Emma Riley

Emma Riley is the Incoming National President and Board Chair of the Planning Institute of Australia. She has been a director on the PIA board for the past 6 years,  serving as a PIA representative on the Global Planners Network and Chair of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee. She is a Registered Planner (Fellow) and has been a member of PIA since 2001. Emma is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

An experienced city and regional planner, Emma has over 23 years’ professional experience across state and local government and private practice. She is the owner and managing director of ERA Planning and Environment, guiding a team of professionals specialising in planning, environmental and community engagement services. 

In this role, Emma provides overall direction and oversight for all of ERA’s projects and has significant project management experience with large scale planning projects, including regional strategic land use plans. Emma has previously been Chair of the Tasmanian Planning Reform Taskforce and a member of the Tasmanian Government’s Light Rail Business Case analysis and the Building and Construction Industry Advisory Council.

Emma has a passion for planning’s role in delivering cities and places that support inclusion and quality of life. She has contributed to research on Australian cities and strongly advocates for more sustainable and equitable cities including improved access to diverse housing, jobs, services and amenities, believing the integration of land use and transport planning is an essential element.