Rod Welford
Encyclopedia
Rodney Jon Welford (born 30 September 1958) is the current Chief Executive of the Australian Council of Recycling Inc, the national peak industry body for the recycling industry in Australia. He is a former Australia
n parliamentarian who was a Labor
member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
from 1989 to 2009.
He now works in the fields of recycling
, energy efficiency
and renewable energy
. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of listed public company, AstiVita Renewables Limited, Chairman of the Energy Management Institute and Sustainable Design Partner, Ensight - Energy Efficiency Solutions.
at the 1989 state election. He switched to the district of Everton
at the 1992 state election, which he held until his decision not to stand for re-election at the State election in 2009.
Welford served in a number of portfolios in the Labor governments of Premiers Peter Beattie
and Anna Bligh
. He was the Minister for Environment & Heritage and Minister for Natural Resources from 1998 to 2001. He was the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice from 2001 to 2005. He was the Minister for Education and Minister for the Arts from 2005 to 2009, as well as the Minister for Training from 2006 to 2009.
Before serving as a State Minister, he had led a Ministerial Review of Sports Funding (1990-91) leading to the creation of the Queensland Academy of Sport
and chaired the Government Sustainable Energy Advisory Group (1994-95), a joint government-industry committee, which undertook projects providing the foundation for subsequent government grants programs to subsidise the installation of household solar water heaters and remote area solar power systems.
As a Minister, his focus on active policy development attracted recognition for innovative policy initiatives. For example, while responsible for the environment and natural resources portfolio, he established the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
, took action to protect biodiversity and reduce greenhouse emissions by introducing ground-breaking legislation to stem broadscale land clearing, created the first large scale water efficiency program in the nation, legislated to protect environmental health of river systems and forged a historic Regional Forest Agreement
between the government, timber industry and conservation movement which secured sustainable timber production while expanding the national park estate by more than 400,000 hectares. He was the Australian State Government representative at the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development in 2000.
Since leaving Parliament, Welford has become an honorary member of the Board of the International River Foundation, honorary interim board member of the National Centre of Excellence for Desalination at Murdoch University and patron of the Centre for Research, Innovation and Future Development at St Paul's School, his former high school.
. He was a prominent solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland
and barrister of the High Court of Australia
prior to entering parliament. His qualifications are Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours), Bachelor of Laws, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Graduate Diploma in Industrial Relations and a Master of Science (Environmental Management)and Certificate in Permaculture Design.
Welford has been active in his community as a member of the Royal Lifesaving Society and a branch, state and national medal winner for his Surf Life Saving Club Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park on the Gold Coast. He was the first honorary State Education Officer of the Surf Life Saving Association and Technical Director of the Royal Life Saving Society in the early 1980's. He also worked as a professional lifeguard for the Gold Coast City Council while completing university studies. Also during his university studies Welford served on the student union of the University of Queensland.
He was subsequently the patron of the Albany Creek Junior Rugby League Football Club, the Pine Hills Sports Club and the Mitchelton Senior Citizens Association. He is the sole parent of a daughter who has Down's Syndrome
. His personal interests include philosophy, permaculture
, environmental design
, swimming, surfing and the performing arts.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n parliamentarian who was a Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
from 1989 to 2009.
He now works in the fields of recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
and renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of listed public company, AstiVita Renewables Limited, Chairman of the Energy Management Institute and Sustainable Design Partner, Ensight - Energy Efficiency Solutions.
Parliamentary Career
Welford entered state parliament as the member for StaffordElectoral district of Stafford
The district of Stafford is a Queensland Legislative Assembly electoral district in the state of Queensland, Australia.It is located in the inner northern residential suburbs of Brisbane. Suburbs in the electorate include Stafford, Chermside, Gordon Park, Kedron, Lutwyche, Stafford Heights and...
at the 1989 state election. He switched to the district of Everton
Electoral district of Everton
The district of Everton is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.The division encompasses suburbs in Brisbane's north west between the Kedron Brook and the South Pine River, including Everton Park, Everton Hills, McDowall and Albany Creek...
at the 1992 state election, which he held until his decision not to stand for re-election at the State election in 2009.
Welford served in a number of portfolios in the Labor governments of Premiers Peter Beattie
Peter Beattie
Peter Douglas Beattie , Australian politician, was the 36th Premier of the Australian state of Queensland for nine years and leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state for eleven and a half years...
and Anna Bligh
Anna Bligh
Anna Maria Bligh is an Australian politician and the Premier of Queensland since 2007. The 2009 Queensland state election was the first time a female-led political party won or retained state or federal government in Australia...
. He was the Minister for Environment & Heritage and Minister for Natural Resources from 1998 to 2001. He was the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice from 2001 to 2005. He was the Minister for Education and Minister for the Arts from 2005 to 2009, as well as the Minister for Training from 2006 to 2009.
Before serving as a State Minister, he had led a Ministerial Review of Sports Funding (1990-91) leading to the creation of the Queensland Academy of Sport
Queensland Academy of Sport
The Queensland Academy of Sport is an elite sports institute set up in 1991 by the Queensland Government to support athletes in the state of Queensland...
and chaired the Government Sustainable Energy Advisory Group (1994-95), a joint government-industry committee, which undertook projects providing the foundation for subsequent government grants programs to subsidise the installation of household solar water heaters and remote area solar power systems.
As a Minister, his focus on active policy development attracted recognition for innovative policy initiatives. For example, while responsible for the environment and natural resources portfolio, he established the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland)
Queensland's Environmental Protection Agency was for some time a separate department of the Queensland Government, and, following 2009 State elections, became a part of the Government's larger Department of Environment and Resource Management.This part of the Department of Environment and...
, took action to protect biodiversity and reduce greenhouse emissions by introducing ground-breaking legislation to stem broadscale land clearing, created the first large scale water efficiency program in the nation, legislated to protect environmental health of river systems and forged a historic Regional Forest Agreement
Regional Forest Agreement
The Regional Forest Agreements are 20 year plans for the conservation and sustainable management of Australia's native forests, and are intended to provide certainty to commercial forestry operations while protecting environmental values. The 10 RFA's were progressively signed between 1997 and 2001...
between the government, timber industry and conservation movement which secured sustainable timber production while expanding the national park estate by more than 400,000 hectares. He was the Australian State Government representative at the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development in 2000.
Since leaving Parliament, Welford has become an honorary member of the Board of the International River Foundation, honorary interim board member of the National Centre of Excellence for Desalination at Murdoch University and patron of the Centre for Research, Innovation and Future Development at St Paul's School, his former high school.
Before Parliament
Welford was born in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. He was a prominent solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland
Supreme Court of Queensland
The Supreme Court of Queensland, which is based at the Law Courts Complex, is the superior court for the Australian State of Queensland and sits around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy...
and barrister of the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
prior to entering parliament. His qualifications are Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours), Bachelor of Laws, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Graduate Diploma in Industrial Relations and a Master of Science (Environmental Management)and Certificate in Permaculture Design.
Welford has been active in his community as a member of the Royal Lifesaving Society and a branch, state and national medal winner for his Surf Life Saving Club Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park on the Gold Coast. He was the first honorary State Education Officer of the Surf Life Saving Association and Technical Director of the Royal Life Saving Society in the early 1980's. He also worked as a professional lifeguard for the Gold Coast City Council while completing university studies. Also during his university studies Welford served on the student union of the University of Queensland.
He was subsequently the patron of the Albany Creek Junior Rugby League Football Club, the Pine Hills Sports Club and the Mitchelton Senior Citizens Association. He is the sole parent of a daughter who has Down's Syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
. His personal interests include philosophy, permaculture
Permaculture
Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that is modeled on the relationships found in nature. It is based on the ecology of how things interrelate rather than on the strictly biological concerns that form the foundation of modern agriculture...
, environmental design
Environmental design
Environmental design is the process of addressing surrounding environmental parameters when devising plans, programs, policies, buildings, or products...
, swimming, surfing and the performing arts.