Chief Minister, Terry Mills, has announced two new senior appointments to key Government agencies. 

  • Former Federal Member for Eden-Monaro, Gary Nairn will chair the new Northern Territory Planning Commission.
  • Academic and bureaucrat Dr Bill Freeland will chair the revamped Environment Protection Authority

 

Mr Mills said the Planning Commission will be the review body for projects identified as being of a large or sensitive nature.

 

It will draw up town plans, identify future transport corridors, develop comprehensive infrastructure frameworks and draw-up guidelines for building heights, maximum size footprints, boundary setbacks and car parking.

 

Gary Nairn comes to the role with a background in land surveying and mapping and currently holds an advisory role with the Tasmanian Labor Government.

 

He lived in the Northern Territory for 15 years during the 1980s and 1990s and was involved in the planning and design of key developments including Bayview, Palmerston and Cullen Bay.

 

He served as Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister John Howard from 2004 to 2006 and was Special Minister of State from 2006-07.

 

Dr Freeland is also eminently qualified to head the revamped Environment Protection Authority.

 

“His CV is broad-ranging, including completing his PH D at the universities of Chicago and Michigan studying the behaviour and ecology of primates in Ugandan rainforests and then a six year stint in academia in the United States.

 

From 1983 Dr Freeland was a senior wildlife research officer for the Northern Territory Conservation Commission and, after returning to the Territory in 1994, Bill was head of the Wildlife Division then Deputy Director and Director of the Parks and Wildlife Commission.

 

In addition to a number of senior consulting roles, Dr Freeland has worked for the past nine years as an environmental consultant in Darwin.

 

Legislation enabling the introduction of the Planning Commission and independent EPA will be introduced into the Parliament in October.