Youth Advisor

Freya Cooper is a second-year university student studying regenerative agricultural science. She writes "My whole life I have loved our earth and have been passionate about protecting it, getting involved in environmental groups such as the School Strike 4 Climate, Greenpeace, and the Bob Brown Foundation. You’ll usually find me spending time studying, drawing something or trying to find an excuse to spend some time outside in the sun

Science Advisor

Trained in newspaper journalism, Peter Boyer was a journalist/manager at the Australian Antarctic Division for many years, where his work involved documenting Antarctic science, including glaciologists’ study of long term changes in Earth’s atmospheric carbon. His long association with climate research allows him unique insight into how science and politics interact. As a member of Al Gore’s Climate Reality team he presented to many thousands of Tasmanians, and since 2007 his weekly column in the Mercury newspaper has summarised climate research and news. These columns are gathered on his website www.southwind.com.au. Peter has long been our go-to for balanced coverage and perspective. In 2014 he was awarded an OAM for his services to science communication.

Academic Advisor - Youth and Democracy

Judith Bessant is Professor of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University, Melbourne. She was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2017 for 'Significant service to education as a social scientist, advocate and academic specialising in youth studies research'. In 2021 she received the RMIT University 'Award for Research Impact Design'. Judith has published many books, chapters and journal articles -https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7385-5358

She has a long standing interest in young people’s political action. Currently she is working with other researchers and young people to understand young people’s fight for climate justice. Judith has also held leadership positions in universities and the community sector (including university Senates and Councils) and regularly acts as an advisor for governments, NGOs and business. She is a leading academic voice supporting voting rights for people under 18 years of age.

Law Advisor

David Heilpern is the Dean and Head of Discipline (Law) at Southern Cross University, Australia,. His research is focussed on judicial education, drug law reform, aboriginal overrepresentation in the criminal justice system and environmental activism.

First appointed as a Magistrate in 1998, at the time he was the youngest magistrate in Australia. He sat in the criminal, mining, family, industrial, coronial and children’s jurisdictions and was the Senior Civil Magistrate for five years. During his time on the bench, David was the principal educator for new magistrates throughout Australia and the Pacific and made several important reported decisions on criminal, environmental and evidence law. David co-founded the law school at Southern Cross University in 1992, He maintained a litigation practice throughout this time, representing a wide range of defendants.

He holds a Masters in Law and was pronounced the Alumni of the Decade for the University in 2005. David has authored or co-authored four published books, refereed numerous journal articles and is a prize-winning short story writer and poet.