Academic and bureaucrat Dr Bill Freeland has been appointed to chair the revamped Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority.

 

Dr Freeland completed his PhD at the universities of Chicago and Michigan, studying the behaviour and ecology of primates in Ugandan rainforests and then a six year stint in academia in the United States.

 

From 1983 Dr Freeland was a senior wildlife research officer for the Northern Territory Conservation Commission and, after returning to the Territory in 1994, Bill was head of the Wildlife Division then Deputy Director and Director of the Parks and Wildlife Commission.

 

In addition to a number of senior consulting roles, Dr Freeland has worked for the past nine years as an environmental consultant in Darwin.

 

Legislation enabling the independent EPA will be introduced into the Parliament in October.