“We all have a responsibility to understand the impact of our activities on the environment. The decisions we make matter for the future of our environment and our liveability. Respecting and valuing each other and the role of science is fundamental for the future prosperity and environmental health of Victoria.”
Dr Gillian Sparkes AM
Biography
Dr Gillian Sparkes AM has been Victoria’s Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability since July 2014.
Dr Sparkes has a distinguished career working with industry, community and government to care for and protect our environment. Dr Sparkes’ experience spans decades working in industries that interface with the environment and community, including in the manufacturing, industrial services, waste management and water industries, before becoming a senior public servant.
Dr Sparkes has held senior roles in the Victorian Government environment portfolio including as Chair of the Board of Sustainability Victoria and Deputy Secretary Corporate and Business Services for the Department of Sustainability and Environment. Dr Sparkes also served two terms as a Director of South Gippsland Water and Chair of the Board Environment Committee. Dr Sparkes is an experienced non-executive director and chair. She is a Trustee of the Royal Society of Victoria, Chair Western Port Integrated Water Management Forum and a member the Monash Sustainable Development Institute Advisory Council.
Dr Sparkes’ qualifications include a PhD in App Science (Chemistry) and a Masters of Business Administration. She has an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Swinburne University and is an Honorary Fellow of Monash University, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a National and Victorian Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia and a member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Awarded as one of Victoria’s Top 50 Public Sector Women in 2020, Dr Sparkes was appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in 2021 “for significant services to environmental sustainability, and to public administration”.
- Meet the Commissioner's team.