The Property Council of Australia (PCA) has selected a government relations specialist to head its operations in Western Australia.
Nicola Brischetto has been appointed as the WA executive director of the PCA, coming to the organisation from the Western Australian government where she most recently served as a director in the Office of the Chief Executive at the WA Child and Adolescent Health Service.
Prior to that role, she was a deputy director in the state’s National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.
A trained secondary teacher, Brischetto also held the position of executive in the Early Childhood Education Regulatory Authority within the NSW Department of Education and was a senior policy officer at the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority.
The organisation has been on the hunt for a new executive in the state since December 2023, when Sandra Brewer stepped aside to seek preselection for the state seat of Cottesloe. WA deputy executive director Emily Young will continue to serve as interim executive until Brischetto commences in the role on 27 May.
Welcoming her to the fold, PCA chief executive Mike Zorbas explained that the organisation was drawn to Brischetto’s diverse background and experience as a leader.
“Nicola’s leadership experience, intellect and warmth will position her well as the champion of our city-shaping WA members and to lead our terrific WA team. Her pedigree in navigating complex policy and regulatory work will make her a powerful advocate for reforms that matter to WA,” Zorbas said.
Richard Kilbane, PCA’s WA division president and the CEO of Perth property giant Hawaiian, outlined some of the tasks the Western Australian team will be working on with a new executive at the helm.
“With the issues in planning and housing as they are, and a state election on the horizon, it’s a critical time for our sector and for WA more broadly,” he said.
“I know Nicola will be a strong and effective voice for our members, and I look forward to her building on the great successes of the WA team in recent years. Division council and I are delighted to work with Nicola, and I know she will hit the ground running,” Kilbane added.
On stepping into the new role, Brischetto said it would be “a privilege to work with an industry that is so critical to the economic strength of the state, and to have the opportunity to lead conversations that matter deeply to the lives of West Australians”.
“I look forward to continuing the positive relationships and solutions-focused work of the Property Council in WA and advocating on behalf of our members on such important matters of public policy,” she said.
Zorbas paid tribute to Young’s work in an interim capacity, thanking her for stepping into the role “with great skill, passion and pride”.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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