New CEO for WABSI and $3.4m pledge

Owen Nevin has been named chief executive of WA’s Biodiversity Science Institute on the same day the state government pledged $3.4 million to the organisation.

Those announcements, made today by Science Minister Dave Kelly, mean the institute’s funding will now be extended to the end of June 2023.

The institute has received $10 million in funding since it was founded in 2015.

In March, the institute led the successful bid for a $30 million cooperative research centre for transformations in mining economies.

Data from the institute will also support efforts to streamline the environmental assessment process.

Professor Nevin will assume the role after having been appointed chief executive by the board in July.

Prior to that he spent eight years as a researcher at CQ University.

He will replace Peter Zurzolo in the role, who has served as chief executive since 2016.

Mr Kelly said it was crucial that WA invest in efforts to understand its environment, citing its diversities of flora and fauna and 15 terrestrial biodiversity hotspots.