Members Council 

Kristy Stewart

Corangamite - Professional Landcarer

Kristy grew up on her family sheep and agroforestry farm by the Otway Ranges Victoria. This cultivated a passion for environmental stewardship, regenerative farming and local food systems. Kristy went on to study a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences where she was the recipient of the rural finance scholarship award, later completing further courses on regenerative farming principles and business management, low stress stock handling, food nutrition and hospitality. Currently, Kristy co-manages her family farm, developing and running educational tours on the property along with her small side business selling ‘paddock to plate’ lamb boxes and catering for local events using local, sustainably farmed produce. Kristy also holds a part-time role with the Upper Barwon Landcare Network as a project manager.

Dawn Parker

East Gippsland

Dawn has been an active Landcare member since 1992, originally helping form a group in a remote farming area called Wangarabelle, in far East Victoria. Dawn was drawn into the ongoing need to advocate for local resourcing, recognising the importance of the local group and the difference they could make in bringing knowledge, contacts and encouragement. About 10 years ago Dawn helped form the Far East Victoria Landcare network and has maintained the community centered flavour of Landcare. Dawn has enjoyed being secretary then president of the network over those years.

Jileena Cole

Glenelg Hopkins - Professional Landcarer

Jileena has worked as an environmental management professional for 15 years in Southwest Victoria. She has a degree in Environmental Management and a Diploma in Conservation and Ecology. She has worked for non-government organisations and local government implementing various natural resource management and sustainability projects to enhance and protect the natural environment. She has extensive experience in developing projects to address key issues, developing strategic plans and actions plans, and community and stakeholder engagement. She is currently working for Beyond Bolac Catchment Action Group as a Landcare Facilitator part time, and volunteers on the Management Committee for the Mt Noorat reserve. She is passionate about working with communities to protect and enhance the natural landscapes of the Victorian Volcanic Plains.

Sandy Mackenzie

Goulburn-Broken

Sandy has a farming, educational and public policy background. He was the founding principal of the Orange Agricultural College, had 8 years in Federal Parliament and was Chair, Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Conservation. He had 6 years on the Board of the Goulburn Broken CMA and was invited to represent Landcare at the National Drought Summit. His particular interests include the restoration of the Lower Darling River, sustainable farming and community empowerment in public environmental and agricultural policy.

Annette Lambert

Mallee - Professional Landcarer

Born and bred in the Mallee Millewa, Annette is a third-generation farmer in the Mallee Millewa area and comes from a family that believes in sustainable farming practises, protecting and promoting the preservation of local flora and fauna were possible teaching future generations these ideas and practises. Annette is a member to the Millewa-Carwarp Landcare Group and one of the co-founders of the Greater Mallee Landcare Group. Annette is a community minded person, self-driven and passionate about the natural environment, community wellbeing, improving the health and state of the environment and ensuring the community at grass roots is well supported.

Sandra Nichols

North Central

Sandra was a member of a Landcare group in the Blue Mountains NSW for four years, before joining the Clunes Landcare and Waterways group. Sandra has always been interested in helping in any way to improve and restore the natural environment and currently runs permaculture courses for the University of the Third Age Ballarat. Her professional career involved managing environmental projects such as in the Bushland and Biodiversity Team at Hornsby Council in Sydney and she has a Masters degree in Environmental Planning.

Christine Kilmartin

North Central

Christine is President of Castlemaine Landcare Group and has been part of this urban group for more than 15 years, marvelling at how landcare draws so many people of different skills and shared passion together. She wants the underlying imperative of healthy natural systems better recognised in the approaches of land use planning to the design and operation of cities. She believes that opportunities for urban landcare exist everywhere and that we can dream of, and help deliver, urban living that has net benefits for the ongoing survival of species, including our own.

John Rowlands

North Central

John resides in the Smeaton district which is part of the Ullina Landcare Group, a member of the Upper Loddon and Avoca Landcare Network. John joined Landcare when Ullina formed in 1994 and has been an active member since. John joined the Members Council to represent the interests of the Network’s 11 member groups and to share knowledge from interaction with the Members Council. John and his partner operate a farm with special interests in revegetation, regenerative agriculture and biodiversity.

Julie Hind

North East

Julie has been an active landcarer for over 13 years, helping to establish Friends of Willow Park in Wodonga, then the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network (WULN) and is now President. Her work in Landcare draws on her professional skills – strategic planning, program design and implementation, evaluation, facilitation, and policy development. Julie believes the face of Landcare is changing – it must if it wishes to stay abreast of increasing urbanisation and the voice of urban Landcare is critical to Landcare’s future.

Irene Lewis

North East

Irene retired to Dartmouth in the 2019, prior to this she lived in Healesville in Yarra Valley, where she had been a small business administrator/bookkeeper for over 20 years. She held the position of treasurer of Mitta Valley Landcare from January 2020 to November 2023 and has attended meetings and been involved with Mitta to Murray Landcare since 2020. She became Treasurer of Mitta to Murray Landcare in 2021, enjoying working to strengthen both groups. Irene belongs to various community groups in the Mitta Valley and has enjoyed the outdoors and environment since she was a small child.

Anthony Griffiths - Interim Chair

North East

Anthony is passionate about the landscape, environmental issues and community. He is part of the family beef farming operation at Greta West in North East Victoria and actively involved in his local landcare group (Greta Valley Landcare). He is also on the committee for the Ovens Landcare Network and is both a graduate and board member of the Alpine Valleys Community Leadership program. Anthony was previously a Local Government Councillor at Wangaratta for ten years, including two years as Mayor, and was also on the Board of the North East Catchment Management Authority for eleven years.

Ross Colliver

Port Phillip & Westernport

Ross Colliver is President of Riddells Creek Landcare and has been a consultant in the NRM sector for 20+ years. His PhD looked at the marginalisation of Landcare in NRM and what can be done about it. He is the organiser of Landcare Victoria Inc's CLEA project, and a member of A Forum for Democratic Renewal in the Macedon Ranges.

Robyn Gillespie

Port Phillip & Westernport

Robyn has been a major contributor to the work of Anderson Creek Catchment Area Landcare Group (ACCA) for 10 years and continues in the role of President. The organisation has achieved considerable success in meeting its objectives for indigenous land restoration. Robyn is highly regarded and well-connected with organisations associated with Warrandyte regularly contributing to both public and organisational discussion on local indigenous environmental issues pertaining to the Yarra River, tributaries and associated waterways.

Susan Anderson

Port Phillip & Westernport

A beef farmer in Bunyip for over 30 years, Susan is a founding and life member of Bunyip Landcare Group and has served as a committee member of the Western Port Catchment Landcare Network. Susan has been a board member of PPWCMA since 2015 and is currently Deputy Chair until December 2021, and is a board member of West Gippsland CMA. Susan holds qualifications in Conservation and Land Management, and as president of Bunyip Landcare, she has driven recognition of local Southern Brown Bandicoot populations, engagement with Wurundjeri and Bunurong peoples, and Gardens for Wildlife participation.

Jim Armstrong

Port Phillip & Westernport

Jim’s working life involved managing aspects of the family dairy/beef farm at Cann River. Jim was the Treasurer of the Cann Valley Landcare for 14 years, a representative of the East Gippsland Landcare Network, joined the Labertouche Landcare Group in 2004 and was Vice President for 14 years, and is now President. Jim was President of the Western Port Catchment Landcare Network for years and is still a committee member. Jim is a great supporter of bi-monthly discussion group meetings run by Peter Ronalds for Landcare Members and is also an active member of the Baw Baw Food Movement.

Ian Hill

West Gippsland

Ian joined his local landcare and beefcheque groups after making a tree change 21 years ago to a beef farm, and has since won two regional Landcare Awards. Ian is a board member of Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network, previously serving on the West Gippsland CMA board and as president of his local landcare group. Ian is very aware of rural issues through radio broadcasting for 17 years, including weekly rural news. He represents Landcare on the Delburn Wind Farm Community & Stakeholder Consultative Committee and brings a long knowledge of landcare, power generation and energy transmission to the Members Council.

Dave Bateman

West Gippsland - Professional Landcarer

Dave boasts 16 years' experience with Bass Coast Landcare Network, progressing from project officer to Executive General Manager and Landcare Facilitator. He spearheads key agency partnerships and supports BCLN’s West Gippsland CMA Landcare groups. With a rich background in large-scale revegetation, remnant protection projects, community engagement and staff management, Dave fosters robust connections with his dynamic team, Landcare members and governmental agencies. He excels in nurturing innovative approaches, ensuring impactful outcomes and nurturing enduring partnerships.

Alicia Merriam

Wimmera - Professional Landcarer

Alicia grew up on the prairies in Saskatchewan, Canada, spending plenty of time outdoors and becoming fascinated by plants from a young age. She completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science in plant ecology before moving to South Australia, where she undertook a PhD in herbicide resistance. With this background, landcare’s balance between ecology and agriculture was appealing and she started a Facilitator role with Lismore Land Protection Group (Corangamite) in 2021. In 2023 she relocated to the Wimmera and is now the Landcare Facilitator for Yarrilinks Landcare Network. Outside of work she loves travelling with her husband, ‘botanising’, and caring for far too many houseplants.