Resilient Lands Expert Panel

Abigail has an undergraduate degree in urban planning from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa and Masters degrees in Urban Design (Oxford Brookes University, UK) and Business Administration (UNSW, Sydney).  She has extensive executive and non-executive experience in both the public and private sectors, including as a Commissioner on the NSW Independent Planning Commission, Chair of Water Infrastructure NSW’s advisory board, and Chief Executive Officer of Metro Transport. Abigail is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors as well as the Planning Institute of Australia.

Prof. Barbara Rugendyke is an Adjunct Professor in Geography at Southern Cross University, NSW, and a research consultant living in the Northern Rivers region. Prof. Rugendyke taught Geography and Planning for many years, including supervision of research theses with research interests including planning for sustainable community development in Australia and internationally. Her recent research focuses on outcomes of programs designed to support rough sleepers into housing and to empower migrant and refugee women in regional communities. Barbara held positions as Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of New England, Dean of Arts and Social Sciences at Southern Cross University and Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, UK. Barbara has served on advisory committees and as a Non-Executive Director on boards, including of Oxfam Australia.

Carol is a Dunghutti woman and has dedicated her career to breaking cycles of disadvantage and amplifying initiatives that contribute to improved futures for Indigenous Australians. Carol founded and continues to run Murawin Pty Ltd, a national, Indigenous consultancy, driven by strong family and Indigenous cultural values. She works across a wide range of social and public policy areas that directly affect Indigenous Australians and communities. Carol has technical and cultural knowledge, experience and expertise across research and evaluation, strategy and policy, and Indigenous governance and placemaking. 

Jason has a degree in town planning and major in architecture from the University of Queensland, Australia. Jason has more than 25 years planning experience that spans the public and private sector, including the development and analytical tools to improve urban development outcomes. He is currently Director of Planning and Governance at Integran Infrastructure Management – a multi-disciplinary firm with a focus on the integrated infrastructure, planning, project management and delivery. Jason’s experience includes strategic land use and infrastructure planning for rural and regional local governments areas and the management of major growth corridors in QLD, NSW and WA.

Kirsty Kelly is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Institute Traffic Planning and Management and was previously CEO of the Planning Institute of Australia. An experienced leader in the built environment sector and Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia, Kirsty has worked as an urban and regional planner in local, state and territory government, the private sector, academia, and non-profit associations across Australia. Kirsty serves on the Board of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.

Nicole Gurran is a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at The University of Sydney. Raised in the Northern Rivers, she is a professionally qualified urban planner and Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia. In addition to her teaching, Professor Gurran has led numerous studies on urban policy, housing, climate change and sustainability, funded by the Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute (AHURI), the Australian Research Council (ARC), as well as state and local government, and she has published widely on these themes.