Tellus Announces Board Changes

Tellus Holdings Ltd (Tellus), Australia’s only government-approved developer and operator of commercial geological repositories for hazardous waste, announces the retirement from the Board of Chris Berkefeld, and has appointed Ken Kanofski to its Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director.

Ken Kanofski has a deep knowledge and extensive operational and leadership experience in industries directly relevant to Tellus’ business, particularly transport and waste. Most recently, he was CEO (and formerly COO) of the NSW Roads and Maritime Service, and CEO for nearly 10 years of waste and recycling industry major WSN Environmental Solutions, prior to its sale to Suez. He also has significant governance experience as a non-executive director, including as current Chair of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Transport Taskforce.

Chairman of Tellus Holdings Ltd, Phil Garling said: “I welcome Ken to the Tellus Board, knowing that he brings to us very deep and broad infrastructure and utilities experience across the transport, water, energy and telecommunications sectors. This will be invaluable to the company as it rapidly expands its client base, following the recent opening of the Sandy Ridge facility in WA.”

Tellus also notes that current Board member, Chris Berkefeld, has advised of his imminent retirement as a director of the Tellus Board to focus on the management of a start-up company that he has founded.

“I want to also sincerely thank Chris Berkefeld for his significant and meaningful contribution to Tellus over many years and wish him well for all his future endeavours”, said Phil Garling.

Ken Kanofski said: “I am very excited about joining the Tellus Board at this time. The opportunities that are emerging for Tellus to achieve its mission of helping clean Australia of its hazardous waste are getting more and more substantial across multiple industry sectors. I look forward to contributing in any way I can to this mission.”

For more information on Tellus, please visit the website.

Tellus is an innovative Australian environmental services group in the business of partnering with our clients to find a permanent disposal solution for hazardous waste and removing it safely and responsibly from our society and environment to a world class, remote near-surface geological repository. We also have the opportunity to reinvest in our communities through the circular economy and recycling technologies. Our first geological repository called Sandy Ridge, based northwest of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, is now fully open for business. It is licensed to accept a broad range of hazardous waste up to 100,000 tonnes per annum for the next 25 years. Unlike a traditional waste landfill that relies on a liner, Sandy Ridge relies on a multi-barrier, natural safety case, underpinned by unique geology. Our safety case is so strong that we can permanently dispose of Class IV and Class V waste for our clients, and in turn, they have the opportunity to remove contingent liability for clean-up off their balance sheet and optimise the value of their sites, once de-contaminated. Other sites around Australia are also being considered for development by Tellus, including New South Wales in the Broken Hill region, and the Northern Territory.

Ken Kanofski is a director, independent advisor and former CEO. He has a deep knowledge and experience of the waste and recycling industry having led WSN Environmental Solutions for almost 10 years prior to its sale to Suez. More broadly Ken has a wealth of infrastructure and utilities experience across transport, water, energy and telecommunications.

In addition to WSN Environmental Solutions, Ken has served as Chief Executive Officer of a further three large organisations: NSW Roads and Maritime Services; NSW Land and Housing Corporation; and Government Property NSW.

He has been a board member and chair on national policy bodies, statutory authorities, industry bodies and community organisations, he has contributed significantly to policy at a state, national and international level in transport, infrastructure, waste and energy.

He is previous director of the Australian Landfill Owners Association and Environment Business Australia.

Media contact:
Justin Kirkwood
+61 411 251 324
Justin@kirkwoods.com.au