Nuclear Advisory Board champions community consultation

The first meeting of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission Consultation and Response Agency (CARA) Advisory Board this week heard an overview of the state-wide engagement program and the community response to date. 

The Board, formally sitting for the first time, were briefed on the consultation process planned over the coming months by new CARA chief executive Madeline Richardson. 

In preparation for the meeting, the group received an update from Premier Jay Weatherill and former Royal Commissioner Kevin Scarce last week. 

The independent Board will oversee this year’s state-wide consultation activities, a key input to Government’s response to the Royal Commission’s Report. 

It will be chaired by John Mansfield, Member of the Order of Australia, who this month retires from his position as a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. It includes prominent Australians with high levels of integrity and awareness of the importance of working with the South Australian community. 

Background

In addition to the Chair, the Board is comprised of: 

• Parry Agius, former Chief Executive Officer of the South Australian Native Title Service; 

• Professor Daniela Stehlik, Griffith University, one of Australia’s leading social scientists in the fields of sustainability, human services and social cohesion with a particular focus on families and communities. 

• Rebecca Huntley, social researcher and former Director of The Mind & Mood Report, Australia's longest running social trends report; 

• Professor Deb White, Deputy Cancer Theme Leader and Director of Cancer Research at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Adelaide. 

The Board will continually evaluate the consultation process to ensure the South Australian community is given extensive opportunities to get involved. 

The first meeting was an important step in setting the strategic agenda for the next six months, offering the Board members a detailed briefing on the consultation process and an overview of the structure in place to ensure thorough state-wide engagement.?