NZEA Board Communique April 2026
15 April 2026
The Net Zero Economy Authority (the Authority) Board held its ninth meeting in Melbourne.
The Board reviewed members’ declared interests and confirmed there were no conflicts with matters under consideration.
The Minister for Industry and Innovation, Senator the Hon Tim Ayres and Meghan Quinn PSM, Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, joined the Board for a strategic discussion.
The Board welcomed progress made in developing regional action plans that will guide coordinated efforts to support industrial transition in the Authority’s focus regions, and discussed next steps.
The Board welcomed the Transition Monitoring and Reporting Framework prepared by the Authority with UTS and CSIRO. This work will inform the Authority’s approach to indicators helping monitor regional transition progress.
The Board was grateful to hear from Emeritus Professor Roy Green, following the release of his review of the Energy Industry Jobs Plan (EIJP). Professor Green’s review responded to a requirement in section 68 of the Net Zero Economy Authority Act 2024.
Feedback from the EIJP redeployment grants program consultation and progress on the program’s design was noted by the Board.
The Board endorsed the 2026–27 Portfolio Budget Statement performance measures and noted the preparations for the 2026–27 Corporate Plan and the Authority’s approach to integrated business planning, performance and reporting.
The Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee provided the Board with advice on matters relating to governance, financial management, risk and assurance. The Board provided guidance to inform refinement of the Enterprise Risk Framework and Enterprise Risk Register.
Following a self-initiated review of its first year of operations, the Board discussed several actions to further improve the Board’s practice and efficiency.
The Board approved a work plan to further embed integrity practice across the Authority’s culture, systems and decision making as well as a revised Fraud and Corruption Control Plan. These documents will support clear accountability, strong compliance practice and strengthened integrity across the Authority.
The Board noted the value in learning from international transition experiences and the Authority’s international engagement to date with a range of comparable bodies internationally.
The Board discussed the opportunity for a strategic planning session in May in addition to the next scheduled Board meeting in June in the Hunter region, NSW.