Prior to his election to Parliament on 18 March 2006, Mark spent 16 years working as an environmental advocate with National, State and local conservation groups. Most recently, he was principal solicitor with the Environmental Defenders Office (SA) Inc., a free community legal centre specialising in public interest environmental law.

In 10 years with the Environmental Defenders Office, Mark has helped many hundreds of clients on a wide range of State and national planning, pollution, biodiversity or resource matters. In 1999 he successfully represented the Conservation Council of South Australia in the State's longest ever environment trial - over tuna feedlots in Louth Bay. He has also represented the Whyalla Red Dust Action Group Inc. in its long-running campaign for environmental justice over OneSteel (formerly BHP) dust emissions from the Whyalla Steelworks. Mark is the author of two short books - "Greening Adelaide with Public Transport" and a “Guide to Protest Law in South Australia”.

Since arriving in South Australia from Victoria in 1989, Mark has also held various part-time and casual university academic positions and also taught at High schools, TAFE colleges and professional training courses. Mark has also taught environmental law in Indonesia to judges and government officials as part of an Ausaid-funded training program.

Mark is married, with three children. He holds Bachelor of Laws & Bachelor of Commerce Degrees from Melbourne University and a Masters Degree in Regional & Urban Planning from the University of South Australia. One of his proudest achievements was to win the Conservation Council of SA “Jill Hudson Award” for Environmental Protection in June 2004.

Mark is one of the founding members of the Greens in South Australia and has a lifelong history of concern and action for the protection and enhancement of the environment and for the rights of all people to live in a just, humane and healthy world. He is now working to bring these values into the South Australian Parliament.