FENNER CONFERENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

PANEL DISCUSSION: How does national policy impinge on local and regional water management?
Mr David Butt

David Butt is currently the Director, Cabinet Office and Water and Energy Policy in the ACT Chief Minister's Department. He has been involved in issue analysis/evaluation and development of options to address failures and improve outcomes in his work career in the Senate Select Committee Secretariat, Economics Committee Secretariat, Prime Minister and Cabinet, Asset Sales Task Force and Commonwealth Attorney General's. He is currently representing the ACT in the development of the National Water Security Plan, development of regional water supply security and the transfer of Googong Dam from the Commonwealth to the ACT.

His previous work experience is in:

• Commonwealth/state negotiations on a range of issues, including ecological sustainable development; roads funding; water policy and project development; and energy policy and regulatory frameworks.

• Policy development in micro-economic reform, including water and the development of the ACT water strategy 'Think water, act water'; energy; greenhouse gas emissions trading; industry policy; and catchment management.

• Trade policy in multilateral trade and bilateral trade areas, including initial negotiations and then reviews of CER, and trade dispute management and resolution.

• Central agency functions, including the establishment and early development of APEC, and preparing the first Commonwealth report on franchising.

• Commercial negotiations in asset sales and commercial development in the private sector.

• Government business enterprise performance and governance.