Photograph of Dr Tom Hatton

Dr Tom Hatton, Energy Group Executive.

Dr Tom Hatton: Group Executive, Energy

As Group Executive Energy, Dr Tom Hatton has responsibilities across the Energy, Oceans and Resources domains supported by an annual budget of $220M.

  • 4 August 2011 | Updated 15 May 2012

Current activities

Dr Tom Hatton and his team are helping to accelerate large-scale greenhouse emissions cuts through a collaborative program of research, development and demonstration. 

Areas of focus are to understand economic and sustainable pathways to a sustainable low-carbon future, community outreach, and delivering a suite of new energy technologies. 

Current demonstration-scale activities include:

  • carbon capture and storage
  • solar energy
  • geothermal energy
  • smart grids.  

Dr Hatton currently chairs Australian Government's 2011 State of Environment Committee and the Western Australia Marine Parks and Reserves Authority.

Dr Hatton sits on the CSIRO Indigenous Engagement Steering Committee and Chairs the CSIRO Safety Committee.

Background

Dr Hatton manages CSIRO's energy, ocean and resources research with an annual research budget of A$220 million.

Dr Hatton has over 25 years of research experience, nationally and internationally, in a broad range of environmental related disciplines including:

  • forest productivity
  • ecology
  • bushfire science
  • eco-hydrology
  • water allocation
  • salinity
  • catchment hydrology.

He has been part of the Energy Group Executive team in CSIRO for past two years as Director of the Wealth from Oceans Flagship. 

Dr Hatton has significant expertise in building and managing multidisciplinary research teams to solve resource management issues.

For example he led CSIRO’s Murray-Darling Sustainable Yields project that provided the first the world's largest basin-scale investigation of the impacts on water resources in respect to catchment development, changing groundwater extraction, climate variability and climate change.

He also led the CSIRO team that helped resolved issues between off-shore oil production and concerns about on-shore groundwater levels in Bass Strait.

The Wealth from Oceans Flagship, together with CSIRO’s Energy Transformed Flagship, delivered Australia's most detailed ocean potential renewable energy atlas.

In the two years that he been Director Dr Hatton has re-focused the research and development of the Wealth from Oceans Flagship on the challenges faced by off-shore resource development, with the aim of accelerating approvals, lowering compliance costs, reducing operational risks and increasing effective responsiveness to marine emergencies.

Dr Hatton has worked for CSIRO since 1988. Prior to that he held a postdoctoral position in mathematics at The University of New South Wales, Australia.

Dr Hatton has been Director of the CSIRO Wealth from Oceans and Water for a Healthy Country Flagships.

In both roles he achieved wide recognition for the delivery of high-impact science aimed at Australia's serious water and ocean challenges.

Dr Hatton completed a Bachelor of Science (summa cum laude) and Master of Science in Natural Resources at Humboldt State University, USA.

In 1986 he completed his doctorate in the College of Natural Resources at Utah State University, USA.

Achievements

Dr Hatton chairs the Australian Government's 2011 State of Environment Committee and the Western Australia Marine Parks and Reserves Authority.

He has also served:

  • on the Conservation Commission of Western Australia (2004-06)
  • on the National Water Commission's Groundwater Technical Advisory Committee (2007-09)
  • as Deputy Chair, Western Australia Premier's Water Foundation (2003-07)
  • on the Steering Committee, Western Australia State of Environment Report (2003-06)
  • on the Steering Committee, WA Salinity Engineering Evaluation Program (2002-06)
  • on the Operations Committee, National Dryland Salinity Program (1998-2003)
  • on the Board of the Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology (1998-2000)
  • on Western Australia's Water Forever Panel (2008-09)
  • as Chair, National Centre for Groundwater Research & Training Advisory Board (2009-11).

In 1999, Dr Hatton was awarded the inaugural WE Wood Award for scientific excellence in the field of salinity research, and the Utah State University Alumni Professional Achievement Award. 

In 2008, Dr Hatton received the CSIRO Chairman’s Medal and the Australian Public Service Medal for his contributions to the management of Australia’s water resources

Read more about CSIRO's Executive Team.