QWaLC’s board is an integral part of its role as the peak body for natural resource management volunteers. The board consists of a community representative aligned with each of Queensland’s NRM regions. This makes QWaLC truly representative of the Voluntary Natural Resource Management groups across Queensland, as our board members highlight the issues in each region.
Board members are elected from across 14 NRM Management Units (12 NRM regional body areas).
QWaLC board meetings are held four times a year. If you would like to have your views represented to the board or share a particular experience as a community NRM group or NRM volunteer, contact the board member for your region.
Board members (2020-2021)
John Brisbin : Northern and Southern Gulf Representative
John is Secretary of the Mitchell River Watershed Management Group, and Secretary of JAMARR, which auspices a local landcare group for the Mount Molloy area. He likes the “creative tension” between agriculture and conservation, and this led him to Landcare activities in the mid 90’s. He has been cultivating gardens and tending to wild spaces since he was a child exploring his grandmother’s farm and bushland in the temperate foothills of Appalachia. These experiences set a course for a lifetime of making do with what’s at hand, “waste not, want not”, and many hands make light work…. in modern parlance that might be innovation, resource conservation, and community. John is a strong believer in the value of a grass-roots reality providing the foundation for all organisational and institutional activity. He finds it useful while puzzling over a complicated bit of governance to be busy with his hands. John is also an active member on the Board of Community Gardens Australia.
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Phil Moran : Burnett Mary Representative
Phillip Moran became a member of Noosa Landcare in 1991 and began volunteering two years later.He was employed with Noosa Landcare as a ‘nursery hand’ in 1998.In 1997, Phil was the first landholder to commit his property, ‘Burrawingee’, to Nature Refuge status within the Noosa Shire and subsequently entered into a Voluntary Conservation Agreement with the Noosa Council. He can still be found working and learning at his ‘peace of paradise’, on this dry hungry ridge of basalt flows and shale, which cascades down to alluvial flats and narrow meandering creek.
Now with more than 30 years’ experience Phil Moran is a skilled environmental educator who is trusted by private and public landholders to provide sound advice on conservation, property planning, restoration and sustainable land management.
Email nrmanager@noosalandcare.org
Jason Carroll : Deputy Chair Cape York Representative
For the last 14 years Jason has been working with Traditional owners, Landholders and Community on Cape York Peninsular tackling natural and cultural resource management challenges. Being based out of Cooktown has provided a unique opportunity to work across reef, rainforest and savannah country. Currently he is working on community projects that address water quality on the Great Barrier Reef through landscape scale fire management, weed control, feral cattle management and gully remediation. Jason also manages 3 indigenous Ranger teams a youth development program and a Landcare volunteer program. Building the capacity of the people on Cape York to be employed in and volunteer for Landcare is his priority.
Please feel free to contact Jason on jason@scyc.com.au if you need help with landcare on Cape York.
Graham Armstrong : Treasurer and Burdekin Dry Tropics / Mackay Whitsunday
Graham lives near Proserpine after leaving city life to spend time in regional Australia where he continues to pursue a deep interest in NRM related issues with a particular focus on biodiversity preservation across the landscape. Graham is currently in his second term as chair of the Whitsunday Catchment Landcare Management Committee.
Email: armstrong.grahampaul@gmail.com
Shelly McArdle : Fitzroy Basin Representative
Shelly is currently working as the Community Engagement Project Officer with Capricornia Catchments, formerly Fitzroy River and Coastal Catchments (FRCC) in Rockhampton, Central Queensland Australia; the Woppaburra TUMRA Coordinator and the Tangaroa Blue Foundation Representative for Central Queensland
Shelly has over 15 years’ experience with environmental projects and community engagement. In her current role, she has experienced good success and attendance rates for projects, field days and other events she has initiated, designed and implemented for schools, indigenous and community groups. Shelly has expertise in Horticulture, specialising in grafted Grevilleas and propagation of Australian native plants having developed these skills whilst working for many years in one of Queensland’s leading Australian native plant nurseries.
Her interests lay in creating innovative environmental awareness and engaging with community groups to enable and facilitate ongoing education and action, securing positive outcomes for the environment and for people.
Email: info@qwalc.org.au
MaryLou Gittins OAM (Acting Chair)
: Secretary and Condamine Representative
MaryLou has been a member of some form of landcare or catchment group for the last 25 years. MaryLou has entire page that covers some of the groups she has been involved in over this time at a local, regional, state and federal level. MaryLou chaired the advisory group that created the current Queensland Water and Land Carers.
As a past representative of CCMA Marylou has sat around the Darling Downs Regional Landcare group table. Currently MaryLou is the secretary of the Condamine Catchment Management Association. MaryLou is a strong believer in this movement and is working with QWaLC to ensure a future for volunteers in the environment. MaryLou was recognised with an OAM in 2019 for service to conservation and the environment.
Email: lcows@bigpond.com
Cameron Tickell : South West Representative
Cameron is a cattle grazier in SW Qld. Cameron is excited to take on this position in QWaLC to communicate his practical knowledge of environmental management, work with others and gather information to create awareness of the need to manage landscapes in Queensland. Cameron is also an earthmoving contractor who has been involved in Rural Property Development specialising in vegetation management for the past 23 years. He has a passion for managing landscapes and returning them to their natural state.
Email: c/- info@qwalc.org.au
Currently vacant : Wet Tropics
and Murray Darling
Email: info@qwalc.org.au
Anne Ballinger: Desert Channels
Ann has spent most of her life living in the pastoral areas of Western Qld. After the death of her husband 20 years ago, she solely managed the family property, before retiring to the Sunshine coast 2 years ago. Always having a great interest in the environment and the people who manage the inland of Australia, Ann is an ex director of Desert Channels (NRM) in Longreach. A present board member of The Royal National Association Foundation and is a member of and on the Connectivity Committee of Agforce Qld.
Email: info@qwalc.org.au
Brian Venz : South East Queensland Representative
I am pleased to have been re-elected in 2019 to the board position representing the great region of South East Queensland for the next three years. I am an executive member Cubberla Witton Catchment Network (one of the creek based ICM committees in Brisbane) and a member Brisbane Catchments Network (BCN) the umbrella group for all 11 creek catchment committees in Brisbane. I live in the inner western suburbs of Brisbane in ‘my catchment’ which has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Prior to retirement, I worked for 40 years in the Queensland public service in both Central Queensland and then in Brisbane, being involved in support of the Landcare and Catchment management movements in Queensland. During much of that same time I also served in the Army Reserve. Thus, I feel privileged in having been involved in volunteering in some way or other for so much of my life. I look forward to working with all the community based NRM organisations to progress our collective efforts and to protect and improve the wonderful natural environment in which we all live.
Email: seq.qwalc@gmail.com