Which direction for sustainability? Melbourne forum

Economists & environmentalists to talk at a free ‘Future Leaders’ event

A reader has emailed us about forum, so we’re passing it on…sounds as though it could be really stimulating and informative and the group behind it, Future Leaders, is certainly worth knowing about.

Speakers at the event

• Ms Cheryl Batagol – Chairman, Melbourne Water.
• Dr Noel Purcell– Group General Manager, Stakeholder Communications for Westpac Banking Corporation.
• Dr Richard Denniss – Economist and strategic adviser to Senator Bob Brown.
• Professor David Yencken AO – former Head of Environmental Planning, University of Melbourne.

Venue: BMW Edge, Federation Square (cnr Flinders & Swanston Streets)
Date: Thursday 15 February 2007
Time: 6.00 – 7.30pm (doors open 5.45pm)
RSVP: rsvp@futureleaders.com.au

About Future Leaders
The Future Leaders Forums expose senior students to leadership initiatives, career concepts and inspiring role models. They provide opportunities for students to focus on their career options and leadership skills. They learn about the success of young people currently working in areas such as law, medicine, science, media, business, the arts, and the community sector. There is no charge for attendance at the Forum.

Indigenous Future Leaders
Future Leaders is committed to including Indigenous young people in all Future Leaders activities. Schools are encouraged to nominate Indigenous students to attend the Future Leaders Forums and there is a young Indigenous leader speaking at every Forum. Future Leaders supports travel for Indigenous students.

More about the speakers

Cheryl Batagol is Chair of Melbourne Water and Deputy Chair of Sustainability Victoria. She has 30 years’ experience in the waste management industry with previous positions including Chairperson of EcoRecycle Victoria, Director of City West Water and involvement with EPA Victoria and the Co-operative Research Centre for Pollution Control and Waste Management.

Noel Purcell is Group General Manager, Stakeholder Communications for Westpac Banking Corporation. Previously he was a senior executive in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, The Office of National Assessments, and The Australian Bureau of Statistics. He is on the Global Governing Board, and Chairman of the Deployment Committee of the Caux Round Table.

Richard Denniss is Strategic Adviser to Senator Bob Brown. He was previously Deputy Director of The Australia Institute, Chief of Staff to Senator Natasha Stott Despoja and Economics lecturer at the University of Newcastle. He writes regularly for newspapers and magazines, has published extensively in academic journals and was the co-author Affluenza.

David Yencken is Patron of the Australian Conservation Foundation and founder of the Australian Collaboration. His previous positions include Head of Environmental Planning, The University of Melbourne, Chairman, Australian Heritage Commission. His recent books are Resetting the Compass: Australia’s Journey towards Sustainability and Into the Future: The Neglect of the Long Term in Australian Politics.

The list of organisations supporting The Australian Collaboration, a group obviously closely associated with Future Leaders, gives an idea of the scope of this event. Another source of info worth keeping an eye on!