So Bob Carr has resigned as NSW Premier after 10 years at the helm. The last 10 years has seen an increase in the number of environmental activists given key roles within the bureaucracy.
Mr Peter Cosier was working as a WWF activist before being appointed to the positions of Deputy Director General and Chief Scientist in the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR) in December 2003. I understand Mr Cosier has no formal scientific training or research experience.
Following is the text of the memo from the Director General Jennifer Westacott (who has a BA in Political Science) to DIPNR staff, sent on 19th December 2003:
With the integration of our organisation taking shape and the Government’s natural resources and infrastructure planning reforms gathering momentum, it has become clear that our executive structure also needs to change to meet these growing challenges. Key natural resource and planning initiatives must be linked in an effective fashion to enable us to meet community, business and government expectations.
The co-ordinated leadership of knowledge, information, science and research linked to economic development and social responsibility, is the most effective way of meeting this challenge. For this reason I have created a new position of Deputy Director General to lead this program area.
I am pleased to advise you that approval has been given to the appointment of Mr Peter Cosier to this new position.
Peter is presently the Director of Conservation for WWF Australia and has previously acted as an adviser to both Federal and South Australian Governments on natural resource management, water policy and urban development.
Peter’s professional skills represent a unique combination of science, town planning, public policy and public advocacy at local, state and national levels. Peter has worked in the private and public sectors in both natural resource management and urban and regional planning. This experience at the national and international level has given Peter the opportunity to influence fundamental reforms in natural resource management across Australia.
Most recently Peter has been the convenor of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and he chaired the negotiation process between NSW Farmers and environment groups to produce the Wentworth Group’s new model for landscape conservation in New South Wales.
As Deputy Director General Peter will undertake the role of Chief Scientist, oversighting the organisation’s research and development program and ensure the relationship of these programs to sustainable economic growth outcomes. Peter will fulfil the role of the organisation’s senior social and economic analyst to ensure the effective balance of economic, community and social imperatives in policy and operations.
Peter will also play a key role in strategic policy advice, development and direction across the organisation. The Centre for Natural Resources and the Social and Economic Impact Group will report to Peter.
Peter will join us in the new year and I’m sure you will provide him with a warm welcome when he arrives.
UPDATE 1ST AUGUST
According to the DIPNR 2003/2004 Annual Report Peter Cosier has a BSc,Dip.URP. and leads the Office
of Knowledge,Science. and Information.
I am seeking further clarification including whether or not he still holds the position of Chief Scientist.
UPDATE 2ND AUGUST, 3.40PM
I have been advised by the DIPNR that Dr John Williams is now the Chief Scientist of DIPNR. I am still seeking clarification of Peter Cosier formal qualifications.
UPDATED 12TH AUGUST
I have just received the following information by email:
Dear Dr Marohasy
Mr Peter Cosier is a Deputy Director General of DIPNR and head of the Office of Knowledge, Science and Information. He has professional qualifications and expertise in science (B.Sc.) majoring in natural resources management and urban and regional planning (Dip. U.R.P.).
Mr Cosier does not hold the title of Chief Scientist. The DIPNR Chief Scientist is Dr John Williams, Chair of the Science and Information Board. Dr Williams is the former Chief of CSIRO Land and Water.
I trust this satisfies your enquiry.
Luise Hogendorn
Executive Assistant to the
Deputy Director General
Office of Knowledge, Science and Information
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
What’s wrong with having some environmental activists in key roles in the bureaucracy? You mightn’t want them (us) in every position, but having a few there seems like a good thing.
I know Peter Cosier a little bit from over the years, and he’s certainly not a ‘chain yourself to the bulldozers’ type (not that there’s anything wrong with that). People aren’t one dimensional either. They can have a lot of different hats and skills and titles – one can be an activist and a researcher and a planner and an organiser, etc
The issue of whether a Chief Scientist should have no scientific training is a valid point to raise – I think it would depend a bit on the specific job description and role as to how important this is, but on the surface it seems less than optimal. (BTW, I don’t know what Peter Cosier’s background in this area is – he may well have other relevant experience)
Lets see how this might work –
Army Chief and never been in the ranks? No. Chief Surgeon and doesn’t know how to hold a scalpel? No.
NSW Chief Scientist, never had any scientific training but considered “reliable” by the “bruvvers” – the jobs yours son!
Surely a Chief Scientist should BE a scientist first, and an activist only in the sense of promoting the practise of real science in their bureaucracy. The politicians need to hear the best information available, if they choose to ignore it, well, they are accountable to the people who paid for the work in the first place, the taxpayers.
I don’t agree with having activists, in the sense of those pushing a point of view, in taxpayer funded bureaucracies. Shouldn’t bureaucrats strive to be objective?
Comment posted by David removed at his request at 12.36pm. He is refining words/thoughts and will repost. Watch this thread. Jen.
I thought Dr John Williams was the DIPNR Chief Scientist?
Also, Peter used to worked as an advisor for Senator Hill for six years (not really known a Greenie Activist job) and has BSc after his name. Most BSc’s would be scientists – unless you’re snobbish and only recognised PhD’s as scientists.
A few years back, the West Australian Department of Conservation & Land Management (CALM) was politically ‘restructured’. Despite the presence of qualified foresters (not I), the post of Acting Director of Forests was awarded to a former TV journalist, a lovely lady, who has since moved on. I don’t know what other qualifications, or connections, she brought to the post. I believe she had previously worked as a secretary within CALM. Should we assume that the newly elected Gallop Government saw journalism as more relevant to forest management than forest science? Could they, in the political arena, be right? What about in the real world?
Simon, Could you tell where this is on the public record – that Peter Cosier has a BSc? The other Wentworth Group members, for example, show their qualifications.
Sure – the DIPNR annual report 03/04 says that he has a BSc, Dip URP. You could also check by dropping him an email 😉 . I’d also check on the whole ‘Chief Scientist’ thing while you’re at it.
Both Jennifer and Davey Gam Esq. question the institutional relevance of unconventional appointments – in the political arena and also in the real world.
Very recently, the position of Interim Chairperson of the Australian Environment Foundation was awarded to the television celebrity, Don Burke.
Who is to say that Peter Cosier or Jennifer Marohasy is a more or less suitable candidate for their respective appointments?
In the case of Peter Cosier, Bob Carr; and in the case of Jennifer Marohasy, Jennifer Marohasy?
It is evolutionary, that first there is a need, then a facility. The need for the AEF preceded its establishment. The need for an unconventional appointment within the DIPNR was undoubtedly preceded by a political determination for cultural change.
But what need preceded the replacement of Jennifer Marohasy from the Chair of Australia’s new environmental foundation of change?
Point taken, Neil. As a sandgroper I have little knowledge of the internal workings of the AEF. However, I believe that Public Service jobs should always go to the candidate with the best objective qualifications and/or experience.
Chief Scientist is not a scientist?
It is no longer science but technologically sophisticated religion.
I never comment about religion.
Jennifer, try contacting him through wwf or diprn and until then I’d put a note up saying that you are checking about his qualifications and that he may be a scientist. You should check with the person concerned before writing what you have written – if he is a scientist I would expect a big apology on your main page as well as a as new header for this section.
cheers
I was looking for information on Peter via Google when I stumbled across this page. Well what a storm in a tea cup this blog was. A simple check of UNE (Armidale) records would have verified Peters qualifications. Anyway he has finished his contract with DIPNR and you can rest easy now.
Long long ago before August 2005 I knew nothing of Peter’s appointment to DIPNR, and the ramblings of this site and its owner (jennifermarohasy) whoever she might be!
In a past life I knew Peter Cosier very very well. I’m talking about 20 odd years ago. At that time Peter was a Town Planner with Wyong Shire Council and was regarded as one of the most capable “environmentalists” in society, and particularly among his peers.
Peter was known amongst his fellow “bureauocrats” as “KOALA” because of his outstanding photographic skills, particularly for capturing images of animals in-situ.
With all the palaver about his formal qualifications, I can confirm (for all it is worth) i have personally sighted his testamurs from the University of New England for his Bsc, and his Grad. Dip of Urban and Regional Planning.
As a supposed “scientist” I think it is, and would be, appropriate that before you commit waffle to record, you research your subject, rather than relying on your political bias to question the wisdom of an appointment that took place because the candidate was obviously the “best” candidate!