Presenters

Kathryn Ridge, Solicitor Director, Ridge & Associates Pty Ltd
Kathryn Ridge is the Solicitor Director of Ridge & Associates Pty Ltd. The firm has a range of private sector clients, and government clients specialising in human rights, land rights, native title and environmental law. Kathryn has also developed a public interest law practice working with indigenous people protecting cultural heritage and their environment. Kathryn has over 20 years’ experience in environmental law reform and implementation, particularly in pollution, water, native vegetation and climate change areas. Kathryn is the author of the Water Law Chapter for Environmental Law Handbook. Kathryn is the co-author of the Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter for Lexis Nexis. Kathryn has strong strategic skills and advocacy skills with a proven capacity to deliver complex reforms. Having operated at a Board level for over 15 years, Kathryn has a strong background in Audit and Compliance, including having implemented compliance programs in two public sector Boards, including the establishment Board of State Water Corporation. Kathryn has served on government and non-government boards.


Mike Young, Professor Emeritus, Water and Environmental Policy, University of Adelaide
Mike Young is Professor Emeritus in Water and Environmental Policy at the University of Adelaide, was the Founding Executive Director of its Environment Institute, is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and is a Distinguished Fellow of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society. Mike is a specialist in water policy reform and his research led to the unbundling of Australia’s water licences and the resultant development of an efficient trading system and the Australian Government decision to transfer responsibility for the administration of the Murray Darling Basin’s water resources to an independent expertise-based authority. He played a key role in establishing Australia’s National Land and Water Resources Audit. Mike has held the Gough Whitlam and Malcom Fraser Chair at Harvard University, has served on Global Water Partnership's Technical Committee and the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water Security. He was a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. In 2006, Mike was awarded Australia’s premier water research prize – the Land and Water Australia Eureka Award for Water Research. He has played a critical role in the consideration of options for the Murray Darling Basin. Prior to joining the University of Adelaide, Mike spent 30 years with CSIRO where, amongst other things, he established their Policy and Economic Research Unit. In 2003, Mike was awarded a Centenary Medal “for outstanding service through environmental economics”. His full curriculum vitae lists over 240 publications.


Vanessa O'Keefe, Associate Director,
Vanessa has been intimately involved in water resource management for over 30 years, both as a consultant and as a senior public servant in the NSW government. Prior to working at EMM, she was the Executive Director of Policy and Planning at NSW DPIE-Water, having re-joined the public sector in 2018 after 14 years as a consultant. In this role Vanessa drove the development, implementation and review of water resource management regulatory frameworks, policies and plans based on best practice science, analytics and modelling across the state. As a consultant she has provided results focused advice to Governments in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region on regulatory, governance, policy, and planning frameworks, and management and implementation mechanisms for water, environmental and disaster risk management. She also advises the private sector on the water resource management and regulatory aspects of both large and smaller developments, bringing a systems thinking lens to resolution of complex issues. Vanessa’s strategic and innovative approaches to water resource management and the associated regulatory issues focuses on finding efficient and effective pathways to project success and achieving integrated and sustainable business outcomes.


Rebecca Halliday, Principal, GIRA Advisory
Rebecca is the co-founder and Principal of GIRA, a First Nations-led strategic agency specialising in large-scale infrastructure, construction, and renewable energy projects. She is a proud Aboriginal woman and ADF veteran, bringing over two decades of experience in senior leadership roles across the public, private, tertiary, and community-controlled sectors. Throughout her career, she has been a tireless advocate for equitable access for minority groups, while working to improve the fairness of complex policy and regulatory systems, particularly in safeguarding First Nations culture and heritage. Rebecca’s deep lived experience, combined with her professional expertise, led to her becoming an inaugural Power Maker with the First Nations Clean Energy Network in 2023. In 2024, she was appointed to the Indigenous Advisory Committee, where she serves as a trusted adviser to the Minister for Environment and Water on Matters of National Environmental Significance. She has also recently represented the Government to lead nation-wide community engagement initiatives for large-scale Hydrogen initiatives, and as a member of the Construction Expert Working Group and the United Nations Indigenous Languages Committee. Rebecca is an alumnus of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Chief Executive Womens Leadership, holds several board and advisory positions, was a finalist in the Women in Digital Awards - Indigenous Leader of the Year, was honoured with an Australian Defence Commendation, as well as the Exceptional Service Award and Excellence in Innovation Award within the Commonwealth Public Service.


Liam Harte, CEO & Founder, GIRA Advisory
Liam Harte is a proud Dunghutti man and a purpose-driven Aboriginal leader specialising in Aboriginal health, Connecting with Country (CwC) design and culturally responsive infrastructure. With extensive experience across government, education, health, and private sectors, Liam integrates Aboriginal knowledge into built environments, strategy, and policy. As the First Nations Connecting with Country advisor for the Bathurst Hospital Redevelopment and the Cumberland West Mental Health Services, Liam ensures that cultural perspectives shape healthcare infrastructure, improving experiences for First Nations patients, staff, and communities. He also led the creation of the Walanga Wingara Mura Design Principles, embedding Aboriginal knowledge into place-based design. A skilled strategist, communicator, and advocate, Liam holds key leadership roles in Aboriginal health governance, including as co-chair of the NSW Health Cultural Safety Advisory Group and board member for the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. His work continues to influence best practices in cultural design, policy development, and First Nations engagement across Australia.

Presenters

Kathryn Ridge, Solicitor Director, Ridge & Associates Pty Ltd
Kathryn Ridge is the Solicitor Director of Ridge & Associates Pty Ltd. The firm has a range of private sector clients, and government clients specialising in human rights, land rights, native title and environmental law. Kathryn has also developed a public interest law practice working with indigenous people protecting cultural heritage and their environment. Kathryn has over 20 years’ experience in environmental law reform and implementation, particularly in pollution, water, native vegetation and climate change areas. Kathryn is the author of the Water Law Chapter for Environmental Law Handbook. Kathryn is the co-author of the Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter for Lexis Nexis. Kathryn has strong strategic skills and advocacy skills with a proven capacity to deliver complex reforms. Having operated at a Board level for over 15 years, Kathryn has a strong background in Audit and Compliance, including having implemented compliance programs in two public sector Boards, including the establishment Board of State Water Corporation. Kathryn has served on government and non-government boards.


Mike Young, Professor Emeritus, Water and Environmental Policy, University of Adelaide
Mike Young is Professor Emeritus in Water and Environmental Policy at the University of Adelaide, was the Founding Executive Director of its Environment Institute, is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and is a Distinguished Fellow of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society. Mike is a specialist in water policy reform and his research led to the unbundling of Australia’s water licences and the resultant development of an efficient trading system and the Australian Government decision to transfer responsibility for the administration of the Murray Darling Basin’s water resources to an independent expertise-based authority. He played a key role in establishing Australia’s National Land and Water Resources Audit. Mike has held the Gough Whitlam and Malcom Fraser Chair at Harvard University, has served on Global Water Partnership's Technical Committee and the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water Security. He was a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. In 2006, Mike was awarded Australia’s premier water research prize – the Land and Water Australia Eureka Award for Water Research. He has played a critical role in the consideration of options for the Murray Darling Basin. Prior to joining the University of Adelaide, Mike spent 30 years with CSIRO where, amongst other things, he established their Policy and Economic Research Unit. In 2003, Mike was awarded a Centenary Medal “for outstanding service through environmental economics”. His full curriculum vitae lists over 240 publications.


Vanessa O'Keefe, Associate Director,
Vanessa has been intimately involved in water resource management for over 30 years, both as a consultant and as a senior public servant in the NSW government. Prior to working at EMM, she was the Executive Director of Policy and Planning at NSW DPIE-Water, having re-joined the public sector in 2018 after 14 years as a consultant. In this role Vanessa drove the development, implementation and review of water resource management regulatory frameworks, policies and plans based on best practice science, analytics and modelling across the state. As a consultant she has provided results focused advice to Governments in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region on regulatory, governance, policy, and planning frameworks, and management and implementation mechanisms for water, environmental and disaster risk management. She also advises the private sector on the water resource management and regulatory aspects of both large and smaller developments, bringing a systems thinking lens to resolution of complex issues. Vanessa’s strategic and innovative approaches to water resource management and the associated regulatory issues focuses on finding efficient and effective pathways to project success and achieving integrated and sustainable business outcomes.


Rebecca Halliday, Principal, GIRA Advisory
Rebecca is the co-founder and Principal of GIRA, a First Nations-led strategic agency specialising in large-scale infrastructure, construction, and renewable energy projects. She is a proud Aboriginal woman and ADF veteran, bringing over two decades of experience in senior leadership roles across the public, private, tertiary, and community-controlled sectors. Throughout her career, she has been a tireless advocate for equitable access for minority groups, while working to improve the fairness of complex policy and regulatory systems, particularly in safeguarding First Nations culture and heritage. Rebecca’s deep lived experience, combined with her professional expertise, led to her becoming an inaugural Power Maker with the First Nations Clean Energy Network in 2023. In 2024, she was appointed to the Indigenous Advisory Committee, where she serves as a trusted adviser to the Minister for Environment and Water on Matters of National Environmental Significance. She has also recently represented the Government to lead nation-wide community engagement initiatives for large-scale Hydrogen initiatives, and as a member of the Construction Expert Working Group and the United Nations Indigenous Languages Committee. Rebecca is an alumnus of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Chief Executive Womens Leadership, holds several board and advisory positions, was a finalist in the Women in Digital Awards - Indigenous Leader of the Year, was honoured with an Australian Defence Commendation, as well as the Exceptional Service Award and Excellence in Innovation Award within the Commonwealth Public Service.


Liam Harte, CEO & Founder, GIRA Advisory
Liam Harte is a proud Dunghutti man and a purpose-driven Aboriginal leader specialising in Aboriginal health, Connecting with Country (CwC) design and culturally responsive infrastructure. With extensive experience across government, education, health, and private sectors, Liam integrates Aboriginal knowledge into built environments, strategy, and policy. As the First Nations Connecting with Country advisor for the Bathurst Hospital Redevelopment and the Cumberland West Mental Health Services, Liam ensures that cultural perspectives shape healthcare infrastructure, improving experiences for First Nations patients, staff, and communities. He also led the creation of the Walanga Wingara Mura Design Principles, embedding Aboriginal knowledge into place-based design. A skilled strategist, communicator, and advocate, Liam holds key leadership roles in Aboriginal health governance, including as co-chair of the NSW Health Cultural Safety Advisory Group and board member for the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. His work continues to influence best practices in cultural design, policy development, and First Nations engagement across Australia.