John Thwaites is a Professorial Fellow, Monash University and Chair of ClimateWorks Australia and the Monash Sustainability Institute. He is a consultant at Maddocks Solicitors providing advice to the firm and its clients on climate change, water, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. John has recently been appointed to the National Sustainability Council for Australia. He chairs the Australian Building Codes Board, the body responsible for developing and managing Australia’s building and plumbing regulations. John also chairs the Climate Group Ltd in Australia, the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust, and the Australia Centre for the Moving Image. He is also a director of the Australian Green Building Council and the Harold Mitchell Foundation. John chairs a project with the Brotherhood of St Laurence to develop policies to assist low-income Australians cope with the impact of climate change and chaired a joint Brotherhood of St Laurence/KPMG Report on a national energy efficiency program for low income households.
In 2008 -2009, John was a special adviser to the Timor-Leste Minister for Infrastructure and helped develop an Infrastructure plan for Timor-Leste. He has advised state and local governments on climate change and energy policy. John Thwaites was Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1999 until his retirement in 2007. During this period he was Minister for Health, Minister for Planning, Minister for Environment, Minister for Water, Minister for Victorian Communities and Victoria’s first Minister for Climate Change. In these portfolios he was responsible for major reforms in social policy, health, environment and water. John Thwaites was a Member of the Victorian Parliament from 1992 to 2007, and was a barrister prior to entering Parliament. He was a Councillor City of South Melbourne (1985-1993) and Mayor in 1991-1992. He has degrees in Law (Honours) and Science from Monash University.
