On this page

Professor Kate Auty - Chair

Kate is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne, a Director of the Urban Climate Change Research Network’s Oceania Hub. She was recently appointed Co-Chair of the Open Government Forum (Civil Society), Open Government Partnership.  

She has extensive experience with environmental and climate issues. This includes as the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment in the Australian Capital Territory. Kate is a member of the Victorian Bar. She has worked extensively as a magistrate and coroner. Kate continues to volunteer with community environmental and sustainability groups in north-east Victoria. 

Greg Tweedly - Deputy Chair

Greg has more than 30 years’ experience in regulation, governance, risk, audit and finance. As Chief Executive Officer of WorkSafe Victoria for nearly 10 years, Greg was responsible for the regulation of workplace safety in Victoria. Greg is currently a non-executive director of Melbourne Health and Chair of the Personal Injury Education Foundation.

Dr Ross Pilling

Ross is a non-executive director of Note Printing Australia Ltd, Kotzur Pty Ltd and National Golf Holdings Pty Ltd, independent director and Chair of Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd. He is an Executive Mentor on the faculty of CMi Merryck.

His senior executive career with leading multinational companies BASF and BOC included general manager and managing director roles in Asia, Australia and Europe. He was formerly the deputy national president of the Australian Industry Group, and a longstanding board member of the Plastics and Chemicals Industry Association.

Ross is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Engineering by Swinburne University of Technology in 2016.

Kay Rundle

Kay is the director and an executive coach at Kay Rundle and Associates and chair of the Public Transport Ombudsman. 

Kay is an experienced chief executive officer with over 15 years’ experience leading three local government organisations (Maribyrnong, Greater Geelong, and Port Phillip).

Ms Rundle holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the Phillip Institute of Technology, Graduate Diploma in Computing from Monash University, Master of Business from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Executive Coaching Level I, II and III from the Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and won a Local Government Executive Leadership Award in 2006.

Dr Catherine Lopes

Catherine boasts a track record as a Chief Data and Analytics Officer, strategist, researcher, and thought leader, with over 25 years of experience in data, analytics, AI, and technology. Her international career spans diverse sectors, ranging from financial services, utilities, to media. Currently, her focus lies in enhancing business performance through the development of data and analytics strategies, the utilisation of a wide range of analytics and AI applications, and the establishment of a well-governed enterprise data management and governance framework.

Catherine was the first Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Merkle ANZ, the Head of Enterprise Data and Analytics at AGL Energy, and the Head of Data Strategy and Analytics at ME Bank, ANZ Bank. Catherine also co-founded a startup Sleigh Group which is a creative resource company. She is the founder of Ada's Tribe, a community that empowers women in analytics, data science, and AI, and serves on multiple university advisory boards at ANU and Monash.

In 2005, Catherine was awarded a doctoral degree in data mining, machine learning, and computer science from Monash University, where she won the Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal for her PhD thesis, 'Machine Learning and Time Series Forecasting.'

Margaret Donnan

Margaret has extensive national and international experience of working with government, commercial and not for profit boards. She is currently chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and is an independent director and chair of the Risk and Audit Committee of Battery Stewardship Council.

With a depth and breadth of experience advising ministers, boards and CEOs across government and business, Margaret’s board roles include former chair of IChemE Safety Centre global advisory board, deputy chair of Game Management Authority, and non-executive director on the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group and the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority.

In Margaret's senior executive career, she was the CEO of Plastics and Chemical Industries Association and was the inaugural Director of Major Hazards at WorkSafe Victoria following the Longford tragedy. In 2016, Margaret was a member of an independent ministerial panel which reviewed WorkSafe Victoria’s compliance and enforcement policy and activities.

Margaret holds a Master of Science major in Chemistry from the University of Melbourne, is an associate fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety.

Jonathan Halaliku

Jonathan has undergraduate qualifications in Economics & International Trade. He holds post graduate qualifications and a Masters Degree in Environment & Planning and has extensive experience in urban and regional planning consultancy, advising and acting on behalf of the State and Local Government, the private sector and community stakeholders.  

Jonathan has a comprehensive understanding of statutory and strategic planning and regularly appears within Tribunal and Court settings to provide expert urban planning advice. In 2020 Jonathan was appointed by the Minister of Planning to Planning Panels Victoria and is called upon to preside over, assess and make recommendations on a range of state significant strategic planning and land use projects and planning scheme amendments.    

Jonathan is active and engaged in the urban planning and development industry with memberships and involvement with a range of sub-committees across peak industry bodies. He is a past Board Member and Director of the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors

Emeritus Professor Joan Ozanne-Smith AO

Joan is the Head of Injury Prevention Research at the Department of Forensic Medicine at Monash University. 
She is a non-executive director of the Australian China Alumni Association and has previously been a member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). 

Joan has qualifications in medicine, public health and sociology, a research doctorate in injury epidemiology and is a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine. She conducts interdisciplinary research and develops epidemiological data systems in Australia and internationally. She has co-edited several World Health Organization global reports.

Joan was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2016 Australia Day Honours List in recognition of her distinguished service to public health in the area of accident and injury prevention, forensic medicine and to higher education as an academic. 

Governing Board Subcommittees

EPA’s Governing Board has three subcommittees: Risk and Audit Committee, Science, Engineering and Health Committee, and Executive Remuneration and Succession Committee.

Risk and Audit Committee

EPA has a Risk and Audit Committee (RAC) and internal audit function to meet legislative requirements and support the Chair and CEO to fulfil their obligations under the Financial Management Act 1994. The RAC reports directly to the EPA Governing Board.

RAC members:

  • Mr Peter Lewinsky (External Chair)
  • Ms Michelle Beveridge (External member)
  • Ms Kay Rundle (Governing Board member)
  • Mr Greg Tweedly (Governing Board member)
  • Dr Catherine Lopes (Governing Board member). 

Science, Health and Engineering Advisory Committee 

The Science, Health and Engineering Advisory Committee (SHEAC) supports the Governing Board in its role of overseeing the implementation of EPA’s strategic plans with respect to maintaining and growing its scientific excellence and supporting EPA’s role in protecting human health and the environment by reducing the harmful effects of pollution and waste.

SHEAC members:

  • Professor Kate Auty (SHEAC Chair and Governing Board Chair)
  • Margaret Donnan (Governing Board member)
  • Professor Joan Ozanne-Smith (Governing Board member)
  • Dr Clare Looker, Chief Health Officer (External member)
  • Professor Peter Breen (External member)
  • Professor Sandra Kentish (External member)
  • Professor Veena Sahajwalla (External member).

Executive Remuneration and Succession Committee

The Executive Remuneration and Succession Committee (ERSC) provides advice and information to assist the Governing Board to discharge its responsibilities in relation to executive remuneration and succession planning. ERSC’s role is to ensure compliance with government policy as governed by the VPSC in relation to executive employment practices and reporting.

ERSC members

  • Professor Kate Auty (Chair of the Governing Board)
  • Dr Ross Pilling (Governing Board member).

Past members of the board and committees

The Chair of the Governing Board would like to extend her deep appreciation for the contributions made by the following past members of the Governing Board and advisory committees:

  • Ms Debra Russell (Governing Board member 2018 to 2019)
  • Professor Rebekah Brown (Governing Board member and SHEAC Chair 2018 to 2020)
  • Mr Tam Vu, independent (RAC member 2019 to 2021)
  • Professor John Warner (strategic advisor to SHEAC 2019 to 2022)
  • Professor Robert Vertessy (SHEAC member 2019 to 2022)
  • Mr Rob Hogarth (RAC member 2011-2018 and RAC Chair 2018-2023)
  • Graeme Ford (Governing Board member 2018-2023 and Risk and Audit Committee member 2019-2023)
  • Monique Conheady (Interim Advisory Board member 2017-2018, Governing Board member 2018-2023 and Executive Renumeration and Succession Committee member 2021-2023).

More about governance

Our Chief Environmental Scientist 

Annual reports and plans

Our scientific expertise

Organisational structure

Our minister

Tenders

Gift, benefits and hospitality

Reviewed 5 October 2023