Chair and Members of the Council

The Hon. Kim Chance, from Western Australia, is the chair of the council. Mr Chance is the Proprietor of Gulf Australia Trading and a past member of the Western Australian Legislative Council and former state minister in several portfolios including Agriculture and Food; Fisheries; Mid–West, Wheatbelt, and the Great Southern Development Commissions.  Mr Chance brings a wealth of agricultural experience and has a passion for Landcare.

Ms Kate Andrews, from the Northern Territory, is the Chair of the Northern Territory Natural Resource Management Board. Ms Andrews has worked in a wide variety of capacities in natural resource management for nearly two decades, was previously Knowledge and Adoption Manager for Land & Water Australia and has assisted communities within the Lake Eyre Basin to design a multi–state natural resource management organisation.

Professor Snow Barlow from Victoria, is Convener of the Primary Industries Adaptation Research Network at Melbourne University where his research focuses on the impacts of climate change and adaptation of agricultural industries.  Professor Barlow represents the council on the Non-Government Organisation Roundtable on Climate Change and is a member of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Joe Ludwig’s Land Sector Working Group.  Professor Barlow is also Chair of the Victorian Endowment for Science Knowledge and Innovation and a Director of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

Dr Pamela Brook, from Bangalow, runs a macadamia farm at St Helena, near Byron Bay, New South Wales, and is co–founder of an award–winning, value–adding business based on the farm’s produce. Dr Brook is also a former director of the Northern Rivers Regional Development Board and is the current Chair of Northern Rivers Food.

Ms Alexandra Gartmann, from Bendigo in Victoria, is Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. She is Chair of the CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture Flagships Advisory Council and former Chief Executive Officer of the Birchip Cropping Group (2001–2011). Ms Gartmann was awarded the 2005 Equity Trustees Not for Profit CEO of the Year for Significant Innovation award. She is a member of the Victorian Women in Primary Industries Advisory Panel, Victorian Flood Disaster Appeal Panel, Crawford Fund for international agricultural research and Board Member of Rural Finance Corporation, as well as sitting on a number of state and regional committees.

Dr Judy Henderson AO, from Repton,  is a member of the National Wildlife Corridors Plan Advisory Group. Dr Henderson is also a former board member of the NSW Environment Protection Authority and former chair of the Amsterdam–based Global Reporting Initiative, which is setting global standards for sustainability reporting.  In 1998 Dr Henderson was appointed an Officer of General Division of the Order of Australia.

Dr Rosemary Hill, from Cairns in Queensland, is a Senior Research Scientist for CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences and currently leads several research projects for CSIRO. She has extensive experience in the theory and practice of natural resource management, with a focus on biodiversity and Indigenous country–based planning systems.  Dr Hill is Vice-President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, a Board Member of Ecotrust Australia and a Member of the World Commission on Protected Areas and the IUCN Commission on Environment, Economic and Social Policy.

Mr Jock Laurie, from Walcha, is a fourth–generation grazier, Pesident of the National Farmers’ Federation and a former president of the NSW Farmers Federation.

Ms Banduk Marika, from Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory is a renowned artist and has held positions on the boards of the National Gallery of Australia and the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory. Ms Marika’s work with community groups in Yirrkala, Arnhem Land has resulted in a strong environmental ethic in her community and the development of a form of Landcare which maintains traditional land management whilst embracing contemporary environmental techniques.

Mr John McQuilten, from Betley, served as the Member for Ballarat on the Victorian Legislative Council from 1999 until 2006. During his term, Mr McQuilten also served on the Rural and Regional Development Committee, the Premier’s Bill Committee and as Chair of the Arts Committee. Mr McQuilten is a member of the University of Ballarat Council and a former member of the Victorian Regional Channel Authority, and of the Murray River National Parks Review Committee.

Mr Dennis Mutton, from South Australia, is the former Chair of the South Australian Natural Resource Management Council and former Chief Executive Officer for the South Australian Departments of Primary Industries & Resources, Environment and Natural Resources and Woods and Forests. Mr Mutton also held positions as Deputy President and Commissioner of the Murray Darling Basin Commission and Director of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.  Mr Mutton is currently an independent consultant in natural resource management, leadership development and strategic management of research and development and Chair of South Australia’s Native Vegetation Council.

Ms Vicki–Jo Russell AM, from Adelaide, is a member of several regional, state and national Natural Resource Management boards and Ministerial advisory committees. Ms Russell has a strong history in community engagement and extensive experience in conservation and biodiversity management. Ms Russell is involved in national and state biodiversity planning and program development and received a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003 for her contribution to community–based conservation in South Australia.

Ms Sharon Starick, from Cambrai, operates a commercial farm business, and is the former Chair of the South Australia Natural Resources Committee for the South Australia Farmers Federation and the Natural Resources Management Council.  She  is the presiding member of the South Australian Murray Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board, a member of the National Rural Advisory Council, the convenor for the National NRM Regions Working Group and was recently appointed as a Director for the Grains Research and Development Corporation.  Ms Starick has a strong background in sustainable agricultural production and previously was a director of Land and Water Australia.

Mr Andrew Stewart, from Deans Marsh, Victoria is a coordinator of the Otway Agroforestry Network, an organisation he co–founded in 1993. Mr Stewart also sits on the Australian Master TreeGrower Program’s steering committee and manages the grazing property of Yan Yan Gurt West in southern Victoria.

Mr James Walch farms at Stewarton, Epping Forest situated in the Northern Midlands of Tasmania. He runs a diverse farming operation which includes wool, potatoes, poppies and irrigated lucerne. Mr Walch has been involved in Landcare activities for the last two decades including riparian restoration, shelter belt and corridor plantings. He has been actively involved in whole farm planning and the development of property management plans. He is an advocate of sustainable and profitable farming systems. Mr Walch is a past president of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) and currently sits on their environment policy council and is chair of the climate change standing committee.

Ms Keelen Mailman is the manager of Mount Tabor Station, near Augathella in Queensland, is a member of South West Natural Resource Management organisation She is a Native Title applicant, a member of the Bidjara Traditional Owners Group and Director, South West Projects for training for Bidjara Traditional Owners. Ms Mailman was a finalist in the 2007 Queensland Australian of the Year and was recognised in 2005 by the Queensland Museum South Bank as the first Aboriginal women to manage a cattle property in Australia. She participated in the Australian Rural Leadership Program in 2009 and is involved in local community organisations such as Aboriginal health, schools, bush heritage agencies and volunteer work teaching and mentoring children.

Ms Ella Maesepp, from Katanning in Western Australia, is the District Landcare Officer with the Katanning Land Conservation District Committee, having previously worked in Landcare roles in the Upper Blackwood, Dinniup, Western Australia. She was the winner of the Environment Category of the 2004 Western Australia Youth Awards and a founding member of the Western Australia Scout Environment Awareness Program. Ms Maesepp lives on her family’s broadacre farming property.

For more information see the Minister’s media release on the Council.