Welcome Dr Cynthia Townley as the Independent Chair of the CAG

Cynthia has been working in community sector policy and advocacy for more than ten years, and has extensive experience with lived experience projects, policy relating to lower income and disadvantaged Tasmanians, energy and digital inclusion.

Between 2021-23 Cynthia was also member of TasNetworks’ Reset Advisory Committee, which played an instrumental role in the development of the business’ 2024-29 Revenue Reset engagement program, paving the way for groups like the CAG.

Cynthia developed an interest in the electricity industry after observing the impacts to those on lower incomes or experiencing disadvantage resulting from government and business decisions around energy.

“I know the importance of having decision makers engaged with and accountable to the people most affected by their decisions – and this will be a key function of the CAG. Electricity is important to all Tasmanians, whether they’re directly connected as a household or business – as the recent state-wide storms demonstrated.”

Cynthia also brings the lived experience of rural Tasmanians to the group, residing on the Tasman Peninsula for the past decade, including living through the challenges of the Dunalley bushfires in 2013, which highlighted the need for strategies and infrastructure that provide resilience in times of crisis.

There is a lot of work to come in the next six months to set the group up for success, and Cynthia will work closely with newly appointed Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) Chair, Amy Abraham, to tease out potential customer outcomes that will become the basis of TasNetworks’ forward engagement program for 2025-29. This collaboration will continue indefinitely to ensure alignment and knowledge-sharing between groups, including the shaping of agendas, activities and areas of interest.