Advisory and legislative functions
The Biodiversity Conservation Advisory Panel (BCAP) provides independent, expert advice to the Minister administering the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 on management of biodiversity conservation and to the Environment Agency Head on any proposed declaration of an area of outstanding biodiversity value.
Composition of the Biodiversity Conservation Advisory Panel
The BCAP is established under section 14.2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. Schedule 2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017 governs the provisions relating to members and procedure of the panel.
The BCAP is to consist of not less than 5, and not more than 8, members appointed by the Minister. The members of the panel are to have such qualifications and expertise as the Minister considers appropriate for the work of the panel.
Following an extensive recruitment process, 6 appointments were made to the panel on 31 August 2018. Across its membership, the BCAP has expertise in biodiversity conservation, ecologically sustainable development and land-use planning, environmental and natural resource management and economics, governance and public administration and environmental law.
Panel members
Professor Graciela Metternicht – Chairperson
Professor Metternicht works at the intersection of science and policy, with roles in academia and advising the United Nations. She is the Professor of Environmental Management at UNSW Sydney. She is interested in the policy side of environmental management and focuses on metrics for conservation and the concept of land degradation neutrality.
Professor Angela Moles
Professor Moles’ research interest is in plants, with recent work on global patterns in plant ecological strategy, rapid evolution in introduced species, and the response of native flora to climate change. She is Director of the Evolution & Ecology Research Centre at UNSW Sydney.
Mr Martin Fallding
Mr Fallding is a land use and environmental planner with a background in science, environmental impact assessment and natural resources management. He is a biodiversity planning specialist with extensive local government experience and practical involvement in establishing and managing a range of private land conservation agreements in the Hunter Valley.
Professor Jeffrey Bennett
Professor Bennett is Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University. His background is in agricultural economics and environmental cost-benefit analysis. He is also interested in the engagement of the private sector in environmental conservation.
Professor Richard Kingsford
Professor Kingsford is the Director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science at UNSW Sydney and has worked with the Environment, Energy and Science Group on a variety of biodiversity-focused projects. The bulk of his research is in water, wetlands and water birds. He has an international reputation as a world expert in wetland management and an active media profile.
Professor Zada Lipman
Professor Lipman is Emeritus Professor at Macquarie University and a member of the Independent Planning Commission. Her experience with biodiversity is predominantly legal in nature. Her work focuses on liability and enforcement in conservation. She is interested in offsets and enforceability of stewardship agreements.