Meet Chelsea Hunnisett, Laureate PhD candidate and Government Relations Specialist at the Planetary Health Equity Hothouse at The Australian National University. Here she talks about her work focused on the development of a wellbeing economy to achieve planetary health equity goals and some great advice from her grandfather.   

What is your current role and how did you get to be there?

My primary role right now is as a Laureate PhD candidate at ANU. I’m looking at the institutional dynamics within Commonwealth Treasury that may influence the development of a wellbeing economy that achieves planetary health equity goals.   

My ‘trade’ is in communications, advocacy and government relations, and I first came across this idea of a wellbeing economy working as a policy advisor in a medical research institute. 

(Shout out to A/Prof Ali Jones who first introduced me to the wellbeing economy and Katherine Trebeck who is a constant source of inspiration).   

I decided to take a bit of a sabbatical from the rough and tumble of government relations to get really focused on the intricacies of institutions and how they develop policy – ultimately with the aim of coming back to work better educated and with a ‘Dr’ in front of my name.  

On the side, I still work as a Government Relations Specialist part-time with the Planetary Health Equity Hothouse and do consultancy work on climate and health policies. 

How does your work contribute to the field? 

After working on all manner of public health and wellbeing policy issues for over a decade, I started to become heavily disillusioned with the ability for our policy makers to think in terms of systems and develop policy that could actually address the major challenges of our time. As I became familiar with the concept of a wellbeing economy, I became convinced the wellbeing economy may be a tangible way to address the deep-rooted systems challenges of addressing climate, health and equity, so dove in head first.  

A wellbeing economy proposes that, by shifting the primary focus of economic policy and institutional norms from growth to human and planetary needs, society can be reorientated from the consumptogenic system of the post-Industrial Revolution era towards a healthier, safer, more equitable future for all. 

Ultimately it’s about changing the economy to address the root causes of health and wellbeing. 

What is a project you would love to get off the ground or a skill you would like to develop, if you had the opportunity? 

I’d love to do more policy analysis on the wellbeing economy, perhaps next time looking at a different central agency or comparing Australia to other jurisdictions taking a wellbeing economy approach (like Wales, Scotland, Finland, Iceland and New Zealand). My life’s passion is engaging with government on policy for planetary health equity, so any projects related to that will always be my main focus. 

What are your loves outside of work?

My greatest love is my beautiful little family: two cats, one dog and a very handsome husband. I love to grow my own food, so I’m usually found muddy in the garden. I also love to read fiction, and right now am devouring the Fourth Wing series. 

What is one piece of advice you could pass onto others following their own career in health and medical research sector? 

My grandfather once told me, “if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it”. Great advice for all manner of circumstances.