Natural Resources Access Regulator

Mr Knowles statutory appointments include as Chair, Murray Darling Basin Authority (2011-2015) and a member of the Central Sydney Planning Committee (2009-2015).  In his role as Chairman of the MDBA, Mr Knowles represented Australia at the 2014 United Nations General Assembly Forum on Water and Energy as Part of the UN mission to develop Sustainable Development Goals in the context of global climate change.

In 2015, Mr Knowles was awarded The Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for "significant service to local government, to the Parliament of New South Wales, and to the community through a range of health initiatives". In the same year, he was also awarded the River Murray Medal for "outstanding service toward restoring the health of the River Murray" (the first non-engineer/river operator to have received the medal in its 162 year history).

Mr Knowles was a senior Minister in the New South Wales Government holding a variety of portfolios including Health {1999-2003), Planning and Housing (1995-1999), Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (2003-2005) and Forests and Lands (2003-2005).

Mr Knowles was a Member of NSW Parliament for 15 years (1990-2005) representing the electorates of Macquarie Fields and Moorebank. He was also a Member of Liverpool City Council for 13 years (1982-1994) serving as Mayor during that period. Prior to these roles, Mr Knowles worked in the NSW Premiers Department (Office of State Development), The Department of Business and Consumer Affairs, The Macarthur Development Corporation and in private practice as a valuer.

Ms Millar has more than 18 years’ experience in environmental law and policy and a strong background in natural resource management and climate change law. She has been involved in legislative and policy reviews and advices on the implementation of the Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) and the Water Act 2008 (C'th). Ms Millar was previously the Principal Solicitor at the NSW Environmental Defender’s Office oversighting litigation work related to natural resource management.

Ms Millar joined Baker McKenzie's Environmental Markets Practice in May 2008 and is currently Special Counsel.  Ms Millar has worked at the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in London. Before that she was the Principal Solicitor of the Environmental Defender's Office Ltd (NSW). She has been a casual member of the NSW Planning Assessment Commission since 2015 and was a board member of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition from 2010–2015.

Mr Brown is currently a Director of Coleambally Irrigation Co-operative Ltd (also Chair, Finance & Risk Committee) and Coleambally Mutual Co-operative Ltd. He is also a Director of Dampier Street Investments Ltd (formerly Tamworth Rural). He has served as both Director and Member of a number of Government committees (State and Federal) and been a university lecturer in Agricultural Economics and Farm Management prior to transitioning to the private sector via a lobbying role with a farmer organisation.

Between 1986 and 2003 he has worked with major agribusiness and finance entities including in various General Manager roles with NZI Securities, Elders Pastoral, Commonwealth Development Bank, ANZ Banking Group and Queensland Cotton Holdings Ltd. Mr Brown also held General Manager roles in the Namoi Catchment Management Authority and the North Coast Local Land Services which were involved in natural resource management, agricultural advisory services, bio-security and emergency management activities between 2005 and 2017.