Manager Planning Services, Planning Services

A social scientist with 10-years’ experience researching the implications of emergency management policy and practice on individual and community risk perceptions and resilience, Chloe is currently working in CFA’s Research and Development team.

Raphaele leads CSIRO’s bushfire adaptation team.  Her principal interest is understanding and reducing the risk of bushfires to communities and infrastructure. She has been involved in post major bushfire survey data collection and analysis, and led the investigation into the circumstances and challenges experienced by residents when sheltering during the Black Saturday bushfires

Her long career as a photojournalist provided communication skills that, in her new role as the Statutory Recovery Planner, have proved invaluable working alongside the community impacted by the 2019 Bunyip Complex Bushfires. Julie is currently doing her Masters with a focus on Bushfire Planning

Associate Professor Danielle Clode is a psychologist, biologist and author of a major review of psychological preparedness and A Future in Flames on Australia’s bushfire history. She has lived in fire-prone areas of South Australia and Victoria, and defended her home in the Cherry Gardens fire.

A registered building surveyor and domestic builder, Peter provides building advice to councils and residents rebuilding after a bushfire. Experience from Black Saturday 2009 and Wye River 2015 has enabled him to identify potential problems with rebuilds and also provide valuable advice on retrofitting existing buildings.

Clare has served in a range of public-focused roles since she joined the ICA in 2012. In her role as Operations Manager she oversees all catastrophe response activity, liaises with local government regarding flood data Australia wide, and coordinates community engagement between the industry and consumers.

Georgina has worked in insurance for 15 years and is currently a Home Insurance Specialist at IAG. She has a particular interest in underinsurance, why it happens and how it impacts people following a natural disaster.

An experienced strategic planner John has held executive positions that resulted in the development of strategic policy, statutory approvals and environmental impact assessments. He provides an innovative approach for owners rebuilding after a bushfire taking into account the site of a house, concept planning, energy efficiency, liveability and ongoing resilience.

A Clinical Psychologist and a Psychological Consultant to the Government and Australian Red Cross for disaster recovery Rob has been involved in the recovery programs of more than 30 disasters in Australia and New Zealand.  He consults on community responses and stresses of recovery.

Chair of the Board that operates five local Bendigo Bank Community Bank Branches. Following the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires Malcolm was Chair of the Strathewen Community Renewal Association. He has personal knowledge of property loss and the painful insurance, planning and rebuilding journey.

Katharine has conducted a number of post-fire investigations involving in-depth interviews with residents following the 2009 Black Saturday and the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires. She has a special interest in participatory and action research as a means for understanding and enhancing community-based adaptation and risk reduction.

Bushfire Planning is a town planning service that works with public and private sector clients to understand and apply planning scheme bushfire policies and requirements. Kevin Hazell is a qualified town planner with extensive experience working on bushfire planning at State and local levels in Victoria.

Mark’s primary focus is on building in high bushfire risk areas. This includes working with State Government to develop policy, research and assessing planning permit applications for properties with a Bushfire Management Overlay

Justin Leonard has dedicated his 26-year research career to the understanding of how bushfire risk to life and infrastructure can be managed. This research combines learnings from bushfire exposure experiments with post bushfire survey investigations and computer modelling of bushfire interactions with buildings.

Jim’s background is organisational and industrial psychology, focussing on safe decision making. He was a member of the Bushfire CRC research taskforce following the 2009 Victorian Black Saturday bushfires and subsequently conducted post-bushfire household interview surveys in other states investigating householder bushfire safety.

A consumer lawyer, Denis has been involved with insurance issues for 20 years and provided advice to residents after the 2009 bushfires. He was a consumer Board member of the insurance Complaints Scheme (AFCA) and the oversight body for the General Insurance Code of Practice.

My role involves managing regulatory change and Suncorp’s General Insurance Code of Practice. My passion and focus has been devoted to the development of training and policies to enable our people to help vulnerable customers and those subject to family violence and financial hardship.

In 1984 Kevin embarked on a career in bushfire science covering fire ecology, fire weather and fire behaviour. Kevin has applied his knowledge and interest to teaching, research, land management and community engagement. He has provided expert advice to various inquiries and fire and land management agencies.

A Community Engagement Facilitator, Michael will present CFA’s new Fire Safety Essentials Package.

Executive Manager Planning & Community Safety, Planning and Community Safety