Ben Gawne is a freshwater ecologist with extensive experience generating, synthesising and communicating knowledge to support the adaptive management of water resources.
For over 25 years Ben has collaborated in the planning, implementation and evaluation of significant river restoration initiatives including the Living Murray and the Basin Plan. For much of his career he led a research joint venture between the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Commonwealth Government CSIRO and La Trobe University. He subsequently led planning and implementation of the Commonwealth Environmental Waterholder’s long-term intervention monitoring project that involved collaboration among six multidisciplinary teams across the Basin. Most recently, Ben led the 2020 Basin Plan evaluation for the MDBA.
Prior to joining the MDBA, Ben held academic appointments with the University of Canberra, La Trobe University and CSIRO where he led and collaborated in applied research designed to improve manager’s capacity to effectively and efficiently restore the rivers, floodplains and wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin. These roles included participation in the application of the best available science to the planning, monitoring and evaluation of environmental flows and ecosystem condition.
