New Acting Commissioner appointments

6 November 2020

The Chief Judge is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Alan Bradbury, Mr Paul Rappoport, Dr Gary Shiels, Ms Deborah Sutherland and Ms Emma Washington as Acting Commissioners of the Court for the period commencing 9 November 2020 and expiring on 8 November 2023.

Acting Commissioner Alan Bradbury

Mr Bradbury has over 38 years' applied experience as a practising lawyer in government and private practice, primarily in the area of planning and environmental law. He is an accredited specialist in planning and local government law and an accredited mediator. Mr Bradbury holds the degrees of Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Technology Sydney (1982) and Master of Environmental Law from Australian National University (ANU) (1997). Mr Bradbury has been actively involved in legal professional bodies. He has served as the ACT President and as the National President of the National Environmental Law Association, National President of the Australian Institute of Administrative Law and Chair of the ACT Environment Protection Technical Advisory Committee.

Acting Commissioner Paul Rappoport

Mr Rappoport has 31 years' applied experience as a heritage architect and planner. He holds the degrees of Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Cape Town (1984) and Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Sydney (2008). He is currently enrolled in a PhD at University of Western Sydney. He is a registered architect by the NSW Architects Registration Board. Mr Rappoport has been involved in the assessment and management of many significant heritage buildings and places, including Sydney Town Hall, Central Station, St Andrews Cathedral, Customs House and is a member of the major societies and organisations involved with heritage in history in Australia and overseas.

Acting Commissioner Gary Shiels

Dr Shiels has 54 years' applied experience in town and country planning, traffic engineering and planning, and urban design. Dr Shiels' obtained a land engineering and survey drafting certificate (1970) and engineering surveying certificate (1972), both from Sydney Technical College. He was awarded a NSW Town and Country Planners' Certificate (1979) and a Queensland Town Planners' Certificate (1993). He holds the degrees of  Master of Urban Studies from Macquarie University (1978), Master of Engineering Science (Transportation Planning) from UNSW (1981), and Master of Urban Design from the University of Sydney (2000) and a Doctor of Philosophy from UNSW (2016) for his dissertation on "Planning for successful ageing in an age-friendly built environment". Dr Shiels has been actively involved in planning professional bodies. He has served as the NSW President, National President and President of the International Division of the Planning Institute of Australia and its predecessor the Royal Australian Planning Institute. Dr Shiels is a registered planner (Life Fellow) of the Planning Institute of Australia.

Acting Commissioner Deborah Sutherland

Ms Sutherland has over 30 years' applied experience as a planner in local government and private practice. She has a Bachelor of Town Planning (Honours) from the University of NSW (1978). Ms Sutherland has working in a full range of strategic and statutory planning roles. She has prepared strategic studies and plans (including local environmental plans and development control plans). Ms Sutherland has been the principal planner and project manager on many large development projects throughout NSW, including urban release, residential subdivision, seniors housing, aged care facilities, and residential apartment development. In 2013, Ms Sutherland's work as project leader and strategic and statutory planner on the Dee Why Centre Master Plan won an Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) Award for Excellence in Government Leadership in Urban Development and a PIA NSW award and PIA National award. Ms Sutherland has been involved with planning and other professional bodies. She has served as a member of UDIA's Planning Standing Committee and the Australian Company Directors Institute Sustainability Committee.

Acting Commissioner Emma Washington

Ms Washington has 18 years' applied experience as a landscape architect. She holds the degree of Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Honours) from the University of NSW (2004). She held Chartership with the Landscape Institute of the United Kingdom whilst she worked in the UK and is currently a senior registered landscape architect with the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA). Ms Washington has also completed a Master of Environmental Law at the University of Sydney (2019). Over her career, Ms Washington's design experience has focused on mid to high density residential/mixed use developments, open space, green infrastructure, schools and playgrounds, and more recently, strategic planning and urban design. Ms Washington has also lectured as a guest lecturer and sessional tutor in the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree program at the University of NSW. Ms Washington has been actively involved in professional bodies, including serving as the Secretary of the NSW Executive of AILA and as a NSW Awards Juror for AILA.