ICLEI Oceania is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee.
There are three (3) Directors on the ICLEI A/NZ Board.
Bernie Cotter has been working with local government since 1988 and has seen and contributed to the rise in awareness and effectiveness of environmental programs in Australia. Bernie has been a Director of the Board of ICLEI ANZ and Company Director of the organisation since its inception in 1999. As one of the founders of ICLEI in Australia Bernie was active in establishing the organisational structure and key program delivery opportunities including Cities for Climate Protection, sustainability actions and Local Agenda 21. Bernie was the initial program manager for the successful ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) campaign and before that coordinated the pilot CCP through Environs Australia, the local government environment network, in his capacity as Executive Director.
Bernie has held many positions relevant to local government sustainability since 1989 beginning with development of Victoria's first regional conservation strategy for Ballarat, Local Government Coordinator at the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University, Director with Cotter & Wescott P/L & Civic Consulting, Executive Director of Environs Australia, Manager of Environment & Natural Resources City of Greater Geelong, Environmental Sustainability Projects with Colac Otway Shire and currently Executive Officer for the Association of Bayside Municipalities in Victoria Australia.
Bernie has a degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Diploma of Primary Teaching and has produced guidebooks and technical material on environmental programs and approaches for local government. He was one of the initiators of CouncilNet, an early internet Bulletin Board and email service to councils, and has promoted numerous sustainability approaches with local councils over the last 20 years.
Councillor, Brisbane City Council
ICLEI Executive Committee Member
Peter has been a Brisbane City Councillor since 2007 and is Chairman of the Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee.
He has a Bachelor of Arts (in Politics and Economics), Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws, and is trained as a Solicitor. He has worked in private practice and the state government. Before his election to Council, Peter worked as a sole practitioner in Toowong.
John was a local government councillor for 8 years in Victoria, Australia. In 2004 he was elected to the Borough of Queenscliff Council (Victoria's smallest municipality) until 2008 and was elected to the City of Greater Geelong (Victoria's largest municipality) from 2008 to 2012.
In 2006, John was the first president of the Queenscliff Global Warming Group and become involved in the work of ICLEI in 2006. During this time he became interested in influencing one of the largest Councils in Australia to lead in taking action on Climate Change. In 2008 John nominated for the Climate Change, Environment & Sustainability portfolio for Greater Geelong. In 2009 the City of Greater Geelong endorsed his attendance to support ICLEI Oceania to attend to COP15 – Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
John was instrumental in securing substantial funding for the City of Greater Geelong to develop its Climate Change Adaptation approach. Through a partnership with Victorian State Government, the City of Greater Geelong through Johns leadership the Future Proofing Geelong Program, the Sustainability Covenant and the Low Carbon Growth Plan for Geelong.
He has been the President of the Association of Bayside Municipalities in Victoria (10 member Council around Port Phillip Bay Bay), lobbying for best outcomes for ecological health, access/tourism, effects of climate change, and planning.He was Treasurer for the Victorian Local Governance Association and Board Member of the Barwon Region Waste Management Group.
