Katie Barton-Harvey is the South-East Queensland Project Coordinator for Plastic Free Places, an initiative of the Boomerang Alliance that helps food and hospitality businesses transition away from single-use plastic packaging toward sustainable, cost-effective solutions. Since launching in 2018, this free, Queensland government funded program has supported cafés, restaurants, and food outlets across Queensland to reduce waste, lower costs, and strengthen their sustainability credentials with customers.
Katie brings a unique combination of sustainability expertise and commercial acumen, having spent more than 25 years leading marketing, community, and sustainability programs across government, major events, and corporate sectors. As Sustainability Marketing Manager for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Katie helped deliver one of the most sustainable Games in history. In her role as Director, Community and Lifestyle at Logan City Council, Katie oversaw community services, events, and sporting facilities that engaged hundreds of thousands of residents. Earlier in her career, Katie held senior executive roles in London and Sydney with Goldman Sachs, Investa Property Group, Lloyds Bank, and ING, where she built deep expertise in branding, finance, marketing strategy and stakeholder engagement.
These days, Katie’s focus is on supporting food and hospitality businesses to adopt practical, profitable sustainability practices to cut waste, save money, and build customer loyalty. She is passionate about working with operators to show that being sustainable makes good business sense as well as it being good for the planet.
Katie is also a Director of EcoVillage Community Limited, a living example of sustainable community innovation and a Committee Member of the Currumbin Surf Club Supporters Club. With tertiary qualifications in International Finance and Marketing, Katie hopes to build on her expertise with a PhD in behaviour change – reducing single use plastics in hospitality settings within South East Queensland.
