The Australian Women's Register

1 sound file (ca. 104 min.) Wendy Craik speaks about her early career in academia; her enjoyment of change management; her family history, childhood and schooling; attending the Australian National University; doing a PhD in Vancouver; working for the Department of Environment; working for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA); GBRMPA’s establishment; living in Townsville; collecting data about fish movements on the reef; surveying recreational and commercial fishermen and diving surveys; dealing with the Queensland government and agencies; meeting her husband who worked for the GBRMPA in Townsville; the importance of the survey work; the impact of the Crown of Thorns Starfish; her husband’s work on tourism in the area; the commissioning of research; doing the Australian Public Service Executive Development Scheme; working at the Australian Government Printing Office; industrial relations issues and challenges associated with a culturally diverse workforce; taking on a variety of division and branch head roles the GBRMPA; being appointed head of the GBRMPA; attitudes to the environment and the government in Far North Queensland; communicating with all the stakeholders; oil spills and putting a response plan together to deal with them; developing a 25 year strategic plan for the Great Barrier Reef; the challenges and advantages of working in a statutory authority; the tension between protection of the reef and enabling development; her leadership experiences; working as the Executive Director at the National Farmers Federation (NFF); lobbying Government for the NFF; representing all the organisations within the NFF; Native Title; the Wik decision in 1997; the Melbourne Waterfront Dispute in 1998; implementing board policy and advising the board; managing the move into the Goods and Services Tax; attitudes to rural women and their role in rural organisations; her role as CEO of Earth Sanctuaries; chairing the Australian Fisheries Management Authority; her appointment to the National Competition Council; consultancy work; her position in the Murray-Darling Basin Commission; streamlining administrative processes and effectively using funding; chairing the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation; trust and leadership; risk taking.