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Major General (Ret’d) Fergus “Gus” McLachlan has been appointed as senior adviser defence to environmental services company Tellus.
The former Australian Army major general and former head of Army Modernisation brings more than 37 years of military experience spanning leadership positions across land, cyber, electronic warfare and command and control systems.
McLachlan has previously advised defence industry in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom on geostrategic risk, defence industry trends and advanced technology adoption. He maintains roles as a national security adviser at the University of Sydney, a director of the Williams Foundation, and a director of the AMDA Foundation.
“I am delighted to join the Tellus team. We will be working on nation-building projects that will increase Australia’s resilience, supporting the critical minerals industry, safe removal of forever chemicals like PFAS and helping resolve the storage of low-level waste from hazardous applications. I am looking forward to being part of this important project,” according to a public statement from McLachlan.
“Tellus is building Australia’s capacity to safely manage hazardous and contaminated materials – including those with significant relevance for Defence and national security.
“With the challenges posed by PFAS, legacy contamination and future requirements such as nuclear stewardship under AUKUS, this work is critical to protecting people, land and water for generations to come.
“I look forward to supporting Tellus as it partners with Defence, industry and government to deliver secure, sovereign solutions in waste management and environmental remediation.”
Tellus currently owns and operates Australia’s first and only nationwide facility for the safe disposal of low-level radioactive waste at Sandy Ridge in Western Australia.
“Our Sandy Ridge facility is Australia’s only operational geological repository, enabling the secure, long- and short-term isolation of hazardous and strategic materials. More than a waste facility, Sandy Ridge has established sovereign capability in radioactive waste disposal, supporting both government and industry with safe, compliant and future-ready solutions,” according to a public statement from Tellus.
“With Gus, we will continue to focus on how we can help solve national challenges, whether related to hazardous material contamination, from Defence PFAS legacy waste or government agency low-level radioactive waste in existing storage sites, to future requirements for AUKUS.
“Gus brings deep expertise from a 37-year career in the Australian Army … As head of Army Modernisation, he worked closely with industry to integrate new technologies and deliver a major recapitalisation of Army equipment. He later commanded Australia’s 35,000-strong Land Forces in high-risk, high-compliance environments.
“Awarded the AO for his contribution to Army modernisation and the United States Legion of Merit for service in Afghanistan, Gus is uniquely placed to help us bring defence thinking to the challenges of hazardous materials management, where safety, compliance and trust are paramount. We are proud to have him on the Tellus team.”
