Australia Day honour for Alastair Howard
From the Autumn 2007 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Forests NSW acting Chief Executive, Alastair Howard, was honoured in the 2007 Australia Day Awards with a prestigious Public Service Medal.
Director-General of NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Barry Buffier, said the award recognised Alastair’s distinguished and wide-ranging career in natural resource management within the NSW public sector.
“The Public Service Medal is an important medal within the Australian Honours system. It recognises the community contribution made by public service officers through the outstanding performance of their duties,” Barry said.
“Alastair has made an exceptional contribution to the success of Forests NSW, particularly over the last two years which have seen the organisation’s realignment and integration into NSW DPI.
“As Director, Land Management and Technical Services, he has brought together diverse functions to create a cohesive service branch that enabled Forests NSW to achieve major efficiency gains and cost savings, contributing to significant improvements in financial performance.
“Under Alastair’s leadership, the skilled professionals in his branch recorded many outstanding achievements including a Premier’s Public Sector Gold Award for the development of a market supply modelling system for forestry plantation products; the establishment of the Grafton Forest Technology Centre as a world-leading research institute; and the registration of NSW Greenhouse Abatement Certificates for carbon sequestered by state-owned hardwood and softwood plantations.
“As acting Chief Executive since March 2006, he has overseen further notable successes including certification of forest management activities under the internationally recognised Australian Forestry Standard,” Barry said.
Public Affairs & Media, Sydney
