Environment Commissioner and EPA working across Sydney’s ‘three cities’

“Looking at the metropolitan area through the lens of water, in the east we can see the beaches and the extraordinary amenity of the 'harbour city', in the centre we can see the river city around Parramatta that could focus on the restoration and recovery of waterways, and the parkland city in the west with the potential to create intentional, designed landscapes.

“Part of what we’re trying to do is develop new narratives and ways of describing the city to engage people with what’s possible, and capture the public’s imagination,” Mr Simpson explains.

As Environment Commissioner for the Greater Sydney Commission, Mr Simpson has been appointed by the NSW Government to have principal responsibility for the activities of the Commission relating to environmental matters. 

Mr Simpson has been an environment campaigner and community activist, landscape architect, government consultant, planner and architect. This means he considers environmental issues from the many perspectives of the community, government, developers, academics and interest groups. 

Mr Simpson and the Commission are already working with the EPA on exploring the ways existing legislation can be used to improve environmental outcomes.

“The EPA is interested in working with us across a range of issues – air quality, water quality and waste and the circular economy,” he said.

“We’re all interested in taking a strategic approach to avoid future problems. To do this we look at how existing pieces of legislation can be drawn together – regulation, land use planning and community strategic plans. We’re about to investigate the appropriateness and applicability of a Protection of the Environment Policy to protect and improve the South Creek catchment, in western Sydney.” 

Mr Simpson said the Commission’s draft District Plans put a strong emphasis on design-led, place-based planning to encourage collaboration across government agencies and local government.

"The way we’ve dealt with complexity in the past is to break into silos. The problem with that is then we don’t look at identifying synergies," Mr Simpson explains.

“Those synergies become apparent locally. For example, with local industrial ecology precincts thinking about plans that include self-buffering precincts. These opportunities are only available if all agencies are in the room and part of the discussion.”

Mr Simpson’s varied experience includes working with the Total Environment Centre on the strategy for the restoration of Cooks River and the Sydney Olympics working on the Green Games Concept with Greenpeace. While in State Government he helped develop BASIX, a mandated tool measuring water and energy efficiency. He was also the Urban Design Manager at the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust which manages and preserves major Federal Government-owned lands.