People

Chief Investigators

Assoc. Prof. Dr Ralph Horne (Project Manager)

Ralph Horne is Director of the Centre for Design, RMIT University and has extensive experience of sustainable development assessment and management tools, using Environmental Impact Assessment and Life Cycle Assessment techniques. He will be responsible for overall project management. He will also be responsible for the Victorian case studies liaison with partner organizations.

Prof. Mike Berry

Professor Mike Berry is a leading scholar of urban studies and public policy. Mike Berry was Foundation Executive Director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, during its first five years. AHURI is Australia’s largest collaborative research venture in the social sciences, now in its 12th year, based at 7 universities, including RMIT. His research role at the RMIT University AHURI/NATSEM research centre has focused on urban development processes, urban social theory, economics and policy, and housing markets and policy. Professor Berry has been carrying out research of national significance and international reach into alternative financing approaches for affordable housing.

Prof. Steve Hamnett

Professor Steve Hamnett is Professor of Urban and Regional Planning. He has qualifications in geography (University of Oxford), planning (Oxford Polytechnic), and a PhD (University of Reading). Steve’s teaching and research interests include strategic planning, urban design, planning for climate change and risk management, transport planning and planning in developing countries. Steve is a Commissioner of the Environment, Resources and Development Court of South Australia and in 2004 was made a Life Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia for outstanding contributions to planning and planning education.

Dr. Jon Kellett

Jon is Senior Lecturer in Urban & Regional Planning at the University of South Australia, and has a particular interest in the transformation of cities and regions to sustainable energy systems. He has carried out a number of funded research initiatives in this area. He will be responsible for managing the South Australian case studies and liaise with Playford City Council. He will also take overall responsibility for guiding research on the baseline, energy efficiency and renewable energy resource assessment work in all four case study areas.

PhD Scholars

Sue Irvine (University of South Australia based)

Sue Irvine has a background in education, parliamentary research, political research and university administration. Graduating in education as a mature age student she moved via parliamentary education to senior research positions for parliamentary committees of both the Australian Senate and the House of Representatives. She worked on various inquiries ranging from environmental to social issues. She worked as health advisor to the Australian Democrats under the leadership of Senator Natasha Stott Despoja. Sue is currently a PhD candidate in the School of Natural Built Environments at the University of South Australia. She will be working on the locational aspects of providing affordable, environmentally sustainable housing within urban areas. She has a particular interest in the South Australian government’s pioneer eco development at Lochiel Park where she and her family will become residents when their potentially carbon neutral home is completed.

Bronwyn Meyrick (RMIT based)

Bronwyn Meyrick graduated from RMIT University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Social Science (honours). She has since worked as a tutor with the RMIT School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning and as a research officer for not-for-profit and private sector international development organisations. Her work has included research contributing to the United Nations Economic and Social Committee for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP) biannual publication Review of Developments in Transport in the Asia Pacific. Since early 2007, Bronwyn has worked for the Victorian public service, most recently with the Victorian Office of Housing. Bronwyn joined the Lifetime Affordable Housing project in September 2008 and is a PhD candidate with the RMIT School of Social Science and Planning, under supervisor Prof. Mike Berry. Her PhD will focus on how perceived trade-offs between housing affordability and environmental performance, in both design and locational terms, can be overcome by market and regulatory mechanisms.

Trivess Moore (RMIT based)

Trivess completed his Bachelor of Environmental Science (honours) at Deakin University in 2006. Trivess’ honours project investigated the barriers that exist in the home, preventing increased switching from fossil fuel supply to renewable energies and energy efficiency. Since finishing his studies, Trivess has worked at the Centre for Design. Trivess has developed his interests in both environmental sustainability assessment and the interaction between environmental initiatives and end users and most recently worked on an ARC (Carbon Neutral Communities) project in the Centre where he mapped the potential for renewable energy for a local city council. Trivess joined the Lifetime Affordable Housing project in February 2009 and is a PhD candidate with the RMIT School of Social Science and Planning, under supervisor Assoc. Prof. Ralph Horne. His PhD will focus on using cost benefit analysis for energy efficiency and renewable energy to achieve sustainable affordable housing.

Post Doctoral Fellow

Dr. John Morrissey

John Morrissey is a Research Fellow based in the Centre for Design, RMIT. John’s main role at the centre is as Co-ordinator of the ARC Linkage Project Lifetime Affordable Housing in Australia (LAH), research which aims to provide evidence to underpin policies for high performance urban housing in Australia. John’s background is in the Environmental Field with a BSc. in Environmental Science. John completed his PhD at the University of Limerick (Ireland) in June 2006, “Appraisal of the sustainability of Irish settlements using indicators and sustainable development index modelling”, a dissertation in sustainable urban development. The empirical analysis of settlements carried out by John for this work produced practical recommendations for policy-makers (Irish Environmental Protection Agency and the Irish National Spatial Strategy) regarding the integration of sustainable development goals with settlement planning policies for the future. In particular, the social implications of policy scenarios and the social needs of communities were focused on. After completing his doctoral thesis, John worked in consultancy prior to commencing his role with the Centre for Design in 2008, working in the area of sustainability assessment.