With the AUA, Simon works to communicate with the uranium industry’s main stakeholders explaining the global drivers of demand for Australian uranium and advocating regulatory reform aimed at improving the Australian industry’s international competitiveness.

Simon is an expert in risk communications and issues management. An important part of his role with the AUA is to address issues such as public perceptions of the risks of uranium mining and nuclear energy and the long term and intergenerational issues raised by the use of uranium.

In particular, the Association seeks to address what it calls ‘radiophobia’, the anxiety and fear that many people have about radiation and its potential health effects. This fear lies at the basis of much of the opposition to nuclear energy and uranium mining.

Simon is one of Australia’s most experienced public affairs communicators with a career spanning 18 years in public affairs and political journalism (‘The Age’ newspaper; the Nine television Network; and the ‘Bulletin’ magazine) followed by a public affairs consulting and corporate communications career in which he has worked with some of Australia’s leading public and private sector organisations.  

He has been a Director of one of Victoria’s leading public affairs communications consultancies and has advised clients in the gambling, banking, pharmaceuticals, packaging, mobile telecommunications, food, electricity and resources sectors.