Sunday, 24th January 2010
Hilless to Join Population Policy Inquiry Panel
The former Queensland Electricity Commissioner, Keith Hilless, has been appointed to the three-person panel to head the Local Government Association of Queensland’s Public Inquiry into the Need for a Queensland Population Policy.
Announcing the appointment, LGAQ president, Cr Paul Bell, said Dr Hilless would join inquiry chair, Professor Peter McDonald and Professor Lyndsay Neilson on the panel.
Dr Hilless had also been chairman of Ergon Energy, CEO of the government-owned Queensland Transmission and Supply Company and managing director for Asia-Pacific of the US-owned NRG. Last year, he was appointed chairman of ZeroGen, a government company which plans an electricity-generating plant using clean coal technology.
Professor McDonald is the president of the International Union of Scientific Study of Population, Professor of Demography and director of the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute at Australian National University. Professor Neilson is strategic analyst on Urban Policy, Planning and Governance at the University of Canberra.
Cr Bell said the inquiry, which commences next month and is scheduled to deliver its final report in June, has terms of reference which focus on:
1. A review and analysis of demographic and growth-related issues of relevance to the sustainability of population increases, pressures on environmental and natural resources, community and industry capacity to pay and development and liveability in Queensland
2. Identification of opportunities for policy initiatives at federal, state and local government level to enhance outcomes for Queensland from future growth, and
3. Stimulation of debate on the need for a Queensland population policy within a national context and potential benefits from such a policy.
