STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL

The purpose of the Landcare NSW State Advisory Council is to facilitate information-sharing and coordination between the Regional Bodies and the Landcare NSW Board. The Landcare NSW State Advisory Council has 15 members and is made up of representatives from each of the 11 Landcare regions in NSW and the four office bearers of the Landcare NSW Board of Directors.

Gareth Johnston

Chair

Board Director – Murray and Riverina electoral zone

Gareth has a background in Land Management. Gareth sees Landcare as a critical element of support within a strong, resilient agro-ecological system. He believes water security, climate variability, cheap energy, adaptation and community wellbeing as key challenges for rural Australia. He hopes to connect smaller community groups with knowledge and resources that contribute to a stronger region and supports Landcare NSW leadership.

Mobile: 0433 108 391

2019 Kathy Kelly photo

Kathy Kelly

Treasurer

Independent Director

Kathy is a chartered accountant, registered company auditor and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Kathy is a Director and Company Secretary for the Mulloon Institute, a leading research, education and advocacy charity focused on regenerative agriculture. Kathy is also a director of Plant Health Australia. Until June 2019 Kathy was a director of Boyce Chartered Accountants where she had a long career in practice where she specialised in the support of both family and corporate farms. Kathy brings her financial skills, governance experience and widespread agricultural experience to the Landcare NSW Board. Kathy lives in Cooma.

Mobile: 0428 883 044

Steve Bunnell

Steve Bunnell

Vice Chair

Board Director – South East and Greater Sydney electoral zone

Steve is a member of the South East Landcare Regional Landcare Coordinator steering committee and Treasurer of the Boorowa Community Landcare Group. Currently dividing his time between a finance and administration consultancy in Sydney and his wool and sheep trading property at Boorowa, Steve is active in his local Landcare and Regenerative Grazing Groups. Steve is currently undertaking several revegetation projects on his property including recently completing several tree planting and direct seeding sites.

Mobile 0419 284 836

Lyn Thomson

Lyn Thomson

Secretary

Board Director – North Coast and Hunter electoral zone

Lyn Thomson has been involved with Landcare for the past 10 years. For part of that time Lyn was Richmond Landcare’s School Officer, working on various projects with many schools in their area.

Lyn has a passion for Australian Native Bees and has worked with schools and the community educating them on the importance of native bees.

Lyn is a member of NCRLN, Secretary of Richmond Landcare, member of Bagot Park Landcare, Chair of Broadwater Koala Trust and Secretary of Ballina Outrigger Canoe Club Coastcare.

Mobile: 0410 319 311

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Bev Debrincat

Regional Representative for Greater Sydney Landcare Network

Bev Debrincat is the Founder and Executive Director of International Environmental Weed Foundation trading as Habitat Network and co-manages The Habitat community native plant nursery and food garden in Ryde.

Bev is a founding member of Greater Sydney Landcare Network. Bev has represented Greater Sydney’s various care groups such as Landcare, Bushcare, Coast Care, Dune Care on the Landcare NSW Council since 2015. Bev is involved Bushcare as well as Local Council and NPWS habitat corridor projects.

Mobile: 0419 206 253

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Steve Harvey

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR NEW ENGLAND LANDCARE INC.

An Armidale sheep and cattle farmer, Steve is a passionate believer in agricultural sustainability, from river and stream health to grazing management and revegetation of degraded landscapes. He is Chairperson of Southern New England Landcare, representing 25 local Landcare groups in the region and also a member of New England-North West Landcare Network Chairs.

Mobile: 0427 751 301

Paul Heley

Paul Heley

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR WESTERN LANDCARE NSW INC

Paul is the representative for the Western region. Paul is the current chair of Western Landcare NSW and secretary of Bottle Bend Reserve Land Manager, a community managed crownland reserve in the far south west of NSW. Paul has a background in commercial construction and completed a degree in Environmental Science (Land and Water) in 2016. He currently operates a construction company focusing on environmental infrastructure, grows wine grapes and operates a small winery with his wife Cindy at Monak NSW. He has a strong interest in sustainable agriculture and economically beneficial conservation practices.

Mobile: 0417 596 244

Margôt Jolly

Regional Representative for Central West Region Landcare Inc.

Margôt Jolly is Chair of Central West Lachlan Landcare, and provisional chair of the Central West NRM Working Group.
Margôt became interested in caring for the environment in a more active way when moving back to Parkes after living in Sydney. Undertaking a Conservation and Land Management Certificate armed her with a little knowledge and a thirst for more.
Margôt works as a volunteer in her region with Landcare and in community arts and museums – Secretary Arts Outwest Board, Vice Chair AMaGA NSW, Chair Parkes Community Arts Inc.

Mobile: 0423 938 145

Robyn Lamond

Robyn Lamond

Regional Representative for Hunter and Mid Coast Landcare Hub Inc.

Robyn represents the Hunter & Mid Coast Region. Active in Landcare since training in bush regeneration in the 1980’s, Robyn has chosen a country life since the 1990’s and held voluntary management positions along the way. She is currently President of Mid Coast 2 Tops Landcare and on the committee of Karuah & Great Lakes Landcare.

Robyn and husband Stewart own a beef cattle property at Dyers Crossing, with a focus on regenerative agriculture and building biodiversity. Robyn enjoys Landcare enabling local action and education to address habitat loss, and threats to sustainable food production, natural area connectivity and community wellbeing.

Mobile: 0419 800 896

Edwina Hayes

Edwina Hayes

Regional Representative for Murray Regional Landcare Inc.

Edwina Hayes is the Murray Regional Representative. Edwina is the Chair of Murray Regional Landcare Inc, A Director of Holbrook Landcare Network and Committee Member of Mullengandra Landcare.

Edwina is a social worker, wife and mother from the south west slopes who helps her family with a small farm, rural fencing and specialist agricultural events labour businesses. She has experience in Landcare, mental health, executive health management and developing economic, environmental and social outcomes in southern NSW.

She is committed to building community capacity to participating actively in land management, natural resource management, biosecurity and emergency management.

Edwina is the CEO of Regional Development Australia Murray Inc. She was appointed to the Murray Local Land Services Board in 2019.

Mobile: 0427 267 753

Larry Langman

Regional Representative for North Coast Regional Landcare Network

Larry is the representative for the North Coast Region. Larry has been involved in Landcare for 17 years and is currently Secretary of the North Coast Regional Landcare Network Inc, Secretary of Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare Inc. and member of Nana Glen Landcare Inc.
Larry has a particular interest in promoting urban Landcare and the recognition and documentation of a Landcare Community of Practice and Body of Knowledge in conservation, landscape management and community engagement.
Larry’s professional background is in Systems Management. Larry holds qualifications in Permaculture Design and Organic Farming.

Kate Groth

Regional Representative for North West Regional Landcarers Inc.

Kate is the representative for North West region and a long standing member of the Northern Slopes Landcare association.

Kate is a cattle grazier in Upper Horton on the Northwest Slopes. She is passionate about the positive role agriculture will play in repairing and restoring our soil and water health.

Kate is currently the Chair for Northern Slopes Landcare Association and North West Landcarers.

Mobile: 0427 827 313

Gemma Purcell

Regional Representative for Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc.

Gemma is the representative for the Riverina Region. Gemma and her husband Reiner run a mixed farming enterprise on Wiradjuri country near Grong Grong in NSW. They have spent the past decade rebuilding habitat with plantings of connected multi layered canopies, forbs and grasses, and protecting and connecting farm dams.
Gemma comes from a writing background and now focuses her time and energy on family, farm and community – with a focus on climate change, NRM and community renewable energy. She is interested in the power of circular economies, and robust, sustainable food and natural resource systems.
She sees Landcare as a unique model for building community capacity and creating positive cultural, social, economic and environmental impact.

Lawrence Balcomb

Regional Representative for Central Tablelands Regional Landcare Network Inc.

Lawrence is the representative for the Central Tablelands Region. Lawrence is the fifth generation of his family farming at Toogong sixty kilometres west of Orange. He runs an integrated meat sheep/cropping operation on the property with his wife Trish and his parents. He has been involved in Landcare for thirty years. Firstly as one of the foundation members and later chair of his local Cranbury Landcare group which started in 1992. In 2012 he became chairperson of the regional group Mid Lachlan Landcare. In 2022 he became the inaugural chairperson of the Central Tablelands Regional Landcare Network. He sees local Landcare members as a massive library of knowledge and his passion is getting them together to share it for the betterment of the environment, agriculture and communities.

Greg Thompson

Regional Representative for South East Landcare Inc.

The 11 regions and the regional bodies that represent Landcare within each region are defined in the Landcare NSW Constitution and shown in the map here.

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