declaring it. The family stayed at government-owned apartments at the invitation of the management boards, which he had appointed. Documents obtained under freedom-of-information laws show Thwaites made 17 taxpayer-funded visits to Victoria's snowfields and national parks between 2003 and 2007. He had eight stays at Tidal River on Wilsons Promontory, five trips to Mount Hotham and two each to Mount Buller and Falls Creek in the four years he was environment minister. Expenses for the trips, which each required at least one night's accommodation, totalled more than $17,500. Resignation When Premier Steve Bracks announced his surprise resignation on 27 July 2007, only hours later Thwaites announced he too would resign. He said he had been Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party in Victoria for ten years and it was now time "to give someone else a go and bring in some new blood". He officially resigned on 30 July 2007 and from parliament on the 6 August 2007. Post-Deputy Premiership career Since leaving politics, Thwaites has become a Professor at Monash University and Chair of its Sustainable Development Institute and ClimateWorks Australia. Thwaites has also been appointed to a number of senior board positions including President, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Chair Australian Building Codes Board, Chair the Climate Group Ltd,, Chair Peter Cullen Trust and director Green Building Council of Australia and Fair Trade Australia New Zealand. He was also a consultant to Maddocks Solicitors with specialty areas of practice in environment, water and climate change between 2008 and 2015. In 2011, Thwaites was appointed as Chair of the Australian Building Codes Board, the body responsible for developing and managing Australia's building regulations. In 2012, he was appointed as Chair of the National Sustainability Council that provides independent advice to the Australian Government on sustainability issues and produces independent reports on sustainability indicators and trends. Thwaites is currently the Chair of Melbourne Water, which manages Melbourne’s water, sewerage, drainage and waterway health, and sits on a number of water advisory bodies. Thwaites has been appointed to a number of reviews and advisory bodies for the Australian and state governments. In 2016, the Victorian Government appointed him with the Hon Terry Mulder and Patricia Faulkner AO to conduct an independent review of retail electricity and gas markets. The review recommended major reforms to energy pricing for households and small business including a “no frills” electricity price to