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{{Short description|Australian politician (born 1947)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name = Robin Chapple
| honorific-suffix = MLC
| image = Robin_Chapple.jpg
| office = Member of the [[Western Australian Legislative Council]] for [[Electoral region of Mining and Pastoral|Mining and Pastoral Region]]
| term_start = 22 May 2001
| term_end = 21 May 2005
| term_start2 = 22 May 2009
| term_end2 =21 May 2021
| predecessor =
| successor =
| constituency =
| majority =
| office3 = Councillor [[Town of Port Hedland]]
| term_start3 = 1986
| term_end3 = 1993
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1947|02|11}}
| birth_place = [[Wheathampstead]], England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Australian
| party = [[Greens Western Australia|The Greens WA]]
| spouse =
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| profession =
| signature = Robin Chapple signature 2007.svg
| website = {{URL|https://www.robinchapple.com/}}
| footnotes =
}}

'''Robin Howard Chapple''' (born 11 February 1947) is an Australian politician.

From 2001 to 2005 Chapple represented the [[Mining and Pastoral Region]] for the [[Greens Western Australia|Greens]].<ref name="Chap">{{cite web|title=Australian Greens |publisher=Australian Greens |author=The Secretary |url=http://greens.org.au/wa/mps/robin-chapple |year=2004 |accessdate=2008-07-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070901005114/http://wa.greens.org.au/parliament/rchapple/ |archivedate=1 September 2007 }}</ref> He was defeated in the [[2005 Western Australian state election|2005 state election]] but was re-elected in the [[2008 Western Australian state election|2008 election]], serving until his retirement in 2021.

Chapple was the Greens spokesperson for [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] issues, energy and climate change, local government, mines and petroleum, nuclear issues, pastoral issues, ports, racing and gaming, regional sustainability, state development and industry, and waste management.

==Early life==

Chapple was born in [[Wheathampstead]], England in 1947. In his youth, he worked as a junior stockbroker at the [[London Stock Exchange]], as a qualified [[Automotive engineering|automotive mechanical engineer]] in the British sports automotive industry, and in industrial farming industries in England. He later travelled to work with [[Oxfam]] in what is now Bangladesh.

Chapple emigrated to Australia in 1974 and worked throughout the [[Central Australia|Central Desert]] area and northern Australia in a number of engineering and surveying roles, living and working with remote Indigenous communities. He briefly worked for the state Water Authority and then eventually moved to [[Port Hedland]] to work for [[BHP]].

==Politics and activism==

Chapple served as a town councillor on Port Hedland council for seven years from 1986 to 1993. Whilst on council, he served as a delegate to both the state Municipal Association and the [[Country Shire Councils' Association|Country Shire Councils Association]].

Chapple was the co founder of LEAF (Local Environment Affinity Force) of Hedland, a local environment group who took an active role in [[paper recycling]], tree planting and commenting on environment and development issues in the region. He established Chapple Research, a consultancy firm, to provide the local community, authorities and industries with environmental and social impact information and advice. He has also participated in campaigns for the protection of the [[Murujuga]] or Burrup Peninsula and the surrounding [[Dampier Archipelago]] from encroaching industrial and processing developments, and against [[Anti-nuclear movement in Australia|uranium mining, uranium ore transportation and nuclear waste storage]] in Western Australia and in particular the proposed [[Pangea Resources|Pangea]] international nuclear waste dump, having served as the co-ordinator of the Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia. He is also an advocate for the introduction of limited [[Euthanasia|voluntary euthanasia]], having introduced bills to legalise the act in state parliament in 2002 and 2009 which were both defeated.

Chapple served as a member of the Department of Minerals and Energy's Minerals Environmental Liaison Committee (MELC) and on the state government's mining industries annual "Golden Gecko Environmental Excellence Award" program, as a conservation representative on the technical review and assessment panel.

Before entering parliament, Chapple worked as a research officer for Greens MLC [[Giz Watson]].

==Legislative Council (2001–2005, 2009–2021)==

During his time in the Legislative Council, Chapple was a strong advocate for climate action, Indigenous rights, and environmental protection. He campaigned extensively against uranium mining and nuclear waste proposals in Western Australia, particularly the planned Pangea international nuclear waste dump. Chapple introduced bills seeking to legalise voluntary euthanasia, and consistently called for government accountability on environmental and social issues.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Profile: Robin Chapple |url=https://www.robinchapple.com/about |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=Robin Chapple official website}}</ref>

As a Greens (WA) spokesperson, Chapple worked across a range of portfolios including Aboriginal affairs, energy and climate change, mining and petroleum, regional sustainability, and waste management. His parliamentary efforts focused on promoting sustainable development and protecting cultural heritage sites such as the Murujuga (Burrup Peninsula).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.robinchapple.com Website of Robin Chapple MLC]
*[http://greens.org.au/wa/mps/robin-chapple Greens WA]
*[http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/Memblist.nsf/WAllMembersFlat/Chapple,+Robin+Howard?opendocument Biography and Speeches at the Parliament of Western Australia ]
*[https://www.facebook.com/RobinChappleMLC Facebook page]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapple, Robin}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council]]
[[Category:People from Wheathampstead]]
[[Category:English emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:Western Australian local councillors]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian politicians]]

Robin Chapple - Revision history

imported>Martpol: General copyedit