Who are the Registrars

Chris Valacos

NSW Registrar

Chris has worked extensively as a lawyer in social and affordable housing and brings a wealth of knowledge, particularly related to residential tenancies law, community housing and social housing legislation. He was centrally involved in all four tranches of New South Wales’ community housing legislation, including that tranche which became the National Law.

Chris has extensive experience as a lawyer in both the private and public sector. His previous role was as Director, Housing (Legal Services), with the Department of Communities and Justice. He has previously worked in a regulatory role as a legal adviser with the former Australian Broadcasting Authority.

Chris commenced in the role of NSW Registrar of Community Housing on Monday 4 November 2019.

Craig Thompson

Housing Regulator and Registrar

Craig has been in the Registrar role since January 2019, and has managed either contractual or regulatory functions with the community housing sector since 2006.  Prior to this Craig has worked across public and private agencies involved with Indigenous agribusiness enterprises, regulation of personal bankruptcies, and minimum housing standards.  Craig holds qualifications as a Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, and Certificate IV in Investigations and Statutory Compliance.

Lynden Pennicott

Registrar Tasmania

Lynden was appointed as the Tasmanian Registrar in October 2022. Lynden has held a range of positions in both Government and the private sector working in Australia and overseas.  He has held senior positions in the banking and finance sector, law enforcement and social housing.

Lynden is a member, and past President, of the Australasian Housing Institute and is also a member of the Institute of Public Administration Australia. Lynden holds a Graduate Certificate of Social Science (Housing Management and Policy) from Swinburne University of Technology.

Karl Frank

Registrar Queensland

Karl Frank was appointed the Registrar for Queensland’s National Regulatory System for Community Housing branch in January 2023.  He has worked in the public sector since 1998 in a range of strategic and operational roles in regulation, finance and business services. Karl’s executive roles have included leading the Queensland Department of Transport’s Heavy Vehicle compliance function and holding senior roles in Brisbane City Council’s Natural Environment, and City Planning and Economic Development branches. Karl holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business (Accountancy) from the Queensland University of Technology.

Sally Gibson

Registrar Australian Capital Territory

Sally entered the ACT Government in 2001 from managing a community based domestic violence homelessness service. She developed housing policy and managed homelessness, disability and community housing funding programs before establishing the ACT’s first community housing regulatory system in 2008.

Sally has twelve years’ experience in the development of systems and frameworks for responsive regulation, including care and protection and disability organisation regulation; the ACT and subsequent National Community Housing Regulatory System; and contributing to the quality and safeguards for the National  Disability Insurance Scheme.

Sally currently regulates community housing providers; disability (including psychosocial disability) services; and non-government care and protection service providers.

Wendy Morton

Registrar Northern Territory

Wendy Morton was appointed to the Northern Territory Community Housing Registrar role in July 2021. Wendy has lived in the NT for over 25 years and spent a significant period of that time working for non-government organisations. Wendy has been involved in advocacy, strategic decision-making and policy development on a range of issues impacting on vulnerable groups including during her time as Executive Director of the NT Council of Social Service. Wendy has also worked as a consultant and is a member of several NTG advisory groups.