Barry Thomas Hart

Barry Thomas Hart AM (born 1940) is an Australian environmental scientist and academic. He is Emeritus Professor of Environmental Chemistry at Monash University. His career has included research in freshwater ecology and water quality, as well as service on the board of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority from 2009 to 2018. In 2012, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to environmental science and water resource management.

Early life and education Hart grew up in Bairnsdale, Victoria. He earned a Diploma of Applied Chemistry in 1959 and a Diploma in Chemical Engineering in 1963. He then attended Monash University, where he got a Bachelor of Science with first-class honors in 1969 and a PhD in Chemistry in 1972.

Academic career Hart began his academic career at the Caulfield Institute of Technology (later Chisholm Institute of Technology) in 1968, where he served as Head of the Chemistry and Biology Department from 1976 to 1986. In 2019, Hart publicly defended the Murray-Darling Basin Plan against criticisms raised during the South Australian royal commission, arguing that the authority's work was backed by robust and transparent science.

After leaving full-time academia, Hart founded Water Science Pty Ltd. He served as the Chair of the Goyder Institute for Water Research from 2020 to 2023. He was also the Chair of Alluvium Holdings and Alluvium Consulting, retiring from these positions in June 2024.

Research and contributions Hart's research has focused on freshwater ecology, water quality, environmental chemistry, salinity, and water resources management. Hart's early research focused on environmental monitoring and river health, contributing to the development of the Index of Stream Condition in Australia. He has also utilized Bayesian networks for ecological risk assessments.

He has also published research on the Murray–Darling Basin, including analyses of the implementation of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan and studies of salinity management. His later work has addressed the management of urban waterways in Melbourne and broader issues relating to water policy and environmental governance.

Selected journal articles

Hart, B. T.; et al. (1991). "A review of the salt sensitivity of the Australian freshwater biota". Hydrobiologia 210: 105–144. Pollino, C. A.; Woodberry, O.; Nicholson, A.; Korb, K.; Hart, B. T. (2007). "Parameterization and evaluation of a Bayesian network for use in an ecological risk assessment". Environmental Modelling & Software 22 (8): 1140–1152. Ladson, A. R.; et al. (1999). "Development and testing of an Index of Stream Condition for waterway management in Australia". Freshwater Biology 41 (2): 453–468. Hart, B. T. (2016). "The Australian Murray–Darling Basin Plan: Challenges in its Implementation (Part 1)". International Journal of Water Resources Development 32 (6): 819–834. Hart, B.T., Walker, G., Katupitiya, A. and Doolan, J. (2020). Salinity Management in the Murray-Darling Basin. Water 12(6):1829. Hart, B.T., Francey, M. and Chesterfield, C. (2021). Management of urban waterways in Melbourne, Australia: 1. Current status. Australasian Journal of Water Resources.