Bunce, twice, three times at ANZSOG! Alum Dr Ashley Bunce joins us as Director of Regulatory Practice

ANZSOG is delighted to announce that Dr Ashley Bunce has taken up the role of  Director, Regulatory Practice, and started at ANZSOG on 5 August. He will also serve as the new director of the ANZSOG-auspiced National Regulators Community of Practice (NRCoP). 

Dr Bunce is an experienced regulatory practitioner who has worked as a senior executive across Victoria and Queensland in the environment, agriculture and animal welfare portfolios where he has led a number of major reforms. 

He began his career in the university sector where he engaged and inspired the next generation of conservation scientists and led world-class research for the conservation and management of marine biodiversity. He was most recently the Director, Regulatory Operations, at the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. 

ANZSOG Dean and CEO Caron Beaton-Wells said that regulatory practice was an increasingly important part of ANZSOG’s work, and that Dr Bunce would be a valuable addition to ANZSOG. 

“ANZSOG auspices the NRCoP which brings together a practitioner-driven community of regulators from all sectors and jurisdictions of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to share knowledge and raise the profile of regulation,” Professor Beaton-Wells said. 

“Through its Professional Regulator Program, and its national conferences, the NRCoP works to lift the standard of regulation, provide professional development opportunities for regulators, and create informed discussion of key issues in regulation.” 

“Ashley’s experience and knowledge of regulation will help steer the future growth of the NRCoP and ensure it continues to meet the needs of regulators.” 

 Dr Bunce said he was looking forward to taking on a role that supported building more professional and capable regulators and promoted the public value and importance of regulation as a key task of government. 

“I hope to bring a depth of practical experience in regulatory practice across different jurisdictions and sectors to support NRCoP and its members to connect and engage on issues central to being a good regulator and inspire new and innovative approaches for tackling the complex challenges we face as modern regulators,” he said. 

“A key initial focus for me will be on First Nations engagement, improving diversity and inclusion within regulators and extending the very successful Professional Regulator program.”  

 This won’t be Dr Bunce’s first experience with ANZSOG – he is an alum of our Executive Master of Public Administration program and served as an inaugural member of our Alumni Advisory Council. He has also served on the NRCoP National Steering Committee and as part of NRCoP’s Victorian chapter.