Orica engaged an independent expert approved by Bankstown City Council and the local community to provide independent technical advice to interested stakeholders about the project.
Dr Garry Smith has over 30 years experience in environmental and human health risk assessment, risk communication, and environmental management. He formerly practised risk assessment, risk communication, and environmental management for Australian and international projects, with appointments at AECOM, University of NSW, and Sutherland Shire Council.
Garry is a dual Fulbright Fellow, having studied environmental risk management with the USEPA. He has developed sustainability policies and risk assessment and communication programmes in Australia for government and industry and was project leader on work for Sutherland Shire Council which was awarded the inaugural NSW Local Government Excellence in the Environment Award 1999.
Garry was an Expert Panelist on the NSW Ministerial Inquiry into Alternative Waste Management Technologies and Practices 2000, and a Ministerial Appointee to the NSW Planning Inquiry Panel on HCB Destruction, Botany, 2004-2006. He was in 2008 a community-selected peer review expert appointed to review public risk regarding air emissions associated with chemical waste destruction at the Orica Australia site, Botany, NSW.
In 2012 Garry was convenor of the EcoForum Conference ‘Sustainable Cities' programme. In March 2012 Garry was elected the inaugural Chairman of the Sustainable Remediation Forum of Australia and New Zealand (SuRF ANZ).