Ngaire McGaw is a certified sustainability professional and experienced project manager of sustainability and change projects. She has lead intersectoral and multi-stakeholder initiatives in business, the public and not-for-profit sectors, and the community sector.

Ngaire is the recipient of a number of awards for her work projects, post-graduate studies, and volunteer roles. She has presented papers at a number of national/state conferences.

Ngaire is skilled in project planning, management, and evaluation. This includes stakeholder engagement, communication, organisational change, capacity building, carbon accounting, data management and carbon management.

Ngaire’s first paid role in decarbonisation was in 2003, working for the TravelSmart initiative, where she implemented and evaluated settings-based projects in schools (funded by the Australian Greenhouse Office and the Queensland Government). One of Ngaire’s projects won national recognition from Australia’s Cycling Promotion Fund. Project sites reduced emissions by up to 19 per cent.

Ngaire has a long history of working in the health sector, starting in the fields of primary and public health. Her first role as a Sustainability Officer in hospitals was in 2015.

In 2011, Ngaire worked with the Queensland Health Carbon Management Unit, developing tools and processes to support the unit’s eco-efficiency retrofits of Queensland’s public hospitals.

Ngaire has played key roles in the sustainability journey at: St Vincent’s Health Australia (current); Suncorp (2022); Mater Misericordiae Ltd (Qld); and St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School.

Ngaire has opened her house for Sustainable House Day, attracting hundreds of visitors. Ngaire was the award-winning Convenor of Sustainable Jamboree and Beyond Zero Emissions.

Qualifications

• Ngaire holds a Masters in Sustainability Science with Distinction, from the University of Southern Queensland (2015). Subject areas included environmental science, economics, and policy. Electives included energy management accounting, sustainability accounting and finance, and public relations research.
• She also holds a Masters in Health Science from QUT with double majors in Health Services Management and Health Promotion (2002). These subjects included studies in change management, behavioural change, social and behavioural epidemiology, economics, and program evaluation.
• Ngaire holds a Diploma of Leadership and Management, a Diploma of Project Management, a Basic Certificate in Safety and Quality (Institute for Healthcare Improvement), and the Certificate in Engagement (IAP2).
• In 2019 Ngaire completed a Graduate Certificate of Business including subjects in corporate communications and delivered the valedictory speech at graduation.

• In 2017, Ngaire became a Certified Sustainability Professional with ISSP.

• Since 2012, Ngaire has maintained her qualification as a Green Star Building Associate from the Green Building Council of Australia.
• Ngaire has completed accredited GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) training. She has completed formal training in energy auditing standards, energy auditing and quality management systems, and carbon accounting.
• Ngaire has studied environmental legal studies at Bond University as well as sustainable asset management (winning the first in class award). The legal subject focused on the federal government’s Clean Energy Futures package (carbon price) and the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) Act 2007.

Awards and recognition

• Ngaire was a member of the Mater Misericordiae team that won the top award category in the Queensland Premier’s Sustainability Awards (2016)
• Ngaire won an academic award at the University of Southern Queensland (2015)
• Ngaire was parent representative for the St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School Earth Angels which won a 2014 Premier’s Sustainability Award (Community category).
• Ngaire was named among the Top 100 Sustain Ability Leaders by the ABC of Carbon (2012)
• Ngaire won the Founder’s Award for Beyond Zero Emissions Queensland (2012)
  Ngaire won the Bond University First in Class Award for Assets and Facilities Management in the Graduate Certificate of Carbon Management (Feb 2011)
• As volunteer convenor of Sustainable Jamboree, Ngaire team won the Premier’s ClimateSmart Sustainability Award (Community Category) (2011)
• After the 2011 flood, Ngaire was finalist for the Rotary Community Gem Award (2011)
• Ngaire won a community Oxley electorate award (2010)
• Ngaire won a Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Green Heart Award (2009)
• Ngaire was a winner of a staff award while working at the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (2001) for developing resources to assist funded agencies set KPIs and playing a key role in managing treatment of the GST when first introduced
• Ngaire won her first leadership awards while still at school.

Check out Ngaire’s YouTube Channel here.