Bob Debus worked as a lawyer, publisher and then broadcaster for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, followed by eighteen years as a member of the State Government of NSW and the Commonwealth Government of Australia. From 1989 to 1994 he served as the National Director for the Australian Freedom from Hunger Campaign. During his time in Government, Bob held numerous ministerial portfolios including Federal Minister for Home Affairs, State Attorney General and State Minister for Emergency Services.

As NSW Environment Minister from 1999 to 2007 he succeeded in expanding the national park estate to 1.8 million hectares and took a leadership role in the development of the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative. Upon retirement from the Australian Parliament, Bob became the Chair of a National Advisory Group which guided the development of the National Wildlife Corridors Plan, a strategy adopted by the Australian Government in 2012.