Bio for Members - East-West Link Assessment Committee
Ms Kathy Mitchell, Chair
Kathy Mitchell is the Chief Panel Member of Planning Panels Victoria (PPV). She has a Bachelor of Arts in Planning, a Graduate Diploma in Urban Sociology and a Master of Arts in Planning (Research). She has previously worked in the private sector, local government, and as an academic, specialising in social and strategic planning, and activity centre development. She has been a full time Senior Panel Member with PPV since 1996 until her appointment as Chief Panel Member in June 2004. Amongst a range of PPV matters, her role requires Kathy to Chair matters of State significance.
Kathy was an occasional Sessional Member with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal from 1999 – 2004, and is the immediate past President and a Fellow of the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association.
Mr Nick Wimbush, Deputy Chair
Nick holds qualifications in Environmental Science, Public Policy and Law. He has nearly 25 years experience in a variety of State and Local Government roles in Western Australia and Victoria including managing environmental impact assessment of major road projects with the West Australian Environment Protection Authority and advising the Victorian Government in a senior role on coastal planning and development.
Nick has extensive experience in the private sector in Western Australia, Indonesia and Victoria both with consulting firms and after founding and running his own environmental consultancy from 2002-2006 specialising in integrated coastal zone management. Nick was a sessional lecturer at postgraduate level in natural resource management at RMIT University in Melbourne from 2002-2006 and has lectured in planning and environmental law at Monash University, Melbourne University and RMIT University. He is a member of the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association, the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand and the National Environmental Law Association. Nick has been a Sessional and then Senior Panel Member at PPV since 2003 responsible for Chairing or participating in major environmental and planning public inquiries.
Dr Lyn Denisonis a qualified scientist specialising in Air Quality and Health Risk Assessment. She holds a PhD in Chemistry and worked at the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria for 17 years before moving to environmental consulting. Lyn has extensive experience in policy development for air quality at both State and National levels including the development of State Environment Protection Policies and regulations dealing with air quality and greenhouse gases/energy efficiency. During her time at EPA Victoria Lyn was involved in a number of projects including the CityLink and EastLink assessments. Lyn is a Sessional Member of PPV. She has conducted a number of health risk assessments for air quality for a range of developments and has been involved as a researcher in a number of air pollution epidemiological studies. Lyn also conducted a training course in EnvironmentalHealth Impact Assessment for the Ministry of Health in Mozambique on behalf of WHO Africa.
Mr Des Grogan is a Civil and Traffic Engineer, with extensive experience in road transport planning and civil engineering for major transport projects. After a career spanning 40 years, he retired from the consulting engineering practice he founded in 1979. Under his leadership the practice developed into the largest traffic engineering group in Victoria and was involved in the majority of high profile projects in the State, as well as significant retail and commercial projects interstate. Since his retirement from active practice, Des has been appointed a Sessional Member of PPV. In addition Des has provided specialist traffic engineering input to multi-disciplinary teams involved in projects in Dubai and Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates and Gibraltar. He has undertaken peer reviews of major mixed use developments in Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur, as well as the proposed upgrade of Brisbane Airport.
Mr Jim Holdsworth is an Architect with extensive experience in architectural, urban design and strategic planning matters. Hehas spent most of his career as a consultant urban designer and strategic planner, mainly in Victoria. After 10 years in a senior planning and urban design role in local government, he returned to private practice in 2005 and in addition to his sessional work at PPV, he conducts a specialist urban design consultancy providing advice to developers, architects and councils regarding proposed developments, predominantly in inner Melbourne. His background experience also includes urban character and heritage studies, environmentally sustainable design and the role of urban art in the public realm.
Mr William (Bill) O’Neil is a Director of O’Neil Pollock & Associates, an independent town planning and economic development consultancy based in Harcourt, Central Victoria. He specialises in strategic and statutory town planning services and local and regional economic development strategy preparation. William was appointed as a Senior Sessional Member with PPV late in 2012 having continuously served the organisation since his initial appointment in 2000. William has chaired or been a member of a wide range of residential, commercial, industrial and whole of planning scheme amendments, as well as various Environmental Effect Statement hearings in metropolitan Melbourne and country Victoria. In addition to his town planning and Australia-wide regional economic development work, William is a Director on the Board of the Bendigo Health Care Group, a position held since appointment by the Governor-in-Council in October 2006. He is also a Director on the Board of Haven, a provider of shelter and support to people who are homeless or in housing crisis.