Professor Matthew Tonts was appointed Chair of the independent Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in 2021. Prior to this he held a number of senior roles at the University of Western Australia, including as Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education (2017-2020) and Head of the School of Earth and Environment.
He has expertise in environmental geography, regional development and spatial planning. In 2020, he was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.