A collective of brilliant minds and industry experts

Joshua is currently studying a Bachelor of City Planning (Honours) at the University of New South Wales. Joshua has a keen interest in strategic planning and land use planning. Since Joshua has joined the Policy team, he has worked on a range of strategic planning projects for the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

Joshua possesses a broad depth of knowledge, including technical capabilities in Adobe Suite and GIS. He has a passion to assist in providing sustainable and quality-built environments, utilising his problem-solving skills and knowledge of the NSW planning system.

Ben is the Founder and Executive Chair of Mecone, a leading Australian town planning and urban design consultancy with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Ben has built a reputation for providing valuable planning and design advice to clients in both the public and private sectors. His expertise covers a wide range of planning areas, including strategic planning, statutory planning, and urban design.

Ann-Maree has over 20 years experience in the planning sector, with extensive experience managing complex programs of work, leading strategy development, and building and leading multi-disciplinary teams.

Ann-Maree’s professional background spans program and project management, strategic and statutory planning, urban renewal (precinct planning), greenfield development, development assessment, environmental impact assessment, and community engagement.

E: amcarruthers@mecone.com.au

Ben has over 10 years experience spanning project management, research, analytics, consultancy & public policy. Ben reliably leads teams under tight timeframes & constrained budgets, while navigating complex governance systems & diverse stakeholders requirements.

Skilled in designing and delivering rigorous research projects, policy analysis and technical reporting, Ben is a trusted advisor to C-level executives in high-growth environments, providing strategic, data-backed insights & driving initiatives from conception through to implementation.

Currently serving as Assistant Project Manager on the Dungog Housing Delivery Master Plan, Benjamin oversees financial tracking and supports end-to-end delivery of strategic housing initiatives. His holistic understanding of urban systems, combined with his strengths in communication and stakeholder engagement, makes him a highly effective leader in the planning and delivery of transformative public projects.

Michael Buckton is a Bachelor of City Planning student at the University of New South Wales, with a keen interest in statutory planning, urban design, and strategic planning. His passion is to help create a more engaging and safer environment within our cities and suburbs through collective problem-solving and the clear application of planning principles.

With a broad depth of knowledge within the NSW planning system, Michael has worked on a wide range of projects, including residential developments, commercial centres, and industrial developments.

In addition to his studies, Michael has gained practical experience through his role as a Student Planner at Mecone, where he assists with the preparation of planning reports, applications, and submissions. Michael is committed to furthering his professional development and becoming a leading planner in the industry.

Oksana has almost 6 years’ experience in the industry and a unique mix of capabilities including statutory planning, master planning, transport planning, spatial analytics / GIS and urban design, and social sustainability. She has worked on projects across Australia and New Zealand, spanning from major transport infrastructure, urban growth strategies, rural land strategies, transport strategies city centre plans, and renewable energy State Significant Infrastructure projects.

Oksana has been in roles spanning from lead author of regulatory approvals and Social Impact Assessments, project /technical coordinator, and technical analyst across her range of project involvements. She has a holistic appreciation of the natural and built environment and creating places with communities at the core that is safe, vibrant and will be enjoyed by generations to come.

Sean is an experienced social planner with a proven track record of working closely with clients to deliver balanced, well-considered assessments that support sound policy and project approvals.

With a rich background in social value, community infrastructure planning, and environmental law, his professional and academic experience brings to projects valuable insights working on complex projects for a range of clients across Australia. As the social planning lead at Mecone, Sean oversees the preparation of Social Impact Assessments, Social and Community Needs Assessments, and social policy for both private and government sectors.

Zach is a strategic planner with over 4 years’ experience in the profession. Zach has a strong background in strategic planning, policy reform, urban economics, and stakeholder engagement – having worked in both multinational and regional Australia-based firms.

Zach has developed significant experience in state-wide and local policy reform across a range of critical urban planning issues including industrial land, car parking provisions, renewable energy approvals, housing strategy, and economic development. Zach also has extensive experience in public consultation, industry engagement, and strategic communications.

Zach brings a big picture understanding of the issues facing our towns and cities – weaving local knowledge together with best practice and innovations from around the world. Zach is highly capable of working with complex stakeholders and building coalitions to achieve the best outcomes for all involved.