Authority Membership
The Act provides that the Authority consist of a Chairman, a Chief Executive and three other members, all of whom are appointed by the Governor-General. The Chief Executive is full-time while the other four members serve on a part time basis (section 33 of the Act). The Chief Executive manages the affairs of the NCA under the general directions of the Authority members (section 45 of the Act). Professor Don Aitkin was appointed as Chairman until 31 December 2008. Mr John Murray was appointed as a part time member, for a three-year term, on 8 May 2006. The Hon Neil Andrew AO and Ms Kathryn Greiner AO were appointed as part-time members for a period of three years each, commencing on 1 January 2007.
The members of the Authority are:
Chairman
Professor Don Aitkin AO
Professor Don Aitkin AO Professor Don Aitkin is the acting Chairman of the Authority until 31 December 2008.
Professor Aitkin is a former Vice-Chancellor (University of Canberra, 1991-2002), and currently the Chairman of the National Capital Authority, the Cultural Facilities Corporation, the NRMA/ACT Road Safety Trust, and Pro Musica Inc. He was for twelve years the Chairman of the Board of Agrecon Pty Ltd, a satellite imagery company and served for six months also as its CEO. He has a continuing role with the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, as well as with a number of Australian organisations interested in education, research, urban development, and governance, matters about which he has strong and in some respects unorthodox views. He is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the Australian College of Education and the Australian Planning Institute. He was the first Chairman of the Australian Research Council (1988-1990), where he trebled the budget and established the ARC as an organisation of world class; he served for six years as a member of the Australian Science and Technology Council. He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Canberra and the University of New England.
A historian and political scientist, he was a professor at Macquarie University and ANU, and is the author of a number of books on Australian history and politics as well as a novel. His most recent book is What Was It All For? The Reshaping of Australia (2005), and he writes a weekly column on education for the Australian Financial Review. In past times he was a widely read newspaper columnist in the National Times and the Canberra Times, a contributing editor of Newsweek, and a television and radio commentator.
Chief Executive
Mr Gary Rake
Mr Gary Rake, Managing Director Finance and Estate, NCA is acting Chief Executive of the NCA until 27 February 2009 pending the appointment of a new Chief Executive.
Members
The Hon Neil Andrew AO
The Hon Neil Andrew AO was appointed as a part time member for three years commencing 1 January 2007. Elected to the House of Representatives for the South Australian seat of Wakefield in 1983, Mr Andrew served as a member of the Federal Parliament until 2004. He was appointed Government Whip in 1997 and in 1998 was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. As Presiding Officer of the Parliament he worked closely with the National Capital Authority on development proposals that affected the Parliamentary Zone.
Mr Andrew was born and lives in South Australia. He has had a life-long association with the irrigation industry, particularly irrigated horticulture and viticulture. He was a member of the South Australian Advisory Board of Agriculture (1975 to 1983) and was its Chairman from 1980 to 1983. He was an Australian Nuffield Scholar to the United Kingdom in 1975 and had local government experience as a Councillor in the Waikerie District Council for nine years.
Since retiring from Federal Parliament in 2004, Mr Andrew has completed arbitration and mediation qualifications and has chaired a review of the South Australian Barley Marketing Legislation. He is presently Chairman of the Crawford Fund in Australia and has been asked by the State Government of South Australia to fill a role as Liaison officer for the River Murray.
In January 2008, Mr Andrew was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament of Australia through the advancement of parliamentary administration and reform, and to the community in the areas of agricultural research, development and education.
Ms Kathryn Greiner AO
Ms Kathryn Greiner AO, was appointed as a part time member for three years commencing 1 January 2007. She is a renowned communicator, with experience in various media. She has a commitment to services to the community, having graduated in Social Work from University of NSW (1968) embarking on an extensive career in health and children's services (1968-1988), both in Australia and overseas. She was elected a City of Sydney Councillor (1995-2004) and was an active contributor to the urban renewal and regeneration of Sydney, with a constant focus on the impact on residents.
She is also Chairman of Australian Hearing; Chairman of Bio Tech Capital Ltd; a member of the Advisory Council of LEK Consulting and a council member at Bond University.
Mr John Murray
Mr John Murray was appointed as a part time member for three years commencing 8 May 2006. Mr. Murray is the Managing Director of Ancra Consulting which provides strategic advice in respect to major development concepts.
Mr Murray has 35 years (1968-2003) experience within NSW local government where he was responsible for a broad range of planning, environmental and administrative functions. He was appointed Director Development and Environment at Gosford Council on the New South Wales Central Coast in 1991 until his retirement in 2003.
Throughout his professional career he has developed and introduced many reforms to both the strategic and operational levels of local government with his work in the field of public policy related to the built environment being recognised by awards from the Commonwealth Government, New South Wales Government and the Royal Australian Planning Institute.
Mr Murray has been associated with both community and government organisations involved with the formulation and delivery of planning strategies for the future. He is a life member of Apex and lives at Avoca Beach north of Sydney.