1. From the Chief Executive Officer
By Rosie Wheen
Our leaders, writers and provocateurs share messages, questions and evidence that:
- provoke action – whether local, national or global – to safeguard freshwater biodiversity
- explore ways to rehumanise our plant
- inform policy – and ensure the water footprint and impact of policy decisions is well ahead of infrastructure investment
These messages are also echoed throughout this bumper issue of Bridging which has at its heart Ethical Leadership.
Through a range of recent PCT events we have held space for and conversations about Ethical Leadership; our Fellows have produced a remarkable account of what it is and why it matters, including a Protocol for Ethical Leadership; and with our partners – MDBA, eWater, Arup, RMCG and Yarra Valley Water – our May Graduation Dinner was a celebration of the central tenets of ethical leadership: aligned with purpose and values; inclusive and participatory; equitable and fair; safe, adaptive and reflective; exercised with trust and respect; accountable; transparent and honest.
There are some key calls to action to you in the articles that follow, and I particularly invite you to:
- Download the Fellows’ PD Day Protocol for Ethical Leadership – share it freely in your workplaces and other networks
- Meet the Graduates of the 2025 Leadership Program – our newest Fellows, who Andrew McConville and John Thwaites declare have “got this”
- Explore the remarkable, AI-generated (but human informed – with thanks to Chris Arnott (2010), Belinda Lovell (2022) and Sam Redmond, Director of the Adapt Group) Ethical Leadership website (yes, really)
- Consume the full script from Jono La Nauze’ (2013) keynote address at Fellows Professional Development Day (likely the only time that David Lefkowitz, Peter Singer and Perregrine Took will be referenced in the same presentation)
- Assess your familiarity with the sound made by a raven – and what this says about our capacity to “rehumanise”
- Celebrate the elegance of Andrew Campbell’s pragmatic and profound review of the viability of nuclear power generation in our sunburnt country.
- And finally, help us to welcome incoming Programs Director Natasha Davis who will ease into her role with us from July.
And when you’re done, may I also call on you to pay it forward with a contribution to The Ripple Effect, our first official tax appeal and an important opportunity to invest in the leaders of today and tomorrow. Donations are tax deductible.
I hope you enjoy the read.
Go well
2. In This Issue: Of Droughts and Flooding Rains
So said Dorothea Mackellar in her iconic 1906 poem to her sunburnt country; wind forward to 2025, the mid-point of the “decade that matters” for our climate, and the climate events that young Dorothea famously portrayed have become more insistent, more severe and less predictable. We are told that “the past is no longer a reliable indicator of the future”.
During the first four months of this year, parts of South Australia, south-west Victoria and north-west Tasmania saw their lowest rainfall on record. When averaging rainfall across the entire state, Tasmania had its driest start to a year on record. In the same period, devastating floods in Queensland and northern NSW inundated an area bigger than Texas; The Guardian reported that if the flooding were a country, it would be the 31st largest on Earth.
What does this mean for our sunburnt country, her people and places, river systems and catchments, water management and decision-makers?
The June edition of Bridging challenged PCT Fellows and Friends to share their expertise, experience, successes, near disasters and epic failures in responding to the extremes of drought and flooding rains. As leaders, what is in our power to influence, predict, plan for and control and who has their hand on the levers? Can we learn from the past – or are we literally in uncharted waters?
Here’s what they shared.
Rehumanisation is the key
By Dr Kerri Muller, Friend of the Trust
‘Wra, Wra, Wraaaaaaa. Is that how a raven should sound, or should it be Gra, Gra, Graaaaa? Onomatopoeias are hard to write but so satisfying to readers if we get them right, what do you think?’
‘I don’t know what a raven sounds like.’
I am gobsmacked. This woman, my creative writing mentor who can unpack the emotional intent of a mob of teenagers in a short sentence through her wicked perception and abilities to translate it into words, does not know what a raven sounds like. How many of the wildly anticipated million readers of my debut murder mystery will know what a raven sounds like? A raven, a winner bird, that happily occupies urban heartlands is unknown to sophisticated urbanites. How have we become so dehumanised and how do we rehumanise the masses in order to rehumanise our planet as quickly as we can?
Dunno, but I reckon droughts, floods and fires are critical to facilitate our rehumanisation.
Climate change seems more real and pertinent when nature rages at us.
Big events are our agents.
Let’s capitalise and paint pictures of how it could be. We know how to build and recreate cities and catchments that are flood and drought resilient. Where water infiltrates through regenerating landscapes, water sensitive urban design elements and waterways that can cope with inflows that have reached them via chains of interconnected ecosystems that each do their bit to treat, purify and calm the waters. Wild, managed and built ecosystems that together store water and yield it to our ecosystems’ needs during times of drought. Living shorelines and hybrid reefs protecting the coast, backed up by constructed wetlands, that can absorb rising seas. The list goes on………see our upcoming IPWEA Practice Note 15 – Asset Management for Green Infrastructure.
Cooler, greener and wilder urban and rural environments that nurture and rehumanise us are entirely possible.
If we only have 25 years of concrete left, then let’s use it to build green instead of grey. Let’s immerse our children in nature and empower them to work in unity with it.
Hope lies in wise adaptation and mitigation.
We can do this, we always have.
Inland nuclear energy is not viable at scale in water-constrained Australia
By Professor Andrew Campbell, Friend and former Director of the Trust
In a dry and warming continent, the water footprint of any major new industry is a vital consideration.
On 19 June 2024, the Federal Opposition Leader, the Hon Peter Dutton MP, announced “that a future Federal Coalition Government will introduce zero-emissions nuclear energy in Australia…” The statement went on to outline sites for the proposed nuclear reactors, all of them at sites where coal-fired power plants have been closed or are scheduled to close in coming decades. Six of the seven sites are inland, and one, Port Augusta, is on the coast. The Coalition released modelling from Frontier Economics that assumed over 13 GW of nuclear generation capacity would be built across the seven sites, which currently host around 8 GW of coal-fired power capacity.
Around the world, most operating nuclear power stations are sited on the coast, on large lakes or river systems, and/or in cold wet regions. Nuclear reactors require large volumes of high security water to be constantly available for energy production and cooling. In wet, cold places, the quantum and temperature of available water for cooling is not a constraint. Few nuclear power stations are located inland in hot, dry regions, or on small rivers with occasional low flows.
Australian rivers are known for being small and sluggish by world standards, but especially for having extreme variability in annual streamflow. International experience in warmer inland regions where rivers are the source of cooling water (like southern France, Texas, Tennessee and Alabama), is that nuclear power generation sometimes needs to be curtailed or shut down during extended periods of very hot weather and/or low flows.
The assertion that there will be sufficient available water at the seven proposed sites for sustainable operation of nuclear power stations at high operating capacities for the 80 years proposed by the Coalition is worth a closer look. There are obvious opportunity costs of allocating very high security water for nuclear power – i.e. potential impacts on other water users including irrigation industries, town water supplies, industrial users and the environment.
Commissioned by Liberals Against Nuclear, I examined water availability at each of the seven sites proposed by the Coalition, using conservative assumptions, based as far as possible on numbers claimed by the Coalition and/or modelled by Frontier Economics.
Rather than work from a multiple of existing coal-fired water consumption, I looked for a working example of the type of nuclear power plant proposed by the Coalition: the Westinghouse AP-1000 Pressurised Water Reactor. As it happens, two new AP-1000 units were commissioned in 2024 at the Vogtle site on the Savannah River in Georgia USA. At 90% capacity, these units would consume 25 Gigalitres of water per year, so that is the figure I assumed for each 1100MW unit of nuclear power generation. The Savannah River gets as warm as 27 degrees Celsius in summer, so it is a valid comparator for an inland power station in Australia. Recirculating wet-tower freshwater cooling systems were assumed for all sites except for Port Augusta, which assumed a once-through cooling system drawing sea water from Spencer Gulf.
The full report can be found here.
My assessment is that five of the seven sites, comprising 90% of the proposed nuclear generation, are water-constrained, either now or over the projected 80-year life of a nuclear power station. At these sites, it is highly likely that nuclear generation would need to be curtailed during hot, dry conditions, and/or new cooling water sources would need to be found by buying water from other users – industrial, agricultural, residential and environmental – or by increased use of desalination plants and pipelines at great expense.
- Only at Port Augusta on the Spencer Gulf in South Australia is there sufficient available water now and projected over coming decades to provide adequate cooling water for a proposed nuclear power station of the capacity suggested by the Coalition. There may be potential thermal pollution issues, but these were not explored in this analysis.
- At Tarong in Queensland, there is sufficient available water for cooling an 1100MW reactor, but not for 2200MW.
- At Liddell in NSW, the amount of water required for a new nuclear power station of the size and type proposed would be so significant (especially in dry seasons) as to have major impacts on other water users, including agriculture, industry, urban residents and the environment. Up to 39 gigalitres of water would need to be secured each year through buying back water from farmers and industrial users in the Hunter Valley. The risks of power output being curtailed during hot, dry periods are likely to rise with climate change over coming decades.
- At Callide in Queensland, a new nuclear power station would have to compete with other water users, including agriculture, industry, urban residents and the environment. An additional 5 gigalitres of high security water would need to be acquired every year through buying back water from farmers and industrial and urban users in the relatively small and variable Callide and Awoonga-Callide schemes.
- At Loy Yang in Victoria, Mt Piper in NSW and Muja in Western Australia, existing water availability is already so constrained that new nuclear power stations of the capacities proposed would lack sufficient cooling water to provide reliable power now, let alone through to 2120, even if the majority of existing irrigation water entitlements were acquired.
On-going water requirements for decommissioning and decommissioned coal mines associated with coal-fired power stations were considered where reliable figures are available, but this was not possible everywhere. The water requirements for Emergency Core Cooling Systems (ECCS) in the event of meltdown or any major problems with primary cooling, were not quantified.
Given these data constraints, this analysis is at the lower end of the likely range of water requirements for nuclear power in Australia.
The attraction of nuclear power in cold, wet places is that it is ‘always on’, operating at high capacity throughout the year, over decades. There is a direct, linear relationship between nuclear power generation and water consumption: the more power you generate, the more water you use. There are no economies of scale.
In Australia, the climate story is always the variance, not the mean or even the median. Our rivers can go from being many kilometres wide (as in parts of Queensland now) to a trickle or no flow at all in runs of dry, hot seasons. In extended dry periods, the risk of nuclear power generation being curtailed is high, undermining the value proposition for nuclear energy in inland Australia.
The impacts of water consumption for nuclear power on other water users need to be planned for, well ahead of any infrastructure investment. Water consumption should be much more prominent in current energy policy debates.
In all proposed locations, there are generic risks associated with nuclear power (including cost over-runs, construction time blow-outs, regulatory complexity, workforce constraints, security and waste disposal) that also need to be considered, but were outside the scope of this analysis.
Safeguarding freshwater biodiversity and resilient social-ecological systems in uncertain futures
By Angela Arthington, Friend of the Trust
Freshwater ecosystems and their diverse plant and animal communities are neglected, under-appreciated and threatened by the multiple interacting stressors of the Anthropocene era.
Climate change is the most ominous threat on the horizon and freshwater ecosystems are particularly vulnerable. Climate change, multiple stressor syndromes and other uncertainties challenge freshwater restoration and conservation.
This perspective presents a brief summary of major gaps in knowledge, governance and implementation that inhibit efforts to protect and restore freshwater biodiversity and offers guidance to address major gaps.
The mission for freshwater science over the next decade is to leverage robust scientific knowledge, governance, funding and policy to inform freshwater restoration and conservation action plans (e.g., the Emergency Recovery Plan, GBF 30 × 30, SDGs, The Freshwater Challenge), and even to exceed their present targets, while simultaneously safeguarding resilient social-ecological systems and human wellbeing under climatic and other uncertainties.
Tipping the balance: What’s at stake for our climate future
This article from the NESP Climate Systems Hub
Earth’s climate is approaching a moment not only of profound challenge, but of devastating consequence—climate tipping points that could reshape the planet for its inhabitants for millennia to come.
Scientists have warned us that multiple elements of the climate system are at risk of reaching a tipping point, ranging from the collapse of major ice sheets to the dieback of tropical coral reefs and vast forests.
At a local level, many decision-makers are contemplating whether and how to factor tipping points into their planning.
For adaptation, we can still make pragmatic recommendations. While responding to climate change risk is complex, the process can be broken down into testable components. Thinking about whether a tipping point scenario should be considered, we can ask questions like: What is the likelihood of a tipping point impacting a decision? What would the consequence be if one were triggered? What is the appetite for that risk? There is no clear answer, but there is a logic that can be followed.
What truly tests us, however, is trying to cut emissions fast enough to avoid triggering tipping points. A recent study from the University of Exeter, Max Planck Institute and Universität Hamburg estimates that an emissions scenario close to current policies (SSP2-4.5) is an ‘odds-on’ risk of triggering tipping points at 62%.
The good news is that, as a global society, we still have the power to avoid many of these tipping points with lower emissions. There is also evidence that Amazon forest dieback and thawing of the permafrost, although catastrophic in themselves, are unlikely to increase the risk of other tipping points occurring sooner.
What remains of great concern is how close Earth’s climate elements are to reaching a tipping point, with the possibility some may have already been crossed.
The need to rapidly reduce emissions is critically urgent. We have only decades to decide the planet’s long-term fate, yet global policies still fall short of what’s needed to avoid several potential tipping points.
The recording of a recent Climate Systems Hub webinar exploring the science of climate tipping points and some of the challenges of maintaining trust when communicating about them is also available to view.
3. On Leadership
Leadership Programs 2025
Passing the Baton – Welcome the Trust’s incoming Programs Director
One of the most important storylines within the Peter Cullen Trust is that of our Program leaders. The crucial role of program facilitator, designed and initiated by the incomparable Leith Boully, and then entrusted to the remarkable Dr Bek Christensen, was always going to be a tough one to fill. When Bek advised us back in December that her time with the Trust would be coming to an end, we tackled the task of finding her successor with some trepidation. How do you describe the skills and the traits that we need to deliver “the magic”?? And where do you look for the magician?
We looked in both likely and unlikely places. And our search introduced us to a diverse, talented, committed and passionate few who we met with and talked with and learned from, in rich conversations that brought us enormous value and clarity.
They also delivered us our next Programs Director, who we are so pleased to introduce to the Peter Cullen Trust’s network.
Natasha Davis will join the PCT team from July, and she will bring her own brand of magic to the role. Natasha is leaving her job as CEO of Trees For Life, but retaining her lifelong commitment to environmental issues, biodiversity, community engagement – and, of course, to water.
In accepting her new role, Natasha says:
“I am very excited to have this opportunity to join the Peter Cullen Trust, as I connect deeply with the purpose of cultivating courageous leaders who can drive transformational change.
I am passionate about giving nature a voice at the table and empowering individuals and communities; and I look forward to getting to know the growing network of PCT Fellows and supporting the ongoing delivery and development of the Trust’s celebrated leadership programs.”
When we first interviewed Natasha, we were struck by her authenticity and the value she places on purpose, collaboration and deep listening. In her own words, Natasha says:
“I’ve worked for 25 years in nature, water and NRM issues across many roles that have allowed me to experience leadership from many different vantage points and to learn how important it is to remain curious and nurture our inner lives as well as continually develop our skills.
I love working with people who are driven by a deep sense of purpose and love for our planet but who are also thoughtful and collaborative; able to listen deeply to different perspectives in this complex world. And I am deeply committed to growing the capacity of our leaders through programs that embrace both the personal and the big, messy systems we all work within.”
In welcoming Natasha to the team, we also farewell Bek who has been instrumental in the development and delivery of our flagship Leadership Programs since 2021. At our recent Graduation Dinner in Melbourne, representatives of each of the cohorts that Bek has facilitated spoke with heartfelt gratitude for the leadership journeys that she has so ably, professionally and caringly guided.
On behalf of the Trust and the PCT network, we also extend our gratitude to Bek, who will continue to support and guide this important role transition, with care and humility.
We recognise how fortunate we have been to have Leith and Bek, transformative and yet very different leaders, shape the delivery of our Leadership Programs over the past 15 years. We look forward to supporting and growing our Programs, our brand of leadership and our reputation under Natasha’s hand. It’s a big baton that she has accepted and a challenge that she will relish.
Please join us in not only making her welcome but in looking forward with optimism and excitement to what she – like those remarkable women before her – will bring to the role.
2025 PCT Leadership Program Graduation – Melbourne
For 15 years, the Peter Cullen Trust has been influential in the transformative leadership development of managers, engineers, scientists, communicators, policy makers and leaders in the water and environment sector. The first of many milestone moments in their ongoing leadership journey is their formal graduation, witnessed and celebrated by Fellows and Friends of the Trust alongside the sponsors and supporters of the graduands.
Historically, Graduation is held at The Shine Dome on the ANU grounds in Canberra. In May 2025, for the first time in almost a decade, Graduation came to Melbourne, where it was presented to a full house of Fellows, Friends, partners and supporters in the elegant Swanston Hall at the Melbourne Town Hall.
Victoria is home to over a third of the Peter Cullen Trust’s Fellows and the Victorian water sector has long held the crown as our strongest ally. The 2025 Leadership Program Graduation Dinner was a unique opportunity to showcase the leadership credentials of the Victorian sector, and to elevate the role of leaders and transformative leadership experiences on the national stage.
The Graduation Dinner provided a safe and trusted space for open discussion of wicked problems and for rich networking. We heard from Fellows who are both the beneficiaries and the future of the Trust and challenged ourselves to courageously, collaboratively and optimistically tackle the big challenges in water and environment.
Here are the highlights of the event.
THE GRADUATION DINNER – PARTNERS IN ETHICAL LEADERSHIP
The Trust proudly acknowledges the invaluable support of key Partners who are aligned with our purpose and our principles and who ensured the high calibre of our May Graduation Dinner.
Ethics in Leadership Partners
PCT Principle: Speak Truth to Power
Peter Cullen was well known for his exceptional listening skills, and his judicious and ethical use of his voice and power to ‘speak for the rivers’.
Innovation Partner
PCT Principle: Forge New Paths
Peter Cullen recognised the urgency of action needed, and had courage to step up, create, and advocate for new solutions to address our water and environment challenges.
Collaboration Partners
PCT Principle: Lead Together
Peter Cullen could work with anyone and did. From Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, to farmers, academics, policy makers, businesspeople, all the way to the Prime Minister – Peter included everyone on the journey to change.
We extend very special thanks to Andrew McConville, CEO, MDBA and Michael Wilson, Group CEO eWater Group, not only for their support of this particular event, but for their ongoing support of the Peter Cullen Trust and their investment in future sector leaders.
Take a few minutes to watch Andrew’s presentation as part of the Ethical Leadership Panel – the write up and link follow – and to consider this statement from his talk:
“I have to say I am just really humbled to be here. When I watched the Graduates tonight – I mean, how awesome. You guys have got this, you really do. It fills me with great joy, great enthusiasm, great optimism about the future of not only the water sector but the future of our nation. You guys are awesome. So well done to you.”
Michael Wilson echoes these sentiments:
“eWater is proud to join these efforts and is so fortunate to have PCT Fellows as part of our own wonderful team. Programs run by the PCT continue to transform the careers and lives of emerging water leaders, who go on to multiply their impacts through working with others in organisations and movements in Australia and across the globe.”
“Peter’s passion and his genius are so well commemorated in the work of the PCT, and he would be immensely proud today to see that his efforts live on in ever-mounting generations of water leaders working in every corner of the water policy and management sector.”
So Long, and Thanks from All the Fellows
A tribute to Dr Bek Christensen by representatives of the 2021-2024 Cohorts – Hannah Feldman (2024), Rob Fittock (2022), Sally Crook (2023), Belinda Hatt (2024), Karen White (2021), Melissa Pepper (2023) and Kylie Collins (2022)
What happens on the Program stays on the Program. We all get that, right? Apparently not. When we invited representatives from each of the seven cohorts that have graduated on Bek’s watch to say a few words about her, we couldn’t stem the tide.
Thankfully, we recorded their heartfelt, variously teary and hilarious anecdotes and reflections on what Bek has meant to them on their leadership journeys – click the link below to watch them. As you would expect, each is unique to that cohort, no two experiences quite the same.
One lends itself particularly well to sharing here – this is just a snippet from Hannah Feldman on behalf of the 2024 LP cohort:
“We had the courage and the hubris to give Bek a little bit of feedback of our own. Not only did she welcome it with open arms, but she championed it for us and stood up for what we really believed was right and for that we will always be really grateful.
Bek shared a poem with us, reflecting on when we gave that feedback. We want to hold up a mirror and share that poem back. It’s from the film Matilda and the song Naughty and it ends like this:
Just because you find that life’s not fair, it doesn’t mean that you have to just grin and bare it
If you always take it on the chin and wear it, you might as well be saying that you think that it’s OK.
And that’s not right.
And if it’s not right, you have to put it right.
But no one else is going to put it right for me, no one but me is going to change my story.
And sometimes, you have to be a little bit naughty.”
Graduation – Melbourne, May 2025
The centrepiece of Graduation night is, of course, the presentation, Q&A, assessment and ultimately the Graduation (will they or won’t they…????) of our newest cohort of Fellows. This year’s event did not disappoint.
The Group’s project focused on the IPBES Nexus Report which found that earth is experiencing complex and interconnected crises, including biodiversity loss, water shortage, food insecurity, health risks and climate change.
Adopting the perspectives of industry experts, community leaders, landowners, First Nations peoples, engineers and policy makers, the group concluded that we must act now. And they called on leaders to action their plea immediately.
“If we make rockets to fly celebrities into space, why couldn’t we succeed in taking steps towards securing our earth’s wellbeing for our future generations?”
They concluded that we need brave leadership from across sectors to support the Nexus approach and they invited industry leaders to join them to answer the call: “Are you a leader that can create change? Are you bold enough in your decision making? What steps must you take towards a better future for the world?”
Welcome to the Fellows Network
Why haven’t we done this before? Courtesy of our Graduation Dinner Organising team of Sarina Loo, Trent Wallis, Grace Rose-Miller and Karen White, a new tradition was born in Melbourne on 8 May when old Fellows welcomed the new Fellows into the fold. Culminating in the “ripple of leadership” – well, you really had to be there.
Or you can watch the recording – it’s worth it. Fast forward to the 41 minute mark…..
Introducing the (first) Class of ‘25
It looked effortless on the night, but the new cohort of seventeen earned their right to be PCT Fellows. And the right to be visible within the Fellows Network.
Here they are together:
Read more to meet them one by one.
Gemma Abela
Manager, Communications, Strategy & Business Planning
Southern Rural Water
Sponsored by Southern Rural Water
Gemma Abela is a professional leader, with experience in company reputation risk, business strategy, corporate planning and governance, media management, communications and digital engagement, and community outreach programs.
Advocating for employee sentiment and buy-in, Gemma has worked in government departments, statutory authorities, the non-profit sector and in private enterprises, centering her leadership foundations on championing great culture and delivering successful change within organisations.
She is passionate about being impactful in the work that is delivered, with recent projects including community engagement on a contentious carbon reforestation offset project, a review of renewable energy opportunities across a southern Victoria asset base to reduce the organisation’s climate footprint and the development of an environment scan to support board conversations on the organisation’s future direction.
Gemma has also led communication crisis management during statewide health incidents, Worksafe incidents and emergency management; experiences which have all shaped her proactive and strategic leadership acumen.
Steve Adamthwaite
NSW/ACT Water Business Leader
Arup
Sponsored by Arup
Steve Adamthwaite is passionately committed to Australia’s infrastructure sector and shifting how it achieves resilience and security long term. He represents the next generation of leaders and innovators driving change, leading projects and growing skills that will underpin a sustainable future for sector, the people within it and the communities that rely upon it.
Steve drives water strategies centered on implementing sustainable, community-oriented solutions and delivering the best levels of service and infrastructure for the community and industry.
Steve’s unique strength lies in his ability to bridge technical expertise with non-technical areas and his ability to connect with people is outstanding, enabling him to cultivate trust and support across diverse audiences, ensuring that projects align with client goals, community values, and organizational priorities.
Steve also shapes the sector beyond project delivery – he is actively involved in shaping future strategy through leadership positions with WaterAid NSW, Australian Water Association and Engineers Australia
Wil Bennett
Yawuru Parks Coordinator
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (WA)
Vicky Cullen Scholar
Wil grew up by the Murray River at Albury in regional NSW before pursuing undergraduate studies in Sydney. After a lap of the world and a few more laps of the sun, he followed the love of his life to live by the Fitzroy River at Noonkanbah in Western Australia’s Kimberley region at age 25. Wil has called the Kimberley home ever since, raising three children in the remote little town of Broome. Wil has dedicated his working life to celebrating the roles of Kimberley Aboriginal rangers. He has worked with traditional owners across the Kimberley to develop teams of men and women looking after remote natural and cultural resources and sustain effective ranger operations for the good of country and people alike. Wil feels privileged to collaborate with wide networks of amazing people and loves sharing the joy of being on country.
Emma Collins
Principal Advisor
Natural Resources Commission
Sponsored by the Natural Resources Commission
With 20 years’ experience in water management and planning as a consultant and currently a Principal Advisor at the NSW Natural Resources Commission, Emma’s experience is advantageous in providing independent evidence-based advice to Government to support the environment and communities in NSW. She passionately advocates representation of traditional knowledge and science-based solutions in water policy.
Emma played a key role in NSW Government’s Water Renewal Taskforce – a pivotal time for water reform in NSW. She also provided advice for the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer’s review into the 2023 mass fish deaths in the Lower Darling-Baaka. Emma has considerable experience in fostering positive stakeholder relationships and inclusive engagement approaches that encompass the diverse knowledge and expertise people bring to her work. She enjoys exploring the bush with her family and imparting her passion for healthy waterways and coastlines to the next generation.
Matt Daley
Senior Manager – Service Programs
Melbourne Water
Sponsored by Melbourne Water
A dedicated technical leader and chemical engineer with a passion for creating sustainable change in the water industry. Married with three energetic boys, the family spend much of the weekends outdoors including ferrying between various sporting endeavours.
With experience living and working in various locations such as the Pilbara, Salt Lake City, and the Northern Territory, love learning about and immersing in diverse cultures. Currently, serving as the Acting General Manager of Service Programs, overseeing medium-term program planning along with stewardship for our asset management framework and technical support teams at Melbourne Water.
Previously, managing Water Supply and the Eastern Treatment Plant operations teams. Outside of work, enjoy an active lifestyle, participating in hockey during the winter and running year-round. Training for the Canberra Marathon in April, continually enriched by pushing personal boundaries while balancing family, work, and fitness.
Mark Edwardson
Manager- Program and Renewal Works
Yarra Valley Water
Sponsored by Yarra Valley Water
My leadership journey has taken a somewhat unconventional path. I began my career by completing a trade before finding my way into the water industry. That hands-on experience has given me a practical, grounded approach to communication and leadership, allowing me to connect effectively with people at all levels of an organisation. Now, as Divisional Manager of Asset & Field Services at Yarra Valley Water, I oversee major maintenance and renewal programs for water, sewer, and recycled water systems.
I’m truly passionate about creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, included, and supported. For me, it’s all about open communication, building trust, and helping people grow in their careers. I believe that when people are empowered to reach their full potential, we can achieve great things together. By focusing on both the bigger picture and individual growth, I aim to inspire people to reach their full potential.
Li Gao
Strategic Research Manager/Senior Lecturer
South East Water and RMIT University
Sponsored by South East Water and RMIT University
Dr Li Gao is an industry-based research leader with a unique joint appointment at South East Water and RMIT University. He works as the Strategic Research Manager at South East Water, where he oversees a substantial portfolio of industry-based strategic research initiatives. In this capacity, he not only leads research endeavours but also fosters valuable research partnerships aimed at delivering benefits to the community.
He has won the prestigious inaugural Australian Research Council Industry Fellowship (only recipient from water utility with the largest group of industry partners among all Industry Fellowship projects) and secured a part-time position at RMIT University with the aims of bridging ‘blue-skies’ research with ‘real-world’ applications and transferring excellent research discoveries into real industry and community benefits.
Melissa Hill
Team Leader – Policy & Legislation – Water Act Initiatives
Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers
Sponsored by the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers
Melissa Hill is a Team Leader in the Policy and Legislation team, in the Queensland Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers. With over 25 years of experience, Melissa is a policy professional dedicated to sustainable natural resource management with a particular passion for the water sector.
Melissa leads a team of people who solve wicked water policy problems and deliver water laws for Queensland. Melissa promotes ways of working that support best practice problem solving, collaboration and genuine investment in the leaders of the future.
The development and passage of laws to strengthen water measurement and compliance, recognise cultural outcomes in water plans and to safeguard Great Artesian Basin water security have been proud recent achievements for Melissa and her team.
In her spare time, Melissa likes to spend time with her husband, teenage daughters and cavoodle, Phillip.
Suzi Johnson
Manager, Science
Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteering
Sponsored by the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteering
Suzi Johnson is a Science Manager in the Queensland Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers with over 25 years’ experience in natural resource management.
Suzi leads a team of aquatic ecologists delivering science to support water planning, coordinating science collection, advice and communication, with a focus on science for the Queensland Murray Darling Basin. She is one of the principal designers of the Queensland Water Planning Science Plan 2020-2030 and has championed its implementation across the water business.
Suzi seeks to develop and implement innovative business solutions to improve the collection and integration of science into the water business. She has successfully worked to deliver products focused on science communication, risk frameworks, climate change, standardisation and strategic planning to deliver improved outcomes for sustainable water management.
Suzi finds personal motivation through her love of the natural environment and spends time with her family enjoying Australia’s parks and wild places.
Cindy Kozel
Water Resources and Regulatory Economist
Yarra Valley Water
Sponsored by Yarra Valley Water
Cindy is a water resources and regulatory economist with more than 15 years’ experience in the Victorian water sector. Working previously in government and currently with Yarra Valley Water, she uses her knowledge and understanding across strategy, policy, economics and regulation to draw connections, identify opportunities and optimise solutions to complex problems with multiple stakeholders.
She is outcomes-focused, collaborative and pragmatic, leading and developing strategies, policies and actions to drive positive change for customers, community and the environment. Improving drought resilience across the urban sector is a particular focus for Cindy, important for a healthy environment and sustainable future in the face of climate change, climate variability and population growth.
Jethro Laidlaw
Manager Water Efficiency
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW)
Sponsored by Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW)
Jethro Laidlaw has worked in the water sector, with a focus on water efficiency since 2011. He is currently the Manager Water Efficiency at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water where he is leading the States water saving programs, including program delivery, policy uplift and in supporting utilities to design and deliver effective water efficiency and leakage reduction programs.
Amy Leith
General Manager Strategy and Planning Services
Corangamite Catchment Management Authority
Sponsored by Corangamite Catchment Management Authority
Hi, my name is Amy Leith. I am a proud mum, passionate gardener, keen practitioner of yoga, and lover of nature. I live in the lush lower Gellibrand River valley on Kirrae Whurrong country in southwest Victoria, with my husband and twin sons, where we are trying to live gently on the land.
For the past 15 years I have worked in the sustainability and natural resource management field, engaging with the community, business, and government sectors to deliver environmental, sustainability and catchment programs.
Currently I have the great privilege of working at the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, where I lead our strategy and planning services.
I am a committed optimist and have dedicated my life to making a sustainable future a reality.
Bill Matthews
Assistant Director – Environmental Water Coordination
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
Sponsored by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority
I live in Melbourne with my partner and two dogs. I love gardening, hiking, cycling and spending time with friends and family. My partner and I started hobby bee keeping a few years ago, which has been an enjoyable, rewarding and sometimes painful endeavour!
I have been working in water management for about 5 years, after working on several local and international wildlife conservation projects. Initially I joined the public service as I wanted a stable job, but have stayed as I find water management incredibly interesting and truly feel that we are making a difference with the way we manage Water for the Environment.
Our work is faced with endless challenges, but I feel fortunate to be in a position where I can have a positive influence. I am excited to further develop my leadership skills through the Peter Cullen Trust.
Rachael Nasplezes
Assistant Director, Victoria Assessments Section, NPRD
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Sponsored by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Rachael is an experienced professional with an environmental career spanning over 25 years, she is a wildlife biologist by trade, with extensive experience in catchment and natural resource management, through to highly developed interpersonal, engagement, co-design and strategic thinking skills.
Rachael leads and supports a strong team culture, with a well-honed ability to work collaboratively and proven capacity in delivering outcomes across diverse interests and multiple stakeholders. She spent 5 years working across South African terrains studying buffalo in Kruger National Park and working with the Institute of Social Ecology, moving to Queensland where she worked extensively in catchment and natural resource management. She currently works in the Victorian Assessments section as an Assistant Director leading a team of assessment officers in the Nature Positive Regulation Division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Revel Pointon
Managing Lawyer
Environmental Defenders Office
Professor John Langford Scholar
Revel is a dedicated environmental lawyer with a passion for advocacy to ensure our laws are as strong as possible to protect our environment.
With over 14 years’ experience across a broad range of environmental law disciplines, Revel has assisted First Nations, farmers, catchment groups, natural resource management groups, individuals and big and small conservation organisations to understand, use and change the law to protect the environments of concern to them.
Revel has been with the Environmental Defenders Office for 12 years, and prior to this worked in environmental education internationally and in private practice at Minter Ellison’s environment and planning law team.
Revel was awarded the Mahla Pearlman Young Environmental Lawyer of the Year award in 2018 for her dedication to promoting environmental justice.
Sam Roseby
Director – Constraints Relaxation
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
Sponsored by the Murray-Darling basin Authority
Sam Roseby is a Director at the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) and is part of larger team working to ensure Australia’s environmental water holdings are delivered in partnership with community and to maximum benefit.
Sam has over 15 years’ experience in Murray-Darling Basin water reform, and over 2024 led the development of the Constraints Relaxation Roadmap. Sam has worked at the MDBA since 2019 and has previously worked with the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, Department of Agriculture, the Office of Fair Trading in the UK and with AusAid in Cambodia.
Sam is passionate about sustainable natural resource management and contributing to a healthy and productive Australian environment for future generations.
Paul Young
Manager Asset Planning
Gippsland Water
Sponsored by Gippsland Water
Paul was raised on a Gippsland dairy farm with three older brothers and has followed in his parents’ footsteps of being a dedicated community member.
Paul has been married for 27 years and with his wife, they have three teenage boys.
Paul has a degree in Civil Engineering and has over 25 years’ experience in the water industry. Since 2019 leads a team of 15 talented staff responsible for water resource & infrastructure planning, capital project planning and corporate budgeting.
Paul often acts as the General Manager Assets, performs the role of Agency Commander during declared emergencies and currently is playing a key strategic leadership role in supporting the regions transition away from power generation.
Paul’s personal interests include volunteering, coaching and playing badminton, fitness and holidays with family.
Reflections on Ethical Leadership
By Professor Emerita Cynthia Mitchell, AO, Chair of the Trust
Breaking with what has become the tradition of a Graduation Lecture, for our most recent event in Melbourne, we opted for a virtual fireside chat, inviting reflections from prominent leaders on the always fascinating topic of Ethical Leadership. Our panelists were Pat McCafferty (Managing Director at Yarra Valley Water), Andrew McConville (Chief Executive at Murray Darling Basin Authority) and Professor Emerita Cynthia Mitchell AO (Chair at Peter Cullen Trust). The question posed was ‘over your career, how has ethical leadership changed, and what does that mean for where we go next? Three themes stood out.
There was vigorous agreement that ethical leadership is both process and outcome, so it encompasses head and heart and hands. Pat and Andrew spoke about how ethical leadership is simply good leadership, doing the right thing every time, all the time. For them, it’s found in the everyday – the conversations we have, the priorities we set, how we listen and how we respond. For Cynthia, context is key.
Ethical leadership is framed by culture, which is as much about our purpose and values as it is about how we show up – what behaviours we reward and what we choose to walk past. For Andrew, the job of an ethical leader is to create an organisation you actually want to work for, to not just pursue purpose but also to project purpose.
All three spoke to the steady and necessary expansion of what ‘right’ means. For Pat, that’s about how brave we are to play a bigger game. For Andrew, that’s about MDBA’s new purpose of ‘Rivers for Generations’. For Cynthia, how we’ll make things better for all is by seeing ourselves as inextricably part of nature – not more important than or better than– which means building into our decisions and processes a reciprocal and relational orientation to the world around us.
AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS
Fellows and Friends of the PCT are widely acknowledged for their individual achievements and contributions on many fronts, including:
Smart Energy Council First Nations Engagement Award
Jeremy Cox (2012), Co-Founder Electrify Bouddi
In April at the national Smart Energy Council annual conference and awards celebration, Jem Cox PSM, PCT alumni and co-founder of Electrify Bouddi https://www.electrifybouddi.org/ received the Excellence in First Nations Engagement inaugural award.
This award draws on the efforts of the Bouddi Foundation of the Arts, led by the inspiring and visionary Australian icon Mr John Bell AO OBE and Electrify Bouddi. This celebrates the intersection of First Nations knowledge, environmental consciousness, and creative expression that is informing our journey to a zero carbon economy.
Jem said “Listening to the wisdom shared by our First Nations inspires and uplifts our work, offering profound insights into sustainable relationships with Country”.
To learn more about the award, please visit eBouddi’s LinkedIn page with a Post providing links and further insights: https://www.linkedin.com/company/electrify-bouddi/posts/
Jem would love for any PCT fellows interested in growing this initiative together to reach out – please contact Jem on Jeremy.m.cox@student.uts.edu.au or 0473 678 452.
AWA Australian Water Awards
Nerida Beard (2021), Lifetime Achievement Award
Nerida Beard, Executive Director Office of Water Security, Department of Lands, Planning and Environment, Northern Territory Government
Nerida has an unwavering commitment to the water sector. She has exceptional technical expertise, leadership, and passion for fostering the next generation of water professionals. Nerida has consistently demonstrated courage in addressing water challenges, championed diversity and inclusion, and played a vital role in raising awareness of water issues within the community. Nerida has strong track record in conceiving and implementing collaborative environmental and cross-sectoral innovation projects with governments, industry and Indigenous communities in northern Australia
Congratulations to all PCT Fellows who were nominated at the AWA Australian Water Awards which were announced during OzWater in May.
- Nerida Beard nee Horner (2021): nominated for lifetime achievement
- Kylie Collins (2022) and Nicole Vonarx (2023): nominated for water professional of the year
- Maritsa Kacopieros (2024): nominated as young water professional of the year
- Simone Stewart (2021): and collaborators, nominated in the organisational excellence category for “Achieving Sustainable and Prosperous Futures for Self-Supplied Remote Communities”
4. Network News and Views
Fellows Committee
2025 Strategic Planning Session
Six mighty members of the Fellows Committee met in Melbourne for their annual strategic planning session. They were joined by Rosie Wheen, CEO of the Trust, and Lesley Ryall, Fellows Network Coordinator, with two additional members of the FC participating for part of the meeting online.
This was a valuable and timely discussion, generating a commitment to closely align the Fellows Committee’s strategic vision with the draft PCT Strategy for 2025-2030 – which was subsequently approved by the PCT Board a couple of days following this meeting.
Special thanks to Sarah Mika who facilitated this session.
More details to follow.
Fellows professional development day – ethical leadership
Professional Development Day – Ethical Leadership – Holding Onto Your Values
By Joel Rawlinson (2023), on behalf of the Melbourne PD Day Organising Committee – Sally Crook (2023), Meg Humphrys (2022), Belinda Lovell (2022), Yi-Ming Ma (2023), Joel Rawlinson (2023), Kirsty Savage (2022), Trent Wallis (2017)
The May 2025 Professional Development Day brought Fellows together to explore the theme of Ethical Leadership. For the first time in over a decade, the event was hosted in Melbourne, meeting in the collaborative spaces of Melbourne Connect. The day was opened by Environment Victoria CEO, Jono La Nauze, whose reflections set the tone for the day. Jono challenged us to consider ethical leadership as a lived commitment to enabling collective action toward what is necessary, not just convenient.
Drawing examples from personal experience and broader global issues, Jono emphasised that ethical leadership is often uncomfortable. It requires courage to challenge established systems, to sometimes break the rules, and to always interrogate the purpose and impact of our actions. Ethical decisions, he suggested, must balance consequence with conscience, and seek justice not just for the present, but for those who follow.
Take-home messages from Jono’s presentation were:
- Ethical leadership means asking “what do we need to do?”
- True leadership may require challenging or breaking rules
- Collaboration and courage are essential
- Throughout the day, Fellows had the opportunity to explore and share their own leadership journeys. In small groups and informal conversations, we considered what it means to lead ethically in contexts that are often ambiguous, constrained, or resistant to change. These conversations made clear that ethical leadership is shaped by relationships, values, and an ongoing willingness to ask difficult questions.
In a 90-minute Workshop session, Fellows worked in seven small groups to consider what an ethical leadership protocol might look like. There were 4 provocations that each table considered under these themes: Discover, Dream, Design, Destiny. The resulting output, recorded on 28 pages of butcher’s paper, has been subsequently synthesised by AI (informed and enabled, with our thanks, by Chris Arnott (2010) and his colleague Sam Redmond) into a remarkable, valuable report (and website) which is shared in more detail elsewhere in this issue of Bridging.
During a virtual fireside chat reflecting on their experiences from the Decolonising Leadership Professional Development Day, and the Connection to Country Program, three Fellows openly shared their personal leadership journeys— highlighting moments of tension, resilience, and transformation. Their honesty created space for others to think about the turning points in their own development and how their values have guided them through complexity.
The day concluded with a panel discussion featuring three distinguished leaders from the water sector: Chris Arnott, Sarina Loo, and Jono La Nauze. Their conversation offered insights into their challenges of ethical leadership during their career. They spoke candidly about the struggle to maintain integrity while navigating competing demands, and the importance of accountability, transparency, and dialogue in staying the course.
The Fellows were challenged to reflect more deeply, to act more bravely, and to lead more consciously.
Professional Development Day – Ethical Leadership – Keynote Address
By Jono La Nauze (2013), CEO Environment Victoria – speaking notes
Trigger warning: whilst not going into graphic details, I will touch briefly on themes of fascism, Nazism, the colonisation of Australia and domestic violence
Leadership can be about solving little challenges, like getting the family out the door on a weekday morning, and it can be about really big challenges, like avoiding runaway climate change.
Whether we’re talking about the mundane or the truly existential, I tend to find that the principles of ethical leadership are the same, their application is just a little different.
So let’s start with why ethical leadership matters.
I think it’s pretty simple. It’s about getting shit done. And it’s fundamental to our survival.
Collaboration is intrinsic to the human condition.
From the very beginning of humanity, working together is how we ensured our own survival and that of our species. That’s never been truer than today. Not only is global society more interdependent than it has ever been, its survival depends on effective collaboration more than ever. Because the most urgent shit that needs getting done today is avoiding ecological and climatic collapse.
What’s that got to do with leadership?
Well, the fundamental task of leadership is to enable collective action to achieve what otherwise would not be possible.
And why does it have to be ethical?
Plenty can be achieved with unethical leadership – plenty has. But ethical leadership is the best way to guarantee long term success. It can help you avoid harm – to you and others. It can protect you when things go wrong. Most of all, it engenders trust in you, and in the collective enterprise you are a part of. Without trust, collaboration falls apart. Collective action becomes impossible. And without collective action, we can’t hope to solve the existential problems facing humanity.
So what then is ethical leadership?
Ethics is an incredibly rich field of human enquiry that traverses philosophy, religion, the law, organisational theory and more. It’s a fascinating study area that until last night I hadn’t revisited since my uni days…
Unfortunately after several hours I realised I was coming up with a definition that was more and more abstract and less and less useful. This is where I had got to when I stopped the merry go round.
Ethical leadership follows a set of principles that, if universally applied, ought to result in the best outcomes for all.
That seemed a bit complicated so I boiled it down a little more.
Ethical leadership is helping people answer the question “what do we need to do?”
Now there’s still a lot of words there so let’s break it down a little.
Firstly, there’s “we.”
I argue that ethical leadership concerns itself with the biggest possible “we.” It seeks to expand the circle of consideration and of participation. It’s partly about scale. Big problems are never solved alone. Big solutions require collective action.
It’s about imagination. Thinking about what three of us can achieve together is somewhat limiting. Thinking about what three thousand of us might be able to do is empowering and inspiring.
It’s also about justice, equity and inclusion. Whose voices were heard when the problem was defined and the solutions identified?
The bigger the problem, the more people it affects, and the more perspectives you need to consider in defining the solution.
It’s about self-determination. This is where terms like “impacted communities” and “lived experience” are so important.
People with privileged backgrounds like mine, in organisations like mine and probably yours too, have a history of assuming they know what is best for others. That is, assuming they even acknowledge the interests of others.
One of the topics today will be about decolonising leadership, which starts with recognising First Peoples inherent sovereignty… the fact that the institutions of Australian settler society have always impeded on that sovereignty… and the need to not just ‘do better for’ Indigenous people but hand over power to them.
And finally, the “we” must go beyond humankind, and beyond the present. The motto of climate activist the late Philip Sutton comes to mind – “for all people, for all species, for all generations.”
But even that is not enough – many epistemologies would say we need to care for the non-living world as well.
So the “we” in that sentence is doing a lot of work, and ethical leaders need to think expansively about who it includes – both in terms of whose interests are being considered, and whose efforts can be harnessed.
But perhaps the most important word I used is “need.”
What I didn’t say is “what can we do.” That is an important question, but it must always come second to “what we need to do.”
The world is littered with organisations that are failing because they are constrained from taking the action that is truly necessary to achieve their purpose. Sadly, I think that often those that are most constrained are those that were setup to serve the public good – charities, public agencies, trade unions and the like.
The constraints might be a lack of resources. They might be legal. They might stem from cultural norms – in the organisation itself or the society it operates in. They might be restrictions that were imposed in bad faith, by nefarious actors, or they might be simply an unintended consequence of history.
The fact is that often enough, the answer to the question ‘what do we need to do’ is something we cannot, in our current state, do.
But that does not mean it is, and will always be, impossible.
Ethical leadership is about making visible those constraints and focusing our collective creativity on figuring a way to overcome them. And if we can’t at first figure out a way, to enable action that keeps open that possibility, keeps searching for that answer, keeps the greater need always in our sights.
Ethical leadership is about always coming back to that question – what do we need to do? What does the situation require of us? This has never been truer than it is today.
Atmospheric carbon is now above 430 parts per million and global temperatures are increasing exponentially. Runaway climate change has begun, and we know that it is a threat multiplier. It is exacerbating social and ecological crises that are already in many cases severe.
In that context, constraining our organisations to what they can currently do, to what they have historically done, to business as usual… hoping that someone else will solve the problem… that’s probably a bigger risk than taking your organisation outside its comfort zone… a bigger risk than that of acknowledging your organisation cannot serve its purpose in its current state.
I’m not suggesting the solutions are always some kind of drastic disruption. To go back to my earlier point, often the answer is simply in expanding the ‘we’ into new collaborations.
One of the risks that faces charities like the one I lead is that scarcity of resources can drive such a desperate focus on building and maintaining the organisation that it ends up coming at the expense of the wider movement or network of which it is a part.
Having a public profile and a trusted brand is vital to attracting new donors. Being able to claim credit for outcomes is essential to keeping those donors loyal and generously giving. In my line of work, resource scarcity also extends to reputation in the political class – if politicians and journalists think you are influential, they are more likely to meet with you or quote you in their story. Relationships can be jealously guarded, quotes in stories fought over.
A degree of competition is inevitable but left unchecked it can stifle collaboration.
One of the healthier recent trends in environmental advocacy – particularly, I have to say, in climate focused advocacy – has been the reverse of this. Networked campaigns – where sometimes dozens or even hundreds of organisations collaborate on a shared strategy – are making much bigger changes possible.
We can point to huge wins such as in 2022 when Australia’s biggest polluter, AGL, adopted a $12bn decarbonisation plan that brought forward its exit from coal fired power by 13 years.
Or in 2023 when the Restoring Our Rivers Act led to the recommencement of environmental water recovery in the Murray-Darling Basin.
What the environment movement is learning – or should I say re-learning – is that it is rarely possible for one organisation to achieve change on the scale that is required. But by working together in bigger networks, where different organisations can play to their unique strengths, where we share the work and sometimes also the limelight, we are making the impossible become possible.
Sometimes, the organisation that is needed doesn’t yet exist, and having the courage to name that and ask how we can create it is again a function of ethical leadership.
I’ll give you two examples. One you all will have heard of, the Climate Council. It was formed in 2013 after Tony Abbott abolished the Climate Commission, the independent body that had been set up to communicate reliable and authoritative information on climate change.
Another, less well known but growing in profile is the First Nations Clean Energy Network, that exists to ensure First Nations people play a central role in and harness the opportunities from Australia’s renewable energy boom.
Both organisations were set up by experienced environmental activists who recognised an unmet need and convinced others to join them in setting up an organisation to meet it.
Both incredible acts of ethical leadership.
So what about when the solution that’s required is against the rules?
Questioning and challenging rules is something I think we’re probably all pretty comfortable with in this room. But what about breaking them. Is that ethical?
It’s something ethicists have spent a fair bit of time thinking about over the years, and the commonly accepted position is ‘it depends’. It depends on the balance between the good that might come from breaking a rule and the harm it might cause.
It’s commonly understood that rules – like statutes, regulations and court made law – are essential for society to function, and therefore the ‘rule of law’ is a morally good thing. The antithesis is the ‘rule of power’ – arbitrary rule in an authoritarian regime such as the one Donald Trump is creating right now.
Just last month I was speaking with a widely respected community leader in Minnesota, a dear friend of mine. He described to me the moment he ‘crossed the Rubicon’ and stopped thinking about the ‘slide into authoritarianism’ – that is, wondering about the possibility of a future authoritarian state. Because he realised he was living in that state already. And the way he described it, ultimately that was a moment of hope because of the clarity it brought about the task ahead.
The salvation of American democracy is a complex challenge, and not one I’m going to attempt to sum up here. But it does provide some opportunity to explore the idea of ethical rule breaking.
Let’s examine the ethical significance of the ‘rule of law’ for a second. One class of moral philosophers, the deontologists, get particularly excited about it. This is folks like Kant and Rawls, but also contemporary philosophers like David Lefkowitz, who look at how morality stems from duties. Things like the duty of ‘fidelity’ – the duty to fulfil ones promises, or ‘reparation’ – the duty to make up for wrongful acts.
Of course, in any given situation, duties may conflict. And deontologists are particularly fascinated with situations where a duty to obey the law conflicts with some other duty.
History abounds in examples. Think of Bernard Collaery and Witness K who faced jail for exposing Australia’s spying on East Timor. Spying that was done purely to give Australia an advantage in negotiations over our tiny fledgling neighbour’s only significant source of wealth, the oil in the Timor Sea.
Or conversely the approach taken in Nuremberg that ‘just following orders’ did not excuse war crimes.
The ‘rule of law’ is pretty important to deontologists, because it is instrumental in providing for the enjoyment of fundamental natural rights such as the right to freedom from malicious violence. The ‘rule of law’ means we value adherence to the law, because without laws we have chaos or the arbitrary exercise of power. The ‘rule of law’ depends on people and institutions continuing to adhere to the law.
This is precisely why Trump defying the courts is so destructive, particularly when it is seen in the context of his pardoning the January 6th insurrectionists. His message is clear – he will not obey the law, and if you are loyal to him, you don’t have to either. The ‘rule of law’ has been replaced with the ‘rule of power.’
Which is a pretty stark illustration as to why the deontologists hold that in defending the rule of law, one is sometimes compelled to break the law.
Lefkowitz is blunt: citizens have a duty to obey the law or else to engage in civil disobedience. Not in silence or for merely private gain, but publicly, as an act not merely of defiance but an act of defending the very idea of the ‘rule of law’ by exposing how the law is being used unjustly, to the detriment of the greater good.
There is another class of ethicists who weigh up not the moral duties inherent in our actions but the consequences of them. The consequentialists. Melbourne’s own Peter Singer is probably the most famous of contemporary consequentialists. When it comes to the morality of breaking rules, they arrive at a similar place, but through a different route – that of weighing up the consequences, both negative and positive, of breaking the rules.
Essentially, having a system of rules that we all agree to follow is good because it enables us to cooperate effectively to produce good outcomes. Driving on the same side of the road is the classic example, or wearing a face mask and getting your COVID jab.
Breaking the law inherently causes harm, if only to the notion that, in general, we should obey the law. It sets a bad example. We can all hear our parents saying ‘but what if everyone did that’.
It also imposes a cost on society, to go to the trouble of enforcement.
But these costs can be worth it, if there is greater benefit as a result.
Who would argue that the protection of the Franklin River was not a good outcome. It wouldn’t have happened without 1,400 people being arrested and jailed for peacefully disobeying the law at the blockade.
These examples – from the Franklin to Nazi Germany are epic in scale, but to bring us back to the ethical leadership that each of us practice day in and day out, the same principles apply to the norms and policies that guide our work.
‘We don’t do things like that round here’
‘We don’t partner with organisations like that’
‘We leave that to others’
When asking that fundamental question ‘what do we need to do?’ as ethical leaders, the answer is not necessarily ‘we need to obey the rules’. Sometimes, breaking rules can be as important as adhering to them, and the ethical leader encourages an examination of ‘what we must do’ not with a disregard for rules nor a blind adherence but a critical and a strategic eye.
That is easier said than done – one of the benefits of rules is that they can save time and disagreements. But to quote one of the lesser-known philosophers, Perregrine Took (!) sometimes short cuts make long delays!
I have one golden rule of rulebreaking – and that is ‘ understand the rules’. Why are they there, who’s interests are they serving, who will be harmed if you break them, who will come after you if you succeed?
As I said earlier, think of the biggest ‘we’ possible. Breaking rules can have unintended consequences – good or bad – if we don’t consider the full picture.
Lest you think I’m merely on the side of rulebreaking, consider the seemingly innocuous photos taken at an event like today, and the need to gain everyone’s consent.
Statistically there’s a reasonable probability that someone in this room is a survivor of domestic violence. What if that person has had to move and change identities for their own safety. Publishing their photo online could have devastating consequences. Asking permission before you post could be a matter of life or death.
As I said earlier, moral philosophers are fascinated with the business of breaking rules, and they have some helpful guidance. Going beyond my golden rule of ‘understand the rules’ here’s a few:
- It is generally held that one must have already exhausted legal avenues before choosing to break the law. Peter Singer points out this doesn’t literally mean you have to waste time pursuing a dead-end legal strategy, rather, if the obedient pathway is clearly unlikely to succeed then you are justified at skipping that step and looking to disobedience.
- The corollary of this is that if you’re going to take an illegal act, it must have a reasonable chance of achieving some more noble aim. You are not fulfilling a duty to restore justice if you know full well that your lawbreaking will be fruitless.
- A more heavily debated dimension is that of violence and coercion. Some hold that any form of these sins is intolerable. That would rule out the Franklin dam blockade, a union picket line or a Black Lives Matter protest that shut down a city.
- In a majoritarian democracy, a minority may be left with a choice between coercion and being ignored – the sit-in is the classic example.
- If coercion is used merely to demand the right to be heard, it could be seen as a deeply democratic expression.
- As with the idea of exhausting legal avenues, the morality of using coercion often comes back to weighing up the alternatives, and the cost of one’s rule-breaking.
Sometimes obeying the rules is the lesser of two evils… but sometimes the inverse is true.
To come back finally to where I started. Leadership is essential to cooperation. And cooperation is essential to survival.
Ethical leadership concerns itself with asking ‘what do we need to do.’ Not alone in an ivory tower, but together, with the biggest ‘we’ possible. Everyone who might be impacted by our actions. Everyone who could help make our goals possible. All people, all species, all generations. Perhaps even all things.
And ethical leadership does not satisfy itself with ‘this we can do’ but continues to prod and ask ‘yes but is it enough’?
Professional Development Day – A Protocol for Ethical Leadership
In this 90-minute Workshop session, Fellows worked in seven small groups, facilitated by members of the Fellows Organising Committee, to consider what an ethical leadership protocol might look like.
There were 4 provocations that each table considered under these themes: Discover, Dream, Design, Destiny.
The resulting output was recorded on 28 pages of butcher’s paper and subsequently, generously synthesised by AI (informed and enabled, with our thanks, by Chris Arnott (2010) and his colleague Sam Redmond) into a remarkable, valuable report – which has also been transformed into a website that we are pleased to share with the Network. There is rich content here, and we encourage further exploration.
With some smart human intervention, the PD Day Team is proud to present a Protocol for Ethical Leadership, informed by 50+ Fellows from the PCT Network.
A Protocol for Ethical Leadership – May 2025, PCT Fellows Professional Development Day
Ethical leadership, a summary protocol:
- Be principled, aligned to purpose and values:
Ensure the environmental, social and cultural implications of decisions are deeply considered, guided by the shared principles of ‘do no harm’, ‘procedural fairness’, ‘justice’, ‘equality’ and ‘equity. Consider the why, who we are, and what ethical means in the context of our decisions, rather than rigid rules. - Promote processes that are profoundly inclusive and participatory:
Involve diverse stakeholders in defining problems, co-designing processes, and making decisions. Ensure all voices, especially marginalised ones, are heard. - Consider biases and imbalances of power:
Strive for equitable outcomes and processes, whereby we have considered the long-term implications of our actions, including future generations. - Be adaptive and practice approaches that are reflective:
Incorporate regular pauses for individual and collective reflection, learning from our experience, and adopt adaptive approaches as needed. - Be oriented to enduring relationships:
Invest in building and maintaining trust-based relationships through respectful engagement. - Focus on safety:
Prioritise psychological and cultural safety, that allows for risk-taking, open dialogue, and learning from mistakes. - Be accountable and responsible:
Own your decisions and their impacts, with clear measures of success that go beyond mere outputs to include fairness, learning, and their contribution to the greater good. Set clear standards of ethical behaviours early on, and hold others accountable by calling out behaviors that are not aligned. - Be transparent and honest:
Operate with openness about agendas, power dynamics, and tradeoffs. Ensure communication is factual, objective, and candid – yet also undertaken with care and empathy.
How do you rate our Protocol for Ethical Leadership? Is it a useful tool you can see apply? Please share your feedback via lesley@petercullentrust.com.au
“unconvention” is coming to canberra: FELLOWS professional development day – November 19–20
Mark your diaries for a 2-day Fellows professional development extravaganza!
By Paul Frazier (Fellow, 2012) on behalf of the UnConvention organisers
Day 1 Fellows Fierce Conversation (Wednesday 19 November)
Dig in to serious topics and have the ‘Stoush before the Beer’.
Professor Peter Cullen used to say we need to have the stoush before we can get the issues out. Polite presentations have their place. Open and honest discussion in a trusted space are next level.
Topics:
- Water to Drink – will there be any
- Nature Markets – impacts and flops
- Basin Plan – failures and future
Keynote speakers will be drawn from Fellows, Friends and other Super Stars to highlight issues and challenge us. Fellows who want to contribute will be coached, mentored and trained to sharpen their contributions – critical friends style.
Facilitated sessions, outcomes recorded and promulgated – all Chatham House.
Day 2 Breaking the Communication Impasse (Thursday 20 November)
Drawing on the topics and outcomes of Day 1 we will learn together to break through with our communication approaches. Trying new things, being out of our comfort zone and being better together.
What you can do:
- Put the dates in your diary and start your approval processes.
- Become a presenter. If one of the three topics is in your area of interest we can help you put together an amazing presentation and present it for maximum cut through – register your interest by email to lesley@petercullentrust.com.au and begin the journey. You will be both challenged and supported in great PCT fashion and the end result will be magnificent.
Registrations will open soon. For now, mark your diaries and start planning – this will be an unmissable PD experience.
giving back – 2025 Tax Appeal
The Ripple Effect
Once upon a time, a small community of people had an idea to honour the leadership and the impact of one of their own. They had lunch. They talked, and they listened. They went away and thought about it – then talked some more. They didn’t always agree. But they kept talking and listening.
Then they outlined a business case for an organisation that would take others on a leadership journey. They asked for a modest investment – and they got it.
One year later, enabled so boldly by the unique vision, wisdom and grit of Leith Boully, a leadership program was born. Fifteen debutants – the first cohort – were invited on the journey. And what a remarkable journey it has been.
Fifteen years later, the 22nd cohort joined the Fellowship, now numbering 330. What better tribute to Peter’s legacy.
In 2025, as the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust launches its 2025-2030 Strategy, guiding us through to our 20th year, we also launch our first Tax Appeal. It’s a call to action to our mature leadership network. An opportunity to give a little back. To pay it forward. As Cullen Fellows, as beneficiaries, as leaders.
Our 2025-2030 Strategy demands that we be authentic and brave. To nurture leaders and to support them to be the catalysts for change that Peter modelled. To be the allies that our First Nations colleagues deserve; to hold the space for tough conversations; to hear all the voices; to keep going and growing and staying the course.
Our purpose is to foster courageous leadership to tackle big challenges in water and the environment. Will you help us fulfil that purpose?
The Ripple Effect is a term borrowed from the natural world. It describes how a single action can spread and influence a more extensive system. When we drop a pebble into a pond, the initial splash may be small, but the ripples can extend far beyond the point of impact.
It’s a neat analogy for the impact your donation, no matter how small, can make when you drop it into the Peter Cullen Trust leadership pond.
It is also the collective impact you are making, as our strength are our numbers. We are so pleased to have had many past Fellows from various cohorts who have already given generously to the Trust, and this list is growing.
The Peter Cullen Trust is an independent, self-funding, not for profit organisation with charitable status. Your tax-deductible donation is an investment in our brand of leadership, our expanding network of committed fellows, and in the leaders of tomorrow.
And an act of giving back, Cullen-style.
Thank you for considering a gift to the PCT this tax time.
Lunch with a Leader Series
Lunch with a Leader – Coming Soon
- Darwin – Thursday, 24 July, with Ricky Archer, CEO of Parks Australia
- Melbourne – July/Aug – speaker TBC
Where are they now?
Fellows move about a good deal; here are some career updates:
Luk Peeters (2024)
After 15 years as hydrogeologist with CSIRO, me and my family decided to reconnect with our home country, Belgium. I’ve started a new position as researcher in the Digital Water and Soils team at VITO. VITO is a Belgian research institute, similar to CSIRO, partly funded through government.
Within the team, I will return to my core expertise, hydrogeology and groundwater modelling, but also be challenged with research and advising on soil contamination issues, especially related to PFAS and heavy metals.
While I’ll be working on a vastly smaller spatial scale than what I was used to in Australia, Belgium faces very similar challenges to Australia, in trying to balance agriculture, industry, environment and society in a climate that is rapidly changing.
Fellows can keep in touch with Luk at luk.peeters@gmail.com
Where are you now?
Help us to stay connected. Have you had a career change recently? This is an invitation for all Fellows to update us on your current roles, titles, preferred emails, contact details etc. Please share your details with Lesley Ryall, Fellows Network Coordinator, at lesley@petercullentrust.com.au.
5. Diary Dates
PCT EVENTS
- 24 July – Lunch with a Leader, Darwin
- 19-20 November – “UnConvention” – Fellows Professional Development, Canberra
- 20 November – Graduation, Canberra
PCT PROGRAMS
- 25 June – Applications Open for 2025 Connection to Country – Fellows Only
- 7-12 September – Leadership Program (Women) Session 1
- 19-23 October – 2025 Connection to Country Program
- 17-21 November – Leadership Program (Women) Session 2
PCT GOVERNANCE
- 5 August – Audit, Finance and Risk Committee
- 21 August – PCT Board meeting
- 5 November – Audit, Finance and Risk Committee
- 21 November – PCT Board meeting
GLOBAL
- 6-13 July – NAIDOC Week
- 5-11 August – Landcare Week
- September – National Biodiversity Month
- 7 Sept – National Threatened Species Day
CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS
20th World Lake Conference (WLC20), Brisbane 2025
Theme: Lakes as Sentinels for Integrated River Basin Management
Dates: Monday, 21 July – Friday, 25 July 2025
Venue: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Hosts: Griffith University & International Lake Environment Committee (ILEC)
About the Conference
The 20th World Lake Conference (WLC20) brings together global experts, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss the pivotal role of lakes in integrated river basin management. The conference aims to share groundbreaking research, innovative restoration techniques, and global perspectives on lake management.
Program Highlights
- Monday, 21 July:
- Youth Session: “Youth in Action for Lakes”
- International Colloquium: “Brisbane’s Waterscapes in a Changing World: A Global Dialogue on Lakes, Rivers & Communities”
- Tuesday, 22 July – Thursday, 24 July:
- Main conference sessions, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, and workshops.
- Friday, 25 July:
- Optional post-conference field excursions
2025 Peter Cullen Lecture
The prestigious Peter Cullen Lecture will be delivered by Professor Brad Moggridge (2018) on Tuesday, 22 July. While specific details of his lecture topic are yet to be announced, Professor Moggridge is renowned for his work in Indigenous water science and policy, and his lecture is anticipated to provide valuable insights into integrating traditional knowledge with contemporary water management practices.
Registration & Attendance
Registration Includes:
- Access to the full conference program (22–24 July)
- Participation in the Welcome Function (21 July)
- Conference catering: Morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea
- Eligibility to join post-conference excursions (25 July)
Registration Details: For information on registration fees and to register, please visit the official registration page: wlc20.org
- Program Overview: A detailed program outline is available here: https://www.wlc20.org/wlcprogramwlc20.org (subject to change)
- Official Conference Website: For comprehensive details about the conference, including speakers, sessions, and updates, visit: wlc20.org
Future-Ready: Innovation, Optimism and Opportunity
This year’s conference theme encapsulates the spirit of transformation and resilience in the water industry, highlighting the importance of innovative solutions, forward-thinking strategies, and a positive outlook in addressing today’s challenges and unlocking tomorrow’s opportunities.
With a focus on technological advancements, customer engagement, environmental practices and collaborative partnerships, the conference serves as a platform to explore groundbreaking ideas and inspire action towards a future where water services are sustainable, equitable and community focused to support healthy ecosystems worldwide.
For more information and to register – VicWater 2025 Annual Conference | VicWater
EFFICIENT 2025 is the world’s leading conference dedicated to urban water efficiency, and it’s coming to Melbourne this September.
Hosted by the International Water Association (IWA) and the AWA, this event brings together the global water community to tackle the biggest challenges cities face today.
If you’ve just come back from Ozwater, you’ve seen the national picture. This is where the global conversation starts. From São Paulo to Singapore, utilities and city leaders are redesigning how water is managed under pressure. This event brings them together to share what’s actually working.
You’ll hear what others won’t say in reports. You’ll connect with the people making tough decisions in real time. And you’ll leave with a sharper sense of where we’re all headed next. Will you be there?
For information and to register – https://www.awa.asn.au/efficient2025
6. Stories from the Sector
Professor Sam Lake AO – 1941-2025
A lifetime speaking truth to power
Professor the Hon John Thwaites, as presented at the Graduation event on 8 May 2025
Professor Philip (Sam) Lake AO was a great Friend of the Peter Cullen Trust and a friend and colleague of Peter Cullen; sadly Sam passed away in April.
As one of the original program leaders in the CRC for Freshwater Ecology, Sam’s expertise and ability to build ecological capacity within the CRC was recognised by Peter Cullen who appointed him Chief Ecologist.
Sam was a splendid scientist. His publication record is elite with over 220 refereed papers and two highly cited books on drought and freshwater monitoring. His CV, with all publications, appointments, committees and research listed, runs to 34 pages.
But Sam’s most significant legacy is the people he taught, supervised and mentored – over 40 PhD students and countless Honours students – who are now in positions of influence in academia, government and industry.
On a personal level, Sam was a warm, sensitive and stalwart friend. His humanity touched everyone, supported by his irrepressible humour that added richly to time spent in his company.
Sam passed away in April this year, leaving the world a little poorer.
A world which benefited from his contributions, his passion and his wonderful mind.
Vale Sam Lake.
The Trust’s full tribute to Sam, delivered by John Thwaites, can be viewed at the link below.
Looking Back, Moving Forward: Reflections from Ozwater’25
By Rosie Wheen, CEO, Peter Cullen Trust
OzWater is Australia’s biggest water conference and exhibition and once again this year it didn’t disappoint! OzWater25 was held on Kaurna Country and shaped around the theme Puki-ana Nakunthi Tarrkarri-ana Wayinth (Looking back, moving forward). This theme resonates deeply with the Peter Cullen Trust’s commitment to reflective and courageous leadership.
People solve problems
Professor Juliet Willets set the scene looking globally and locally at events, people and place – I learnt that Adelaide had the first (deep drain) sewerage system in Australia! From there across the three days as we reflected on the present and imagined our futures and that of the generations that followed there were some recurring challenges – climate change, geopolitical impacts, social inequalities and many more.
Throughout, I was reminded of the wisdom of Leith Boully that is at the heart of all that we do at the Trust – Technical proficiency and expertise on its own doesn’t solve problems. People solve problems.
Leadership in Action
The conference underscored the importance of resilience, collaboration and adaptive leadership. Sessions on Truth telling and Indigenous knowledge integration, AI innovation, and climate resilience showcased the sector’s dedication to evolving practices.
The Kaurna language and learning more about its reinvigoration was a highlight for me and I along with the other 1000+ delegates deeply appreciated Eric Vanweydeveld’s (2022) leadership in action when he opened the Welcome Drinks and spoke in language.
Kiara Johnson (2023) and Nina Braid (2024) collaborated on some insightful workshop sessions – three things I took from their sessions were: applying a cultural lens from the outset not an add on at the end; the power of procurement and Nina had some great examples to share; and being intentional about timing and pace.
Celebrating Excellence
The 2025 Australian Water Awards recognized outstanding contributions to the sector. Congratulations to all those nominated and all those award winners.
Special congratulations to Nerida Beard (nee Horner, 2021) for being awarded the AWA Lifetime Achievement Award – This award honours those whose lifetime of work has left a lasting mark on the broader water sector, through visionary leadership, mentorship, and a commitment to progress across generations
PCT Fellows and Friends
Peter Cullen Trust Fellows and Friends played significant roles throughout the conference, from serving on the Program Committee to contributing to panels, workshops, and discussions. Their presence exemplifies the Trust’s influence in shaping the sector’s future. I started trying to list them all but the list is too long! We did take the opportunity to have a brief pre-conference catch up with Fellows that were attending OzWater – thanks to our Adelaide City Lead Dan Mollison (2022).
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on the insights from Ozwater’25, the Trust remains dedicated to nurturing leaders who can bridge diverse perspectives and drive meaningful change. We celebrate the achievements of our Fellows and Friends and the broader water community, recognising that through shared learning and collaboration, we can build a more sustainable and equitable water future.
Launch of the Greater Sydney Resilience Strategy 2025-2030.
By Christobel Ferguson (2014), Manager, Program Strategy,Preparedness and Recovery Group,NSW Reconstruction Authority
The Resilient Sydney strategy 2025–2030 is informed by extensive community and key partner feedback involving more than 2,000 people and 200 organisations.
Community engagement included 10 community workshops across Greater Sydney and an online survey with 1,501 responses. Resilient Sydney spoke with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, held 5 youth workshops, and hosted 5 multicultural roundtable discussions. We identified the shocks and stresses most likely to impact our city. Our assessment analysed how global drivers and national trends shape Greater Sydney.
The strategy was launched by Minister Janelle Saffin and included remarks from Lord Mayor Clover Moore, and CEO of the Reconstruction Authority Mal Lanyon.
The strategy includes 30 actions and 50 case studies across 5 directions:
- Care for our environment: a city where we care for the environment and live sustainably
- People-centred city: an equitable city with climate resilient neighbourhoods
- Connect for strength: an inclusive city that supports social connections and community agency
- Be ready: a city where people and organisations are prepared for shock events
- One city: a city with coordinated governance that people trust.
The Resilient Sydney strategy was funded under the joint Australian Government and NSW Government National Partnership Agreement on Disaster Risk Reduction and launched on 29th April 2025.
7. Recommended Reading
Articles, Publications and Presentations
Stakeholder networks underpinning the transformative practice of urban roadside verge greening
Landscape and Urban Planning
Ligtermoet E. (Fellow, 2023), Martinus K., Ramalho C., Pauli N. (2025)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2025.105342
Grasping at water: a gap-oriented approach to bridging shortfalls in freshwater biodiversity conservation.
van Rees, C. B., Geist,, J., and Arthington,, A. H. (2025).
Biol. Rev. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70030
Co-producing futures: a three-mode heuristic for reflexive practice towards sustainability.
SI “Transformative Partnerships for a Better Life” Earth
Munera-Roldan C., Ligtermoet E. (Fellow, 2023), Leith P., van Kerkhoff L. Wyborn C. et al., (2025) Stewardship
https://doi.org/10.1002/eas2.70015
Groundwater Extraction Causes a Rapid Reduction in Spring Expression at Abercorn Springs in the Recharge Area of the Great Artesian Basin, Australia
Sharon Marshall and Andrew McDougall (2016)