Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia

SEGRA speakers

SEGRA 2009 keynote speakers

The Hon Brendon Grylls MLA, Leader of the Nationals WA and Minister for Regional Development and Lands

Making regional Western Australia a better place to live, work and invest is the driving philosophy behind the Hon. Brendon Grylls, Minister for Regional Development; Lands.

In November 2001 Mr Grylls won a State by-election to become the Member for Merredin.

He was elected Leader of The Nationals WA in 2005 and went on to lead his party into the 2008 election as a stand-alone, independent party.  This policy initiative resulted in The Nationals WA gaining the balance of power in both Houses of the Western Australian Parliament.

In September 2008, The Nationals WA and the Liberal Party formed an alliance in government. The Royalties for Regions policy underpins the State Government’s long-term focus on regional development.

Through this historic agreement, the equivalent of 25per cent of the State's mining and petroleum royalty revenue (up to a maximum of $1billion), per annum, will be invested annually in regional Western Australian infrastructure, community projects and services.

Mayor Ron Yuryevich AM RFD, City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder

Mayor Ron Yuryevich has been involved in Local Government since 1988. He was
re-elected Mayor in 2007 for a further 4 year term and is currently in his 12th year as Mayor of the City of Kalgoorlie.

He has represented Local Government in WA as past president of Country Urban Councils Association, and president of WA Municipal Association. He has served many years as the state representative of various bodies including the Australian Airports Association and as the State Representative of the Federal Governments Regional Development Program, “Regional Development Australia”. He has considerable experience in regional development issues and a strong business background.

He has been appointed to the boards of HBF Healthguard (Deputy Chairman / Director) Local Government Advisory Board and the Local Government Insurance Board.

He was appointed a Member of the Order Of Australia (AM) in the Australia day awards 2004.

He served as an Officer in the Australian Army Reserve for a period of 26 Years and was awarded the Reserve Force Decoration (RFD)

 

The Hon Fred Chaney AO, Chair, Desert Knowledge Australia

The Hon Fred Chaney AO is Chair of Desert Knowledge Australia. Formerly a lawyer, Fred served as a Liberal Senator for WA (1974-90) and a Member of the House of Representatives (1990-93). He held various Ministerial appointments in the Fraser government, including Aboriginal Affairs. After leaving Parliament in 1993 he undertook research into Aboriginal Affairs policy and administration as a Research Fellow at the University of WA. He was Chancellor of Murdoch University for eight years until early 2003 and retired as a deputy president of the National Native Title Tribunal in April 2007.

 

 

 

 

Nicole Roocke, Director, The Chamber of Minerals and Energy Western Australia

Having been appointed Director, in December 2007 Nicole Roocke has responsibility for the portfolios covering Occupational Safety and Health, Human Resources, Education and Training, Immigration, Skill shortage initiatives and Finance.

Prior to this Nicole was employed at the CMEWA as the Executive Officer, Safety and Health at CME for a period of four and a half years where she was responsible for coordinating industry input on a variety of government regulatory and policy issues and facilitating communications within the minerals and resources sector on safety and health in WA.

Prior to joining CME, Nicole was employed in a policy position at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA as an adviser, health and has also worked extensively in the area of workers' compensation and injury management having undertaken policy and systems development.

Nicole is a registered psychologist and has completed a Masters of Science in Industrial and Organisational Psychology from UWA. She is currently completing a Masters in Risk Management from UNSW.

 

Professor Matthew Tonts, Director of the Institute for Regional Development, University of Western Australia

Matthew Tonts is Professor of Geography and Director of the Institute for Regional Development at The University of Western Australia.  His work focuses on economic development, employment, industry planning, and population dynamics, and has been involved in research on regional issues in Australia, North America and Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

Geoff Carmody, Director, Geoff Carmody & Associates

Geoff Carmody is currently Director, Geoff Carmody & Associates.  He was the co-founder of Access Economics in 1988 and continues contracting work with that Company. 

Before then, he worked in key policy areas in the Federal Treasury, including Budget, wages and foreign investment.  He represented Australia at the IMF and later at the OECD. 

He has worked on projects ranging from numerous taxation policy submissions to Federal & State Governments, through to National Wage Case advocacy and extensive analysis for Australia’s tourism industry.  He was involved in the development of Fightback! for the Hewson Opposition in the early 1990s, and other policy costings for Federal and State Oppositions before and since, including costing the Labor Opposition’s Policy Platform for the 2001 federal Election.  He has been an advisor to the Business Coalition for Tax Reform since the mid-1990s.    

In 1996 he was Executive Officer for the National Commission of Audit.

From January 2004 to May 2006 he was a Director on the Board of Patrick Corporation.

He was also a Panel Member of COAG’s Energy Reform Implementation Group (ERIG) that investigated practical reform options for Australia’s electricity markets and reported to COAG on this matter in January 2007.

Geoff has recently been appointed as Chair, Sustainable Budget Commission, in South Australia.  This engagement is expected to continue until around mid-July 2010.

Jay Hardison, Manager, Property & Economic Development, City of Belmont

Jay Hardison has almost 20 years experience in the areas of local economic and community development.  Jay’s experience spans employment with both Local and State Government and as a consultant for local communities.  Jay is currently the Manager of Property & Economic Development at the City of Belmont.  Jay formal qualifications are a Bachelor of Arts Psychology/Education and a Graduate Diploma in Public Sector Management.

A pioneer, Jay was in the first group of Western Australians working in the local economic development field during the early 1990s through the seminal Office of Labour Market Adjustment program.  Since that time he has continued to play a leadership role in promoting Local Economic Development to Western Australian Local Governments.  Jay was a board member of the Perth Area Consultative Committee since its inception.  He is also the Chair and one of the founding members of Economic Development Australia in Western Australia.