Chris is a management consultant specialising in strategic business planning, business process analysis, business establishment/improvement and financial modelling. Chris has a degree in engineering, a master’s degree in business administration and has a detailed appreciation of the commercial and non-commercial drivers within government owned utility businesses.

Chris’ particular area of specialty is in the development and application of practical ‘whole of business’ management frameworks for balancing the social, environmental and commercial drivers of the business. 

Chris is the head of the Australian Water Associations Asset Management Specialist Network and represents AWA on the Australian Asset Management Collaborative Group.

Jenny Bailey is responsible for the customer service function at Yarra Valley Water which covers revenue and billing management, contact centre operations and customer support programs for customers in financial difficulty. Prior to her current role, Jenny was General Manager, Strategy and Communications at Yarra Valley Water.

Peter has over 20 years experience in global Investment Banking, working with Citibank, UBS AG and more recently ABN AMRO.  After a nearly a decade working in the UK and USA, Peter returned to Australia in 2004 and is now part of ABN AMRO’s Structured Finance team, focusing on PPP’s and transactions in the Utilities sector.

Peter’s professional experiences extend across Structured Finance, Capital Markets, Derivative products and Financial Advisory.  His responsibilities have included client coverage, risk management, financial structuring and global business ownership.

Peter’s educational highlights include a B. Sc with 1st class honors (Chemistry) from Sydney University and a MBA (Finance) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge USA.

Graham has undergraduate degrees in both engineering and environmental science, and an MBA. Throughout his career he has worked in a broad range of environmental assessment, project planning, delivery and operational roles in both the public and private sectors. He has worked extensively in the electricity and water sectors, often in roles that bring together his engineering, scientific, financial and management expertise.

Graham has been with the Sydney Catchment Authority since 2001, with initial responsibility for corporate business planning, risk management, security and incident response and asset strategic planning. For the last 3 years, as Asset Performance Group Manager he has been responsible for long term system planning, strategic asset management and project delivery. In late 2007 Graham commenced acting as General Manager Bulk Water in the same week the Warragamba Algae bloomed.

BSc Bachelor  Science  and BEc Bachelor of Economics.

Assoc with Water Industry for 25 yrs.
Director Gosford Wyong Water Authority last 20yrs.
Chair National Water programme NWC for NSW Local Govt.
Vice President Local Govt NSW.                                                                    

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Neil is Managing Director of Central Highlands Water Corporation; a position he has held for nearly 10 years.  Prior to that Neil held CEO positions at Western Water and Macedon Region Water Authorities. Neil has been employed in the Victorian Water Industry for some 25 years, and has had various Ministerial appointments to industry committees.  Neil is currently a Director on the Board of the Electricity and Water Ombudsman Scheme Victoria (EWOV).  Neil’s academic achievements include a Graduate Diploma in Management and a Masters in Business Leadership.

Since joining the Productivity Commission at its inception in April 1998, Neil has presided over nine inquiries and has assisted on four other inquiries.
He has also led the commissioned study, Industries in the Great Barrier Reef Catchment and Measures to Address Declining Water Quality. He has also helped direct the environmental economics program (e.g. Harnessing Private Sector Conservation of Biodiversity) and international benchmarking studies (e.g. Arrangements for Setting Drinking Water Standards and Arrangements for Defining, Allocating and Enforcing Water Rights).

Mr Cox is the Chief Executive Officer and Full Time Member of the Independent  Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal.  Mr. Cox has held positions with the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Social Welfare Policy Secretariat of the Department of Social Security.  He was a Principal Economist at the Office of EPAC between 1986 and 1989 and between 1989 and 1992 was a consultant to the New South Wales Cabinet Office.  Mr. Cox was Principal Adviser to the Government Pricing Tribunal of New South Wales since 1992 and a Member of the Tribunal since January, 1996.  He was Acting Chairman of IPART during 2004.

Mr. Cox was a visiting fellow at Monash University during 1985 and has assisted the New Zealand Government with social policy changes during the early part of 1991.

Mr Cox has written extensively on economic and social policy issues.  This work has been published, among others, by the New Zealand Business Roundtable and the Centre for Independent Studies.

Dr Craik took up her position as Chief Executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) in August 2004.

Prior to this Wendy was President of the National Competition Council, Chair of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and Chair of the National Rural Advisory Council. Other former positions include Chief Executive Officer of Earth Sanctuaries Ltd, a publicly listed company specialising in conservation and eco tourism, Executive Director of the National Farmers Federation, and Executive Officer of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. She has also worked as a consultant for AcilTasman Consulting.

Wendy is a member of the Board of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. She has been a member of a variety of other Boards and advisory councils.

Wendy was awarded an AM in 2007 for her contribution to natural resource management and rural policy.

Sean has worked in the field of economic regulation for the past 9 years. In that time he has overseen the setting of water prices in Victoria, and been involved in the approval of electricity and gas prices. Before joining the Essential Services Commission, Sean  was at the Gas and Fuel where he helped develop the distribution pricing arrangements in the lead up to privatisation.

Mr David Crombie was elected President of the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) at the NFF Annual Policy Council Meeting in Canberra on 16 June 2006.

Mr Crombie brings over 30 years commercial and representational experience in agriculture to his role as President.

Early in his career, Mr Crombie joined Sir William Gunn (now GRM International), managing agricultural projects across northern Australia. Under his leadership, GRM expanded to include breeding properties, irrigation farms, feed mills, live export and meat supply chains supported by feedlots internationally. GRM also managed beef breeding properties for independent investors in Australia.

After the sale of GRM by the partners to the Consolidated Group in 1994, Mr Crombie continued as Managing Director until 2000.

Between 1995 and 2000, Mr Crombie served on the Board of Grainco Australia until its amalgamation with Graincorp. He then joined the board of Meat Industry Council and served as inaugural Chairman of the National Steering Committee for Meat Standards Australia.

He later joined the Board of the newly established Meat and Livestock Australia, serving as Chairman from 1998 to 2005.

Currently, Mr Crombie holds the following positions:

• Chairman, Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
• Director GRM and Rosewood (NT Beef).
• Deputy Chairman, FKP (listed development company).
• President, Queensland Rugby Union.

Mr Crombie operates family properties, breeding and finishing cattle, as well as growing crops in southern Queensland.

Peter Dann is Executive Director, Water Reform at the Queensland Water Commission, responsible for delivery of a comprehensive program of structural reform of the urban water sector in SEQ. His previous role was as Assistant Coordinator General, SEQ Water Grid in the Queensland Department of Infrastructure, and prior to that, Executive Director of the Queensland Office of Government Owned Corporations in Queensland Treasury.

Barry Deane has more than 20 years knowledge and experience of the practical use of Requisite Organization in the workplace. He has worked in a variety of line management and senior executive roles in the heavy engineering and mining industries in Australia and across the world. Mr. Deane specializes in multidisciplinary project management and integrated business/HR systems consultation using an Requisite Organization foundation.
After being approached by clients interested in adopting RO models as a means to reaching industry leader status, Mr. Deane developed consultative management training processes to help organizations understand, adopt, and sustain RO practices. His consulting experience includes business strategy formulation to include new venture and due diligence investigations, technology transfer, mergers, and leadership development.
Mr. Deane holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and serves as a Fellow for the Institution of Engineers Australia.

Shelia Deane has experience in leadership, business policy and systems development and implementation, change management, training, strategic and operational human resource management and corporate downsizing. She has human resource management and line management experience in retail, manufacturing and heavy engineering industries. A seasoned executive coach and group facilitator, Ms. Deane has extensive experience designing and implementing RO-based "people systems" to include recruitment, selection, role definition, and performance management systems.
An expert in organizational relationship management, Ms. Deane trains managers in effective managerial leadership, reporting relationships and cross functional working relationships. Some four years ago, she and Barry found an opportunity to try a different approach to communicating the Requisite Organization ideas and were successful. Since that time, they delivered our material to some 500 line managers (at all levels) and have found this to be successful as the start of a long-term implementation process. Ms. Deane holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Diploma in Personnel Management from the Institute of Personnel Management, South Africa.

David was appointed as General Manager, Office of Water in January 2007. 

David provides expert advice to government on issues associated with the delivery of the water sustainability agenda.  David has oversight and responsibility for the following major commitments:

• Murray Darling Basin negotiations;
• Implementation of Our Water Our Future (OWOF), including major water infrastructure (Goldfields superpipe, various interconnectors, Wimmera Mallee, Northern Grid;
• Policy Issues re: Melbourne Augmentation;
• Implementation of OWOF – policy (Regional Sustainable Water Strategies, industry reform and urban market reform, pricing reform;                         
• Leadership in National Water Reform (Integration of Victorian policy in intergovernmental programs, ongoing compliance with NWI protection of Victorian water allocation policy;
• Direct and leadership on irrigation reform (foodbowl, Lake Mokoan, Shepparton modernisation;
• Drought management and contingency (security of supply across the State)

David has extensive experience in senior leadership in Government, previously working with the water, energy and electricity sectors on a range of significant national reforms, including the creation of the national energy market and the restructuring of Victoria’s water sector in the late 80s and early 90s.

Peter is a Civil Engineer with 40 years experience in construction and consulting.

He has worked in the mining, water, wastewater, and power industries at senior executive levels.

Peter has been a Director of EPS Consultants since 1994 and has extensive experience in the concept development and commercial arrangements for PPP’s, as well as other procurement approaches, particularly in the water sector. The water sector PPP’s undertaken have been for projects in the range of $25M to $100M capital value in both Victoria and New Zealand.

Peter also regularly undertakes Gateway Reviews for the Victorian Government on major projects.

• 1997 - Completed Agricultural Engineering at USQ
• 1998-2000 - Engineering Services within Qld DNR (now SunWater) based in Ayr designing/constructing irrigation infrastructure in the Burdekin River Irrigation Area and other Qld irrigation areas
• 2000-2003 – Kondinin Group running a GRDC project on tillage machinery
• 2004-present – Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative, Senior Operations Engineer

I trained as an Engineer (agricultural) through the University of Southern Qld and completed a PhD in Environmental Engineer at the University of New England in 1996. My PhD modelled the movement of nutrients in a cropping system from feedlot manure and effluent. Immediately after completing my PhD I took up a Post-doctoral Fellowship with Agricultural and Agri-food Canada at the Lethbridge Research Centre, Alberta.  This Post Doctoral research focussed on a model to predict the movement of nutrients into, within and from the feedlot system, thereby linking with the cropping system model developed in my PhD.
In February 2002 I was employed by NSW Agriculture in the Water Use Efficiency Advisory Unit in Dubbo, NSW.  I worked in various capacities in this unit until NSW DPI was formed and I was appointed to lead the Climate Science and Irrigation Research team.  In this role I co-ordinate both climate science and irrigation research across the State and provide strategic linkages to other research providers. One of the major tasks of this unit is to inform research priorities for the department, particularly with respect to responding to climate change and initiatives such as the National Plan for Water Security.
The other major part of my role is as Leader for the Toolkits for Improved Irrigation Performance Program of the CRC for Irrigation Futures. The programme has focused on the development of information tools based on evapo-transpiration data, solutes in the root zone, plant based sensing equipment, tools for evaluating and reducing losses from on-farm storages as well as the development of web based tools to deliver this information to irrigation farmers.

Joe has an international business management track record at the CEO and GM level, including leading Australasian water and electricity utilities for the NSW Government and for some of Australia’s largest infrastructure service businesses including Leighton and Tenix.
He now leads Australia’s leading export oriented water initiative, the Water Industry Alliance, a group of 200 based South Australian companies delivering water solutions to the world. Members span the complete water value chain including education, research, manufacturing, technology, utility owners, operators, contractors, consultants, precision irrigation and desalination.
Collectively the Water Industry Alliance is putting South Australia on the global map as a hub of water expertise as they continue to grow their $2bn export success story at 30% pa.

Stephen has thirty seven years of experience in the civil engineering field covering road and stormwater drainage design, flood mitigation, urban stream restoration and natural resource management.  He is a senior officer at Fairfield City Council holding the position of Manager, Engineering Services, which covers traffic and road safety, catchment management, civil design, landscape and urban design, survey and spatial data, graphics and mapping.
Stephen has lead multidisciplinary teams involved in natural resource management, stormwater management, flood mitigation and urban stream restoration projects for the past 12 years at Fairfield City Council.  He has been involved in active community engagement on a range of projects.
Stephen has been called upon in relation to policy and development issues from a natural resource, flood mitigation and catchment management perspective.  He was a member of the Western Sydney Water Engineering Panel of Engineers Australia and is the current President of the Stormwater Industry Association at the State (NSW) and National level.

Jim Gaha is the Executive General Manager of the water business at Transfield Services.

He oversees the delivery of services to the water industry in the areas of operations, maintenance, asset management, capital programs and major capital works.

He is a key member on alliance leadership teams with Sydney Water, Melbourne Water, Gippsland Water, the Southern Regional Water Pipeline Company and the Water Corporation of Western Australia.

Jim is an experienced professional in the water industry with over 15 years of knowledge and successful development of water projects across Australia, Asia and North America.

He would like to bring his passion and dedication for the water industry to this project.

His qualifications include a Masters of Business and Technology from the University of NSW and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Sydney.

Ted Gardner principal scientist with the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water leads the Water Cycle Sciences group at Natural Resource Sciences in Brisbane. Ted wades into water renewal and practical water supply methods. He is a key driver of water-sensitive urban designs, and a force behind the energy and water-efficient Healthy Home project on the Gold Coast and the sustainable housing project at The Gap in Brisbane. His body of work has won him international respect, numerous speaking invitations and a prestigious Public Service Medal in the 2005 Australia Day honours.

David runs the Cooperative Research Centre in Environmental Biotechnology (EBCRC) in Sydney with research links to 4 universities throughout Australia.  The CRC commissions research for its industry partners which it then provides as innovations to and for industry including using new investment vehicles. It has a budget of about $60m over 7 years.
David is the President of IWA and on the board of a number of international and national water and research bodies.  He has been participating in IWA and its predecessor organisations since 1976 when he was coopted to the Sydney organising committee for the IWAPRC Conference.
David is also the Chairman of the ASX listed company Phoslock Limited that uses new technologies for algal and biofilm control through phosphorus control and removal. He is also a director of a private spin-off company that is selling and marketing technologies from one of the previous CRCs.
He has had wide experience in university teaching, pollution control, water resource management covering operations and policy, and has managed engineering and consultancy companies.

1980 – present Family farm business

Community Involvement:

1989 – 1995 Wakool Landcare

 Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia (RGA)
1988 – 1992 Central Executive Alternate
1993 – present Central Executive Delegate
1992 – 1996 Wakool Branch Vice President
1996 – present Wakool Branch President
1999 – Sept 2007 Senior Vice President
1996 – 2003 Chair, Environment Working Group
Sept 2007 -  present President

1994 – 1998 Murray Catchment Management Committee

2000 – 2004 Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council (MDBMC)
 Community Advisory Committee
 Indigenous Sub Committee
 ICM Policy Committee
 Chair, Values & Behaviours Sub Committee
 CAC Water Sub Committee
 Interstate Water Trade Project Board