Mel Taylor

Mel is a Senior Knowledge Exchange Officer in NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW DCCEEW) in a role focussed on relationship building and supporting the translation of research into practice with the NSW Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre.

Mel has had a long and varied career in research, starting in military human factors research in the UK and moving into academic research after arriving in Australia in 2006. She has held academic positions at Western Sydney University and Macquarie University. Whilst in academia she worked on many applied research challenges with communications practitioners in emergency roles in agricultural and emergency services, across diverse subjects such as the biosecurity responses of horse owners to Hendra virus, anticipated public responses to CBRN terrorist events, community experiences of bushfires and floods, and the wicked problem of people driving through floodwater. 

In an unexpected turn, Mel was able to unite her love of animals and her research on emergencies and disasters to pursue research on animal emergency management. This culminated in her involvement in the production of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR)’s National Handbook on Planning for Animals in 2024.

Mel remains a passionate advocate for the integration of animals into emergency management, and her lasting wish to get the word ‘lovestock*’ into mainstream emergency communication!

(*’pet’ livestock/livestock animals with names)