Professor John Thwaites named Planning Champion

The peak body representing the urban and regional planning profession has given national acknowledgement to Professor John Thwaites at the Planning Institute of Australia’s National Awards for Planning Excellence.

Professor Thwaites, Chair of the Monash Sustainability Institute and researcher in Strategies for influencing the political dynamics of decision making (Project A3.3), received the Planning Champion Award at the annual event on 13 May in Melbourne.

Professor Thwaites was a member of the Bracks Government from 1999 to 2007, during which time he served as Minister for Water and Deputy Premier.

The award was given for Professor Thwaites’ ongoing passion for adapting the built environment. In making the award, the judges described Professor Thwaites as a tireless and energetic campaigner for improving the built environment, saying he had left an indelible footprint on the planning landscape in Australia.

Awards judges highlighted Professor Thwaites’ work in roles at Monash Sustainability Institute and ClimateWorks, and as Chair of the National Sustainability Council, Director of the Board of the Green Building Council of Australia and Chairman of the Australian Building Codes Board.