Pep Turner takes over as Tasmanian Division Secretary

Pep Turner, Tasmanian Division Secretary

I am currently an Honorary Associate with the School of Natural Sciences (CoSE, UTAS), and the new Tas Division Secretary! I was previously the NTEU Casuals representative on Division Council and have held Lecturer and Research Associate roles at UTAS, starting in 1999.

After majoring in plant ecology at the University of Melbourne, I began my ecological career working as a Scientific Officer at the Arthur Rylah Institute of Environmental Research. I was successful in gaining a PhD Scholarship to study plant ecology at both Melbourne and UTAS. Whilst Melbourne offered more prestige, UTAS offered better field work opportunities, so I moved to Tasmania, and stayed.

I am a director with the Ecological Society of Australia, holding the position of Chair of the international scientific journal, Ecological Management and Restoration. I relish community work and recently joined my local Tasmania Fire Service brigade. And I am President of the Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Council. My network spans government, industry, large and small landowners, top research institutions, education, and community.

I understand what insecure work is like, especially for casual workers. It is this life and work experience and voice, for all workers, that I bring to NTEU Tasmania Division and National Executive. ◆