Dr Fiona Gray has joined Australian sustainability organisation Renew as its new chief executive officer, taking over from interim CEO Kate Doyle on 8 August 2022.
She says her first week at Renew has been like “drinking from the fire hose” but the new leader is anything but inexperienced. With more than 25 years of experience as a registered practising architect, Gray has been an urban ecologies researcher, a local government leader, and a board member.
The fact that the organisation focuses on sustainable living for homes and communities was what initially attracted her to the role, as an architect and having previously worked in local government to improve the quality of design to improve sustainability.
Gray was previously the executive manager of city design and executive manager of catalyst projects at the City of Ballarat. She was also the founder and director of urban research and design consulting agency Civic Collective, which is dedicated to assisting government and community organisations address complex challenges and foster inclusive and sustainable communities.
Her extensive CV also includes a PhD in Architecture, and extensive research in the field of urban design and ecologies at Deakin University, where she holds an adjunct associate professorship.
But her interest in sustainable living goes beyond purely professional and into her personal life, as she has lived off-grid for a number of years.
When she saw this role was up for grabs, Gray immediately knew she was the right woman for the job: “everything about it ticked my boxes”.
“Sustainability is one area where there are so many opportunities to learn more. Renew can advocate nationally, with a much broader reach.”
Calling for improvements to the NCC
The big campaign the organisation is currently working on is for the National Construction Code to be improved.
“In Australia, our code is pretty light on standards for thermal performance. We are advocating to lift those standards, especially the star rating. We also want to introduce the idea of an energy budget into homes, mandating that all fixed appliances meet efficiency standards. Things like heating, cooling, [and] hot water pumps.
“Obviously we are a long way behind Europe, and as a result we have leaky homes. And – I’m not being dramatic here – people are dying from the cold and from heat waves, which are becoming much more prominent here in Australia.”
From grassroots to national
Renew grew from a small, grassroots organisation to become what it is today – one of Australia’s leading organisations inspiring, enabling and advocating for sustainable living.
The Alternative Technology Co-operative was founded in 1976 in Carlton, Victoria, spun out of the Friends of the Earth’s campaign against uranium. “Renew has been pushing for better energy standards since its inception.”
Nowadays, Dr Gray says solar has become more commonplace. In response, the organisation is pushing for broader change in the renewables space – advocating for community energy microgrids, electric vehicle uptake, and of course, more solar: “that’s the priority”.
Solar for tenants, communities, and social housing
Solar, once the domain of homeowners, is now being propelled by necessity into new territories. Suburban family home owners are no longer the chief demographic targeted by solar enthusiasts.
Nowadays things are different: “many people are facing the fact that they will never own a home… How do we make landlords help tenants be sustainable?”
And it’s not just about the individual homeowner anymore. It’s about “the whole community, including social housing”.
That diversification of renewables user/purchaser is a good thing (although it might make marketing a little more difficult).
Energy efficiency is an economic imperative
Generally speaking, Dr Gray says, there’s “a lot more awareness” around sustainability now.
People want to be greener. But also, people who didn’t used to be impassioned, are now forced into interest by economic imperative.
People are looking for ways to manage their power bills in a time of soaring energy costs and rising cost of living.
Not that she isn’t ready for it. The proudest moment of her career (aside from this one) was steering her architecture practice through the global financial crisis.
“That’s why I wasn’t scared to take on a leadership role,” she says.
At the helm of a “fantastic and very welcoming” team of more than 20 staff, Gray is excited to get started.
“Our challenge is that Australia is a long way behind what it needs to be. It’s a challenge, but also a motivation. It’s an opportunity.
“There’s now a groundswell of people taking action in Australia and globally. That gives me hope we can do this.”