Current CAP Members

Ted Byrt is an experienced company director and now retired commercial lawyer who for over 40 years has specialised in the areas of commerce and public law, local government, town planning and development, corporate governance and international business. Ted was chairman of partners at Norman Waterhouse Lawyers.

He is a specialist strategic advisor for major projects and has focussed on advising corporates undertaking development and infrastructure projects within Australia and offshore.

He was Presiding Member of the State’s “Development Assessment Commission” from July 2008 until March 2015. Ted is Presiding Member of the Roxby Downs CAP, and Chair of Governance Advisory Panels at Barunga West and Light Regional Councils.

Ted has also been a Director of companies with businesses as diverse as library information management systems, shared IT services, viticulture and winery, air-conditioning systems, photonics and carbon sequestration. He is presently a Director of Papyrus Australia Ltd, SMAC Technologies Pty Ltd, Red Chip Photonics Pty Ltd, Arkwright Technologies Pty Ltd and the Aboriginal Foundation of SA Inc.

Don has extensive experience in strategic planning, planning policy and development assessment, spanning over 50 years. His career has primarily been in senior positions in local government. He currently is the Manager Planning and Development at Unley Council and is also a member of the State Commission Assessment Panel (holding appropriate Level 2 accreditation for membership on assessment panels). Don is a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia and has previously filled Presiding Member and Independent Member positions on several metropolitan and outer-metropolitan council assessment panels.

Graham Nitschke is a Councillor for Thebarton Ward with the City of West Torrens.  He was first elected in 2014 and has been a member of the City of West Torrens Council Assessment Panel (previously the Development Assessment Panel) since that time. 

Graham has been involved with both the Torrens Road to River Torrens Project, as well as the River Torrens to Darlington Project for the North-South Corridor (South Road) as a council appointed Elected Member on those Community Reference Groups.  Recently, he has also been appointed by council as an Elected Member on the Thebarton Oval Precinct Masterplan Advisory Group.

In 2020 Graham nominated the West End Brewery Site as a State Heritage Place to the South Australian Heritage Council. This resulted in the remains of `Theberton Cottage’, Colonel William Light's and Maria Gandy’s home, as well as the Walkerville Brewhouse Tower and the West End Brewery Garden receiving State Heritage Listing by the South Australian Heritage Council in 2021.

Graham is passionate about improving the local community by the use of sustainable and innovative development, retaining local heritage, improving community facilities and increasing our green open space and tree canopy. 

George Demetriou is currently serving as Morphett Ward Councillor with the City of West Torrens. George is now in his thirtieth year on Council. George is a qualified loss assessor however is now retired but was previously a business manager and operated his own business. George's interests include maintaining the beautification of the City of West Torrens.

Beth is a senior urban planner with over 20 years’ experience across local government and private practice, in both Adelaide and the UK. She focuses on city policy, urban design, heritage, social planning and community engagement. Beth has served as an Independent Member on multiple Council Assessment Panels across Adelaide for more than a decade, contributing her strategic insight and collaborative approach to planning decisions. Beth is passionate about shaping inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant communities through thoughtful planning and policy development. Beth is also an Accredited Professional Planning Level 2 with the South Australian Accredited Professional Scheme.

With a passion for great planning and placemaking, Jane Strange came from a successful career in local government to the Planning Institute of Australia as State Manager in November 2020. Her extensive experience in major development and strategic and policy planning has given her an insight into the pressures, and the triumphs, of the planning profession. She is committed to advocating for the betterment of planning and actively encourages interest in and knowledge of the planning profession in the wider community.

Julia Thomson is an experienced urban planner and policy advisor with a strong commitment to sustainable development and community-focused planning. With over a decade of experience in the public sector, she has contributed to strategic planning initiatives and policy development at both state and local government levels across Australia, as well as internationally during her time in London. Her areas of expertise include environmental planning and smart city development. Julia has contributed to major strategic planning documents for Greater Melbourne, the City of Adelaide, and Greater London.

As a resident of the City of West Torrens, Julia brings both a local perspective and deep professional expertise to the Council Assessment Panel. She is dedicated to supporting accessible, equitable and vibrant urban development that aligns with the Planning and Design Code. Julia holds a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Melbourne and is an Accredited Professional (Level 2) and Full Member of the Planning Institute of Australia.