LEVEL CROSSING REMOVAL PROJECT INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

STANDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS BIOGS

Surname /

First Name

/ Biography
Mitchell
(Chair) / Kathy / Kathryn (Kathy) Mitchell is the Chief Panel Member of Planning Panels Victoria. 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 was a Senior Panel Member with Planning Panels Victoria from 1996 until her appointment as Chief Panel Member in June 2004. 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. Kathy regularlychairs planning and environmental matters of State significance, including East West Link, Logical Inclusions Advisory Committee, Standard Development Contributions Advisory Committee, Princes Highway EES, Victoria Desalination Plant EES, Sugarloaf North South Pipeline, Woolworths ‘Oxygen’ roll-out, Point Lonsdale EES, and Wyndham Boat Harbour EES. She has a strong reputation for chairing hearings with certainty fairness, and timeliness.
Eade
(Deputy Chair) / Rodger / Professor Rodger Eade is an academic and former senior manager at Victoria University. Rodger was trained as an economist and originally taught in planning and economics, after working as a Research Economist at the ANZ Bank and the Commonwealth Bureau of Roads. After teaching full-time for almost 20 years, Rodger was a Head of School Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Arts and a series of senior management positions. He is a Senior Sessional Panel Member at Planning Panels Victoria. Rodger has wide experience in planning, and has been a member of and has chaired Panels for significant developments including the Scoresby Transport Corridor, now Eastlink, and Advisory Committees for Logical Inclusions and Standard Development Contributions. He has held other government appointments chairing significant planning projects. Rodger has been a Director of the Western Region Health Centre Ltd and Ozford Institute of Higher Education and Chair of the former. Rodger is an experienced and qualified Company Director.
Donovan / Jenny / Jenny has qualifications in Planning and Urban Design. She has 26 years’ experience in this field spanning the public, private, non government organisations and community sectors. She has been appointed an international expert in placemaking by UN Habitat and is the principal of Inclusive Design, a Melbourne based urban design practice with a particular emphasis on socially responsible design.
Partenio / Kate / Kate Partenio holds an undergraduate qualification in civil engineering and a post graduate qualification in traffic engineering and transport planning. In former roles, she worked as a traffic engineer and transport planner in private practice for 19 years, and in local government for 4 years. She was a director of GTA Consultants from 1999-2014. Kate has transport expertise in land use planning, strategic planning, master planning, traffic impact assessments, car parking, design and road safety.
Underwood / Geoff / Geoff Underwood has been involved in the planning and development community since 1971, first as Private Secretary to the Ministers for Local Government and Planning in the Victorian Government until 1981 when he established his own planning consultancy. Since then he has acted for local and state government, a variety of infrastructure providers, developers and individuals. He is presently Managing Director of Spade Consultants Pty Ltd, a company specialising in land development economics, development analysis and demographic research. Geoff has chaired three Ministerial Advisory Committees relating to planning and development:
  • Reviewing and recommending broad changes to the state planning system (2011);
  • Reviewing proposed changes to Victoria's residential, commercial and industrial zones for their impact on development and economic output in the state (2012);
  • Reviewing and recommending changes to the state planning policy in the Victoria Planning Provisions, as well updating policy (2013).

Whitney / David / David Whitney has had over 40 years experience in all aspects of town planning. He is recognised as being skilled in both strategic and statutory planning and in planning policy formulation. Throughout his career David has been actively involved in residential estate planning, industrial estate planning, retail and commercial centre strategy planning, structure planning, land use studies, planning research, and rezoning and development applications. David has provided advice to State and local government, statutory authorities, educational establishments, the development industry and community groups and he has appeared as an expert witness in hearings before VCAT, Planning Panels and the Supreme Court of Victoria. He was formerly Victorian President of the Planning Institute of Australia, a Board Member of the Property Council and Chair of its Planning Committee and for many years a member of his local community association. He was a member of the Priority Development Panel and is a sessional member of Planning Panels Victoria. He was a member of the four-person Melbourne 2030 Audit Expert Group. His achievements in planning culminated in David being the 2004 recipient of VPELA’s Richard J EvansAward for excellence ‘in recognition of outstanding contributions to planning in Victoria’ and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Planning Institute in 2006. In 2013 David’s achievements in planning culminated in him receiving an Order of Australia Medal for his services to town planning.