Presenters

Nick Thomas, Partner, Clayton Utz
Nick is a leading expert in environment, planning, ESG, climate change, sustainability, water, property, regulated industries and government law, with a focus on infrastructure, land development, and energy and resources. With more than 25 years' experience collaborating with Commonwealth, State and local government as well as major corporations in a diverse range of industries, he has advised key players in many of Australia's most significant projects, transactions and environmental disputes. One of Nick's strengths is guiding projects through their entire lifecycle, from conception to operation. He advises at executive, board, and ministerial levels, and is known for delivering pragmatic solutions. Nick has also been appointed a Fellow of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand and was recently named Australia's best water lawyer by Best Lawyers (in association with the Australian Financial Review).


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.

Presenters

Nick Thomas, Partner, Clayton Utz
Nick is a leading expert in environment, planning, ESG, climate change, sustainability, water, property, regulated industries and government law, with a focus on infrastructure, land development, and energy and resources. With more than 25 years' experience collaborating with Commonwealth, State and local government as well as major corporations in a diverse range of industries, he has advised key players in many of Australia's most significant projects, transactions and environmental disputes. One of Nick's strengths is guiding projects through their entire lifecycle, from conception to operation. He advises at executive, board, and ministerial levels, and is known for delivering pragmatic solutions. Nick has also been appointed a Fellow of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand and was recently named Australia's best water lawyer by Best Lawyers (in association with the Australian Financial Review).


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.