A parliamentary question regarding the appointment of Elizabeth Carr to the Environmental Protection Authority board, focusing on her qualifications and potential conflicts of interest given her previous work in the resources sector. The Minister's response provides limited details on her environmental credentials.

AnsweredQoN 925Legislative Council
Asked
1 November 2011
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUTHORITY — APPOINTMENT OF ELIZABETH CARR TO BOARD
I refer to the recent appointment of Ms Elizabeth Carr to the board of the Environmental Protection Authority. (1) How many expressions of interest were received following the public notice on 20 April 2011? (2) How many of these applicants had a professional background in a field related to protection of the environment? (3) Section 7(2) of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 requires the minister to recommend appointments to the board “on account of their interest in, and experience of, matters affecting the environment generally”. Please provide details of what, if any, relevant interest and experience Ms Carr has. (4) Given that Ms Carr worked in 2010 for the WA Department of State Development as executive director for the Browse LNG project and prior to that as a consultant on public–private partnerships, what consideration was given to ensuring that Ms Carr shares the objectives of the EPA—namely, to protect the environment and to prevent, control and abate pollution and environmental harm? Hon HELEN MORTON

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of the question. (1)–(2) The Office of the Environmental Protection Authority has advised that three expressions of interest were received following the public notice on 20 April 2011. (3) Ms Carr is a Harvard graduate and was a key participant in the inaugural corporate social responsibility initiative at Harvard, which addresses how companies manage their environmental impacts. (4) All EPA board members are bound by section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest.
(1) How many expressions of interest were received following the public notice on 20 April 2011? (2) How many of these applicants had a professional background in a field related to protection of the environment? (3) Section 7(2) of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 requires the minister to recommend appointments to the board “on account of their interest in, and experience of, matters affecting the environment generally”. Please provide details of what, if any, relevant interest and experience Ms Carr has. (4) Given that Ms Carr worked in 2010 for the WA Department of State Development as executive director for the Browse LNG project and prior to that as a consultant on public–private partnerships, what consideration was given to ensuring that Ms Carr shares the objectives of the EPA—namely, to protect the environment and to prevent, control and abate pollution and environmental harm? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. (1)–(2) The Office of the Environmental Protection Authority has advised that three expressions of interest were received following the public notice on 20 April 2011. (3) Ms Carr is a Harvard graduate and was a key participant in the inaugural corporate social responsibility initiative at Harvard, which addresses how companies manage their environmental impacts. (4) All EPA board members are bound by section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest.
(2) How many of these applicants had a professional background in a field related to protection of the environment? (3) Section 7(2) of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 requires the minister to recommend appointments to the board “on account of their interest in, and experience of, matters affecting the environment generally”. Please provide details of what, if any, relevant interest and experience Ms Carr has. (4) Given that Ms Carr worked in 2010 for the WA Department of State Development as executive director for the Browse LNG project and prior to that as a consultant on public–private partnerships, what consideration was given to ensuring that Ms Carr shares the objectives of the EPA—namely, to protect the environment and to prevent, control and abate pollution and environmental harm? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. (1)–(2) The Office of the Environmental Protection Authority has advised that three expressions of interest were received following the public notice on 20 April 2011. (3) Ms Carr is a Harvard graduate and was a key participant in the inaugural corporate social responsibility initiative at Harvard, which addresses how companies manage their environmental impacts. (4) All EPA board members are bound by section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest.
(3) Section 7(2) of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 requires the minister to recommend appointments to the board “on account of their interest in, and experience of, matters affecting the environment generally”. Please provide details of what, if any, relevant interest and experience Ms Carr has. (4) Given that Ms Carr worked in 2010 for the WA Department of State Development as executive director for the Browse LNG project and prior to that as a consultant on public–private partnerships, what consideration was given to ensuring that Ms Carr shares the objectives of the EPA—namely, to protect the environment and to prevent, control and abate pollution and environmental harm? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. (1)–(2) The Office of the Environmental Protection Authority has advised that three expressions of interest were received following the public notice on 20 April 2011. (3) Ms Carr is a Harvard graduate and was a key participant in the inaugural corporate social responsibility initiative at Harvard, which addresses how companies manage their environmental impacts. (4) All EPA board members are bound by section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest.
(4) Given that Ms Carr worked in 2010 for the WA Department of State Development as executive director for the Browse LNG project and prior to that as a consultant on public–private partnerships, what consideration was given to ensuring that Ms Carr shares the objectives of the EPA—namely, to protect the environment and to prevent, control and abate pollution and environmental harm? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. (1)–(2) The Office of the Environmental Protection Authority has advised that three expressions of interest were received following the public notice on 20 April 2011. (3) Ms Carr is a Harvard graduate and was a key participant in the inaugural corporate social responsibility initiative at Harvard, which addresses how companies manage their environmental impacts. (4) All EPA board members are bound by section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest.
Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the member for some notice of the question. (1)–(2) The Office of the Environmental Protection Authority has advised that three expressions of interest were received following the public notice on 20 April 2011. (3) Ms Carr is a Harvard graduate and was a key participant in the inaugural corporate social responsibility initiative at Harvard, which addresses how companies manage their environmental impacts. (4) All EPA board members are bound by section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest.
I thank the member for some notice of the question. (1)–(2) The Office of the Environmental Protection Authority has advised that three expressions of interest were received following the public notice on 20 April 2011. (3) Ms Carr is a Harvard graduate and was a key participant in the inaugural corporate social responsibility initiative at Harvard, which addresses how companies manage their environmental impacts. (4) All EPA board members are bound by section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest.
(1)–(2) The Office of the Environmental Protection Authority has advised that three expressions of interest were received following the public notice on 20 April 2011. (3) Ms Carr is a Harvard graduate and was a key participant in the inaugural corporate social responsibility initiative at Harvard, which addresses how companies manage their environmental impacts. (4) All EPA board members are bound by section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest.
(3) Ms Carr is a Harvard graduate and was a key participant in the inaugural corporate social responsibility initiative at Harvard, which addresses how companies manage their environmental impacts. (4) All EPA board members are bound by section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest.
(4) All EPA board members are bound by section 12 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 regarding disclosure of conflicts of interest.

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