Northern Regional Planning Panel

Chair

Dianne Leeson 

Dianne has extensive experience in the NSW Public Sector, urban planning and major Government projects.

Dianne is a former board member of Infrastructure Australia and has held senior roles in the NSW Government including with the Olympic Coordination Authority, Sydney Ports Corporation and Department of Premier and Cabinet overseeing major project procurement and delivery.

Dianne is currently a Director of Health Infrastructure NSW, a Member of the NSW Independent Planning Commission, and member of the Sydney University Senate Building and Estates Committee. Dianne chairs a number of significant project committees for the NSW Government and Sydney University and is a Gateway reviewer for Infrastructure NSW.

State Members

Stephen Gow

Stephen Gow has 34 years of experience in planning, working for local government and in private practise. Stephen has lived and worked in Northern NSW for over 25 years. Stephen has considerable experience working with significant developments and has a particular interest in heritage matters.

Stephen has a Masters degree in Environmental & Local Government Law from Macquarie University in 2000, a Graduate Diploma (Applied Science) Environmental Health from the University of Western Sydney in 1994 and an Honours degree in Town Planning from the Polytechnic of the South Bank in London in 1977. He is a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia.

Michael Wright 

Michael Wright has some 27 years’ experience in senior executive roles across the NSW Government.  This has included leading the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Maritime, Mining, Exploration and Geoscience and the Housing and Property Group. Over that time Michael has been extensively involved in the interaction of conservation, sustainable natural resource management, land use and Aboriginal heritage considerations with the planning system.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts (English Literature) from Sydney University, a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics awarded with merit) from the University of NSW and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.