Bridging issue #62

Peter and I met in 1967 as postgraduate students in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Melbourne. Peter had completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, and was embarking on a Masters degree investigating the effect of irrigation watering strategies on root zone depth and consequent productivity of pastures.  While his research was a far cry from freshwater ecology the agricultural science degree equipped him with a broad scientific background and an empathy for the farming community whose livelihoods depend on the uncertainties of both the Australian climate and commodity markets.

As a young man Peter was endowed with a high level of intellectual curiosity complemented by a strong ethic of intellectual honesty. He was a forensic questioner and would have made a good barrister; you really needed to know what you were talking about before engaging in a discussion with him! Perhaps his strongest quality was his ability to explain complex subjects in understandable terms; he was an excellent lecturer. He was obviously ambitious and going places.

Peter was fun to be around; he enjoyed life. In his youth he was a champion and fearless scuba diver; he also loved driving fast – which could be disturbing for the front seat passenger until you realised that he was a really skilled driver. His sense of humour is legend: in the context of a staff/student football game, Peter quipped that he was grateful that momentum had two components because his deficiency in one was balanced by an abundance of the other.

We kept in touch as our careers diverged. Peter developed a successful career as an academic, promoted to Professor of Water Science at the University of Canberra with a keen interest in freshwater ecology. The rivers and lakes around Canberra provided plenty of opportunities for applied ecological research.  I developed a career in management and was the Chief Executive of the Rural Water Corporation of Victoria and a Commissioner of the Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC).

The CRC for Freshwater Ecology

At that time the Commonwealth Government initiated the Cooperative Research Centres program bringing industrial and research partners together to develop a strategic portfolio of research with a commitment of 7 years funding; such long-term funding is a great asset. Peter saw the opportunity and initiated a bid for a Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology (CRCFE) in 1992. Initially he sought and gained the support of Noel Fitzpatrick, then President of the MDBC. He recruited me to bring my experience from the successful launch of the CRC for Catchment Hydrology. We assembled a team of partners, prepared a business plan and submitted a bid including Peter as the Chief Executive and me as Chairman of the Board. The first bid failed; Peter was devastated but we persisted and were successful at the second attempt in 1993.

The CRCFE had 13 partners including: ACT Government (including ACTEW); Melbourne Water Corporation; Murray Darling Basin Commission; NSW Fisheries; Sydney Water; Melbourne Water; and the Rural Water Corporation of Victoria. The research partners included the Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre; CSIRO; Monash University; the University of Canberra; and Latrobe University. Peter now had privileged access to a wealth of water management expertise, substantial research capability supported by funding for 7 years, which was ultimately extended after a successful rebid. It was a networker’s paradise and Peter was in his element.

At the launch of the CRCFE Peter and I agreed that he would be the public face and chief advocate for freshwater ecology and associated water reform; I would operate in the background focussing on nourishing the co-operative culture among the partners. Occasionally I would field an angry phone call from a Chief Executive of a partner complaining about Peter’s public statements on an issue. I promised to talk to Peter – which I did – making him aware of the complaint but never attempting to restrain him.

The CRCFE provided the launchpad for Peter’s career.  He highlighted the challenges facing Australia’s freshwater ecosystems, and promoted reform in clear, understandable language, fairly, and without fear or favour. In one instance he was asked to advise the Queensland Government about a dispute between irrigators and that Government’s water department; to the surprise of the irrigators he came down on their side arguing that the department had treated them unfairly. Gaining bipartisan support was the hallmark of Peter’s skill as an advocate for freshwater ecosystems; both Paul Keating and John Howard valued his advice!

After 10 years at the helm Peter resigned as CEO in 2003. The celebration of his contribution to the CRCFE was attended by the Hon Senator Robert Hill, a former Environment Minister in the Howard Government and at that time Minister for Defence.  It is a mark of the regard in which Peter was held that the Senator took time out from his own Ministerial responsibilities to attend Peter’s farewell.

Leadership and Legacy

The Millennium Drought (1997 to 2009) reached its nadir in 2006/2007. When Peter was preparing to take action on an issue he would often circulate a brief document with a list of dot points outlining his logic and seeking feedback.  My records include such a document headed “draft letter to the PM”, dated 3 November 2006 and setting out the desperate water situation in the Murray Darling Basin and beyond. Although I do not have a copy of the final letter, I am sure it was sent. Peter was invited to the Lodge by then Prime Minister, John Howard, and spent an evening with him.

There is no doubt that the reforms encapsulated in the Water Act (2007) and subsequent Basin Plan are John Howard’s legacy; there is also no doubt that Peter Cullen led him there.

The biggest challenge for management of water and the environment over the next thirty years is to address human-caused climate change in Australia and globally, both reducing its causes from burning fossil fuels and land-clearing, and adapting to its impacts.

The most recent Australia State of the Environment 2021 report concluded:

“Climate change is continuing and is increasing the impacts of other pressures on our environment. Immediate global action to reduce carbon emissions would result in reduced pressures and improved trajectories for most aspects of our environment.”(i)

The most recent biennial assessment of climate change, the State of the Climate 2024 report from the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO, was released in October.(ii) 

Global concentrations of carbon dioxide and other long-lived greenhouse gases are at record high levels over the last million years due to ongoing emissions from human activities. Australia’s climate has warmed by 1.5°C averaged over land since 1910, while average sea surface temperatures have increased by 1.1°C since 1900.  This warming has led to increases in heat waves on land and in the ocean with associated impacts on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. There have been significant declines in cool season rainfall across southern Australia over the last thirty years and associated declines in streamflow. Heavy short-term rainfall events are becoming more intense.  There has been an increase in extreme fire weather and longer fire seasons. Sea levels are rising around Australia with more frequent storm surges and coastal inundation.

Every tonne of carbon dioxide emissions from human activities adds to global warming. Every increment of global warming increases the impacts of climate change.

The Australian government has implemented targets for stronger domestic emission reductions by 2030. However, the government has approved many new coal mines and fossil gas extraction facilities through the EPBC Act, that is failing its objectives to protect the environment and biodiversity. Australia is responsible for the greenhouse emissions from export of coal and fossil gas to other countries, which are treble our domestic emissions. 

Much stronger action is needed in Australia to dramatically reduce our domestic climate pollution and to ban all new coal mines and fossil gas extraction, in order to protect our natural environments, water resources and our communities.

Twenty two years after Peter Cullen was an author of the Wentworth Group’s  first report Blueprint for a Living Continent(iii), the Wentworth Group has just released its latest report Blueprint to Repair Australia’s Landscapes(iv). Australians do not have to choose between a healthy environment and a productive economy. Repairing Australia’s landscapes is essential, urgent, achievable, affordable, and in the national interest as part of the solutions to climate change.

ⁱ Cresswell ID, Janke T & Johnston EL (2021). Australia state of the environment 2021: overview, available from https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-07/soe2021-overview.pdf 

ⁱⁱ Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO (2024) State of the Climate 2024, available from https://www.csiro.au/state-of-the-climate 

ⁱⁱⁱ Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists (2002) Blueprint for a Living Continent, available from http://wentworthgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Blueprint-for-a-Living-Continent.pdf 

^iv Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists (2024 ) Blueprint to Repair Australia’s Landscapes, available from https://wentworthgroup.org/2024/07/blueprint-repair-australias-landscapes/ 

Peter established himself as a person of interest to John Howard at the Prime Minister’s Science and Engineering Council, where the President of FASTS was an ex-officio member.

He was a communicator extraordinaire, an astute judge of audience and a master at simplifying (but not dumbing down!) complex topics. I was a close observer for three years at FASTS, him President, me CEO; and watched him give televised addresses at the National Press Club, preside over dozens of FASTS’ meetings and handle numerous media interviews.  

Joe Baker was his predecessor at FASTS. His announcement about Peter’s appointment was an astute recognition of his ability to communicate:

“FASTS has become a valued source of independent advice to Government and other policymakers. Peter Cullen is an excellent communicator and has the respect of the scientific community and the people who need expert advice to make decisions. He will serve FASTS proud.” 

I can claim some small credit to Peter’s appointment, sidling up to him at an international conference on science communication in Melbourne. The suggestion was that he might take on the presidency of FASTS. He was billed to speak on the topic “Communicate, Publish or Perish – Paradoxes in the Emerging Paradigms!” (Peter Doherty was on the same program – he had been awarded his Nobel Prize months before.)

Peter’s skill and judgement were obvious from his first media release in December 1997, where he announced FASTS’ “Ten Top Policies” for the following year:

“There are so many areas that need attention – science and mathematics education in our primary and high schools, the low level of investment by industry in R&D, the lack of venture capital to turn good Australian ideas into commercial reality,” Professor Cullen said.

“The Prime Minister has shown a refreshing personal commitment to the functioning of his Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEC) and to industry policy. We’d like him to take on some of the burning issues confronting science today.

“There needs to be a whole-of-Government approach to address the market failures damaging our present S&T effort.”

(Some might feel little has changed in the last 25 years!)

During his term he spoke for Australian science as a whole, but did not forget his areas of special expertise. In his (almost) final report as President, he said:

“During my term on PMSEIC I co-chaired the working group on Dryland Salinity which reported to the Council in November last year. At the invitation of the Chief Scientist and Ministers concerned, I have been involved with the development of the Government’s response to the Salinity report which is due to be tabled at the coming meeting. This has been a challenging issue for the agencies involved since it is a difficult, cross-disciplinary and cross-jurisdictional problem.”

Joe Baker was right. Peter did serve Australia proud, facing up to issues and speaking truth to power.

Faced with the need to rapidly adapt our project, our team focussed on what needed to change. Ideas flowed thick and fast. In this moment we stepped away from a core value of inclusivity without even realizing it. While there was so much energy in the room, it wasn’t open to all of us. Baihua’s experience was very different:

“I could see excitement in people’s eyes, I could taste joy in the air, I could feel something brilliant on the cusp of being born. I was in a room full of people talking about issues I am also passionate about and it was LOUD.  My heart was pounding, but also overwhelmed with sadness. I was not part of it, and it was not my choice. As someone with severe hearing loss, I could not hear a word. I could have said something, but I did not want to break the momentum. When I could no longer bear the feeling of being excluded, I left the room.

With the encouragement of a colleague, I went back to the room after the discussion was concluded and told the team how I felt. What came after surprised me.

The group channelled their creativity and came up with wonderful solutions to support me participating in large group conversations. I experienced the most inclusive group activities in my professional life. I learnt that a better world is entirely possible if we allow it. “

This wasn’t merely a personal learning. The whole group was challenged about how quickly we had left our values in pursuit of a goal. Even before Baihua stepped out, we had lost a valuable voice.

What a wonderful world could it be if inclusivity is practiced in every workplace and professional forums? How many new voices and new ideas could we hear if we could create an inclusive environment where everyone can contribute regardless of their disability?

Professor Peter Cullen called on us to speak truth to power. The truth is, some people are being left out, their voices are not being heard, and the sector and the society is worse off because of it. The power to change, however, lies in everyone. Inclusion is a choice and a practice that can be implemented by anyone if they choose to. Some solutions are easy, while others are harder. But, this is not an excuse to exclude.

The theme for last week’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December) was Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future. We invite you all to reflect:

• What do you bring to your workplace to make it more inclusive?
• What do you bring to your projects, be they policy or research or operations, to include people in minority communities?
• What can we do collaboratively to make the environment and water sector more inclusive?

Trent Wallis (2017)

The Fellows Network’s success is fuelled by Fellows willing to stay the course. Trent has been a stalwart, serving on the Fellows Committee for more than five years, including as one of the very few who maintained that role through COVID and since, working to reform and reinvigorate the Committee through transitional periods of membership change, stepping up to chair meetings and to lead as needed. 

Trent doesn’t just show up, he brings his best self, every time. His consistency and persistence show Trent’s dedication to the core values of the Network, something that very few were able or willing to maintain through those years. One of Trent’s enduring legacies is the vibrant, busy and collaborative Fellows Committee of 2024.

Trent has led a number of important Fellows initiatives, including the Fellows Only LinkedIn platform; organising and delivering sessions at PD days; reporting back to the broader Fellows Network on Committee activities; and leading elements of the Fellows Strategic Planning. 

He reflects some of the very best attributes of the Fellows with his optimistic dedication to the network, activities and achievements of the PCT.

Jason Wilson (2022)

Jason began his journey with the Trust by gently challenging the 2022 cohort to take a different approach to its leadership contract.  From this small seed grew an inspired and connected group that made a commitment to each other to bring Traditional perspectives alongside Western science back to the workplace. 

In 2023 Jason proposed the idea of the Connection to Country program. He invited Fellows onto his Traditional lands, to see his culture and meet his community. For those fortunate enough to experience it, this program was life changing. Jason didn’t just welcome Fellows to his Country, he created a safe immersive space to ask questions, and to feel first hand what connecting to Country really means.  That program inspired today’s PD day – Decolonising Leadership. 

Jason embodies many of the values and leadership qualities to which we aspire, he has helped many Fellows to feel comfortable, given them the opportunity to question the current systems they work under and learn to embrace Aboriginal ways of being and knowing. 

His superpower is bringing people together, sharing his culture and connecting Fellows to support each other to do better. 

Professor Ross Thompson (2014)

Professor Ross Thompson has a remarkable, 19-year legacy of scientific leadership focused on the sustainable management of Australia’s freshwater resources. As a researcher and educator, Ross’s numbers are impressive:

• More than $50 million in research grants;
• Over 130 papers and 13 book chapters;
• Supervised 28 Honours students, 20 PhD students and 14 post-doctoral research fellows; and
• Developed a revitalised Environmental Science degree at the University of Canberra. 

He has held directorships at the Centre for Applied Water Science, Institute for Applied Ecology (both University of Canberra), and the Australian Centre for Biodiversity (Monash University) and as President of the Australian Freshwater Sciences Society undertook major reform focused on indigenous reconciliation, improved gender equity, and stronger engagement and outreach. 

Ross boldly advocates for Australia’s natural systems, including as a board member of Science and Technology Australia and as Lead Councillor with the Biodiversity Council of Australia. 

Ross is an extraordinary and generous supporter of the Trust, a wonderful advocate within his institution and a contributor of the highest order to the success of our 15^th Anniversary events.

Melissa Pepper (2023)

Mel’s leadership is firmly rooted in her values, and anyone who knows her can speak to the authenticity and integrity she embodies. Her commitment to environmental and community development has been a consistent thread woven throughout her career, and this perhaps really comes to fruition and benefit for the Australian community in her current role as Ranger Program Coordinator with Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation.

Mel will be the first to acknowledge that she, and all of us, are on a continual learning journey, and still getting things wrong. And while we acknowledge that, we also recognise the momentum and achievements she’s helped to facilitate and create by working in ‘right-way’ with the communities she works with. Some of these include:

• Working with Nyiyaparli Elders to develop the ten-year strategic plan for People and Country, which has provided the framework for the Ranger Program and developing the Fortescue Marsh Joint Management Plan
• Starting the Nyiyaparli Kids on Country Program to help kids engage in their culture, learn language, and develop skills to become the next generation of leaders
• Providing opportunities for the Rangers she works with to be proud, stand tall, know who they are, learn and grow as leaders themselves, and to connect to and care for their Country
• Negotiation with the State Government towards the Indigenous Land Use Agreement signed earlier this year, including establishment of a new 107,000-hectare nature reserve over parts of Fortescue Marsh to be managed jointly by Nyiyaparli rangers and DBCA.

Mel shares the lessons and insight from her experiences generously, she challenges our entrenched ways of thinking and makes an impact for community and environment. 

Congratulations.

Reflecting the intent to do things differently, we placed ourselves in a different location – on Ngunnawal Country at the Yarramundi Cultural Centre – situated on what was once the banks of the Molonglo River close to the foothills of Black Mountain and run by an Aboriginal Community Controlled Service, Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation.

As well as hearing personal reflections from Fellows about their own experiences of learning (and unlearning) about their family history and leadership journey we were also privileged to spend time with Guide and Ngunnawal Traditional Custodian Tyronne Bell and his son Jai, and Pitta Pitta Wangkamahdla woman Ronnie Jordan and her son Coen. 

Through a connection to Country walk, we learnt about the richness of Ngunnawal culture and the impacts of colonisation, and we also connected with each other as we learnt the art of traditional weaving. A highlight that many shared was being able to do this learning with the next generation of leaders, Coen and Jai, who accompany their parents as they guide and teach their culture and develop their knowledge and leadership in this way. This was an inspiring demonstration of the strength and resilience of culture and drove home how much we can learn about how to navigate the complex set of challenges we’re grappling with.

In the afternoon, we started to unpack together how we relate to decolonising leadership, sharing our experiences and learnings. We acknowledged the need for both incremental and fundamental changes in the systems we work within – grounded in genuine, long-term and respectful human relationships. As leaders we have the opportunity to be the ones challenging these systems and creating the necessary space for the ‘right way’.

Above all, there was a shared vulnerability in realising how much there is for us to unlearn and learn – but also that we do not need to feel like ‘isolated notes’, and as PCT fellows we can learn from each other and together, to change the music that’s being played!

So of course, this was only the beginning and we committed to come together again, to keep supporting each other as we work on this individually. Please look out in the new year for more information about this.

About Icon Water:

We are the ACT’s supplier of essential water and wastewater services. A part of the community for over 100 years, we play a fundamental role in the provision of essential services that contribute to the public health, prosperity and liveability of our region.  

Our vision is to be a valued partner in our community, one that actively supports all individuals, regardless of their background and circumstances. Through initiatives like our Community Support Program, we work with local not-for-profit grass-roots organisations, such as Rise Above, Lifeline, Fearless Women, Dementia Australia, NAIDOC in the North and Dreamtime Connections Ngadyung, in their mission to provide community access and participation. 

Around 70% of Australia’s extracted water is used for agricultural purposes (ABS 2020), and in southern Australia, most water catchments contain large areas of agricultural land. Rivers, groundwater and the ecosystems they support are influenced by the extraction of water for irrigation and agricultural practices taking place within these catchments. Agriculture, water and nature are inextricably linked.

Water scarcity is increasing

With a growing global population, demand for food and water is intensifying. However, in many parts of Australia, water availability is: declining due to changes in climate; changing seasonally; and becoming less predictable. More than 28% of Australia’s hydrologic reference stations have shown significant decreases in streamflow since 1970, mostly concentrated in southern Australia (State of the Climate report, 2024).

As Australia heads towards 2050, some of the questions that need to be explored include: ‘can agricultural systems, technology and practices adapt to the changing availability of water and still maintain productivity while enabling thriving ecosystems?’ and ‘what does a sustainable, productive future look like in 2050, and what transformational changes are required to get there?’

Current drivers shaping the future of water and agriculture

Futures thinking involves a process of identifying drivers of change, creating and exploring potential futures, understanding system limits and boundaries, defining desirable futures from which to work backwards, and identifying strategies and actions to realise those futures.

For the broader Australian agricultural sector, the Ag2050 project, is using this approach to provide an evidence-based picture of what farming systems could and need to look like to be profitable, productive and sustainable in 2050. Future scenarios were developed through a rigorous literature review and extensive consultation with stakeholders, and 14 key drivers of change were identified that will shape the direction of the broader Australian agricultural sector over the next 25 years.

Some of the water-related drivers identified in the Ag2050 Futures Scenarios Report include:

• Agricultural emissions reduction, including carbon offsets and the developing biofuels industry
• Water availability, management and use, including efficiency, alternative water sources and circular water economy
• Climate change outcomes and adaptation, particularly changing water demands and supply
• Digital and technology driven productivity and water efficiency
• Valuing natural resource and landscape stewardship along supply chains
• Valuing Indigenous knowledge and practices and their contribution to agriculture, water and environmental management
• Diversification, consolidation and intensification of farms and changing workforce

These broad trends provide a foundation for futures thinking, but there is still a need to test and refine these drivers in the context of water and use them to develop visions for sustainable futures that are relevant to the diverse regions of Australia.

Help us create the future

If you are interested in participating in this national conversation to share learning and insights, please SAVE THE DATE (12 March) in your diaries and watch out for announcements for the event in the new year.  If you are really interested and would welcome further information before then, please contact Rebecca Doble (2023) at Rebecca.doble@csiro.au.

Dr Neil Sims spoke on the importance of integrity in being a trusted government advisor. Just as the first rule of fight club is ‘you don’t talk about fight club’, at CSIRO the rule is you don’t talk about policy. You steer clear of the politics and influence policy by not talking about it. Maintaining objectivity and impartiality is key to developing enduring solutions that inform policy.

Nerida Horner spoke of three leadership behaviours that are critical to developing policy.

1. Connection: Foster a relationship with yourself and with others. Be self-aware, prioritise your own needs (just like the goose with the golden egg), and be open to vulnerabilities within the team. Be curious and seek to understand what motivates others while also showing compassion. Create space for rest, take breaks to recharge and keep a journal – all powerful tools for reflection and clarity.
2. Tenacity: Believe in the strategic power of the plan. Align the end goal with your values and be driven by your ‘why’. Don’t be discouraged when things don’t go smoothly, or when the work is criticised.  Adjust when goal posts shift. Protect yourself and your staff from negative forces and continue to push forward despite the bumpy road.
3. Cultivating expertise: Commit to continual learning – read, bring in expertise and be open to other knowledge systems. A multidisciplinary approach is key. Solving policy problems in collaboration with stakeholders is important. Milestones, checkpoints and evaluations are crucial to heading in the right direction.

What does it take to stay true to your leadership values and bring others on the journey:

• The why – remind yourself and encourage others to find their why  
• Time – reform takes time and is rarely a straight line
• Practice – self-reflection on what I am practising and how I am showing up
• Curiosity – look for the concern behind criticism and find out what is driving that behaviour
• Learning – seek data and expertise from diverse sources

Dr. Emma Carmody emphasised the importance of creating enabling conditions to ensure that the policies we spend so much time developing are successfully implemented. She discussed how even strong environmental policies can face poor implementation. This can occur for several reasons, including a lack of development in the appropriate contextual framework, failure to address the problem in a way that resonates with stakeholders, insufficient political will, inadequate government structures, or a shortage of resources, including funding and technical expertise. Policies need to be developed as part of a larger policy framework to ensure smooth and sustainable implementation, social acceptance and resilience against changes in government.

Many gems of advice were also raised during the Q&A session such as:

• Increasing communication and awareness with other agencies and departments of the great work being undertaken by your organisation
• Share a 2-page summary of your science work that is easily understood to prompt further discussions and promote buy-in
• There is no easy solution to developing policy. You don’t want policy so prescriptive it can’t be implemented or so broad it is meaningless
• The importance of developing legislation and policy to be really clear to avoid any miscommunication

Kirsten Shelley concluded the session with powerful reflections on how to influence policy effectively. Some of her key take aways were to avoid discussing policy in order to best influence it; understand your stakeholders; consider timing and policy opportunities; and use clear language to avoid miscommunication. Inspired by the session, she will also encourage her staff to connect with industry experts, fostering open discourse and meaningful conversations.

Thank you to our panel members for the wonderful discussion. The presentations were recorded and can be viewed HERE. 

Gillian talked about the way that we are all shaped by where we come from. In her case, a strong work ethic and high level of resilience were forged in her working-class background and early career as a young, industrial chemist working in a heavy industry and through tough economic times that were formative in the decisions she made and the path her career took. Gillian then as now, was prepared to take on the hard jobs and always focussed on delivery. Her 20 years in industry opened the door for opportunities to work with the community. She reflected on her experience that a big industrial facility can bring a lot of benefits to both the natural environment and the local community when it’s well managed and well-regulated. Her willingness to put herself in the shoes of others and consider what something might look like to others – taking an ‘outside in’ perspective – along with her strong desire to make a difference by applying her experience working in industry to public policy and regulation, led her to a public sector career. Initially through a role liaising with major industrial players. This put her on a steep learning curve figuring out how to get things done in government – a complete change of system to the private sector world she knew.

The key themes that resonated with the group and generated a lot of discussion, were:

• The importance of being who you are, believing in yourself and not trying to be anything else – a key plank of the PCT leadership program.
• The environment is an asset that we must invest in to understand and protect. For success, our projects must be bankable and deliver demonstrable environmental, social and economic outcomes that all stakeholders can get behind.
• For science to successfully inform policy and lead to systemic reform, it must be valued by decision makers and ideally, a requirement to invest in science and public reporting, legislated. This helps deliver a cycle of monitoring and evaluation to underpin longer-term improvements.
• Stakeholder and community engagement is constant. Be honest. Be nice. Be authentic. Treat people fairly. Focus on delivery to earn and retain trust. 

As always, the Lunch with a Leader provided a valuable opportunity to reconnect with Fellows and refresh my leadership insights, so get along to an event near you!

Global Nature Positive Summit (GNPS)

The GNPS (as it is affectionately known), was held from October 8-10, 2024 on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation at Darling Harbour, Sydney.  As an invitation-only event (with invitations so coveted that in the weeks preceding the event I lost count of how many times I was asked, in hushed tones, “have you got an invite yet?”) it brought together over 1,000 global leaders, including environment and climate ministers, corporate leaders, environmental groups, Indigenous Peoples, scientists, and community leaders.

The summit’s format was entirely panel-based, covering a variety of topics, some of them well outside us enviro and water people’s comfort zones in the finance space.  It sought to bring people together to unpack how a nature repair market might work. Despite the challenges and doubts that remain, the strong corporate presence—making up more than half the participants—was a positive shift from the traditional environment space.

The GNPS highlighted the critical role of Indigenous perspectives, with a strong Indigenous presence that was actively engaged and, importantly, at least from my perspective had a more powerful platform than I’d seen before. One of the best quotes I heard was in a finance panel where it was noted that enviro and finance people don’t speak the same language.  For us enviro and water people, equity speaks to inclusion, consideration and ethics – where for finance people it means “I own it, and you don’t”.

Telstra Sustainability Summit

I also had the opportunity to present at the Telstra Sustainability Summit which was a sister event to GNPS that week. This summit was understandably focused on tech innovations for environmental and social outcomes.

It was exciting to present on a panel discussion with amazing people from Telstra, Microsoft, Landscape Finance Lab, and Flintpro. We explored innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to enhance sustainability practices across various sectors.

I focused on building partnerships and – in true PCT style – I leaned into discomfort and shared my thoughts that partnerships can’t be just transactional; they have to be built on trust and we can do this by being kind, grateful and bold.  

I also had the privilege of attending a Chief Sustainability Officers (CSO) roundtable, chaired by Dr Ken Henry, who also delivered an incisive (as always!) keynote address. This roundtable brought together CSOs from some of the largest companies, and I think we started a dialogue here that I hope will continue where actions to reduce climate risk exposure and nature investments are more fully integrated into business strategy.   

A highlight of the Telstra Summit was a unique and beautiful session facilitated by Dr. Cathy Robinson (CSIRO) on the “Digital Women Rangers Program” being developed in Arnhem Land. This session provided a great perspective on how digital skills and data intersect with traditional knowledge, empowering remote Aboriginal communities. 

At Healthy Land and Water, during that big week on Gadigal, we launched our new ENVestor platform (www.envestor.com.au), and became a founding member of Nature Positive Matters, so while we have our own worries about the future, we are leaning in to the potential to connect corporate ESG disclosures to evidence-based investment needs on the ground.  

Get in touch

I’d be happy to talk to Fellows and Friends about this initiative and hear thoughts and feedback.
Please connect with me at andrew.o@hlw.org.au