Australia’s leading digital platform for property transactions. He is currently a director of RACE for 2030, which is a cooperative research centre focussed on helping Australia’s transition to reliable, affordable and clean energy by 2030, and is chair of the NSW Independent Expert Advisory Panel for Energy Transition.

Simon was appointed as a member of the Independent Planning Commission in November 2024. 

Clare is the founding principal of a strategy and advisory consultancy specialising in resources and future energy value chains. For over 25 years Clare has developed detailed insights into the workings of operations, listed companies and government. Clare’s career has included leading complex multi stakeholder initiatives including resource sector technology and decarbonisation roadmaps, industry regional cluster and international market development, and mission-based innovation programs.

Clare is a Mining Engineer (Hons 1, UNSW), holds a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Clare is a Churchill Fellow, serves on the Advisory Board of the Newcastle Institute of Energy and Resources (NIER) and is Chair of Resources NSW, an initiative of the NSW Energy and Resources Knowledge Hub.

Clare was appointed a member of the Independent Planning Commission in July 2022.

Elizabeth Taylor specialises in governance effectiveness and analysis of complex projects and ecosystems. Her career has spanned industry, design and construction, and academe.

She has built extensive Board-level leadership in professional organisations and innovative technology entities. Currently she is Chair of SmartCrete Collaborative Research Centre (focused on concrete) and Chair, Governing Group, and Deputy Chair, Sydney Accord, of the International Engineering Alliance.

Elizabeth has always engaged in diverse pro-bono work. Currently she is Chair of the Cambodian Childrens’ Trust Australia. Previously she was Chair of RedR Australia, an humanitarian response agency, and Chair of RedR International.

Elizabeth is an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Fellow, Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and has been recognised as one of Australia’s 100 most influential engineers. She is Emeritus Professor at Central Queensland University and Member, Engineering External Advisory Committee, Charles Sturt University and has an Honorary Doctorate from UNSW. In 2021 she was awarded Engineers Australia’s Peter Nicol Russell Career Achievement Memorial Medal.

Michael has more than 25 years’ executive leadership experience in the NSW public service including as agency head, chief executive officer and deputy secretary.

As Deputy Secretary of the NSW Independent Flood Inquiry, Michael led the Flood Inquiry Secretariat. As Group Deputy Secretary of the Housing and Property Group of the Department of Planning and Environment, Michael was accountable for the leadership of 1600 staff across six business streams comprising Land and Housing Corporation, Aboriginal Housing Office, Property and Development NSW, NSW Crown Lands, Valuer General NSW and Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW. Michael is a graduate of the company directors course program of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.