Membership
Mr Joe Ross - Chair
Mr. Joe Ross is the Chair of the Northern Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) Indigenous Water Policy Group (IWPG) and Chair of the Australian Governments Indigenous Youth Leadership Programme. He is a member of the Bunuba people in the Kimberley region of Western Australian and lives in Fitzroy Crossing.
As Chair of the IWPG, Mr Ross facilitates the group's direction and objectives, to inform the Indigenous peoples of northern Australia about water reform under the National Water Initiative and to engage in research relating to Indigenous interests, rights, responsibilities and interest in water resources in the north of Australia.
Mr Ross is a Graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program (Course 5) and was awarded a Centenary medal for his active role in creating innovative leadership programs to provide skills development opportunities for young Indigenous leaders, enabling them to contribute in shaping the future of their Rural communities and Australia. Mr Ross was also a delegate to the Australian 2020 summit.
Mr Richard Ah Mat
Mr Richard Ah Mat is currently Chair of the Northern Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) and a Non-Executive Director of the Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation. Mr Ah Mat is a descendent of the Yupangathi group from the Pennefather River region on western Cape York Peninsula.
Mr Ah Mat worked for Comalco Mining for 27 years during which time he was elected President of the CFMEU Lodge - the first Aboriginal man to hold this position in Australia. In 1996 he became involved in native title rights and took up the position of West Coast Area Officer for the Cape York Land Council. Mr Ah Mat has also previously held the positions of Chair and Executive Director of the Cape York Land Council.
Mr David Baffsky AO
Mr David Baffsky is the Honorary Chairman of Accor Asia Pacific, a Director of the Indigenous Land Corporation and a Director of Tourism Asset Holdings Limited. He is currently a member of the National Tourism Infrastructure Investment Consultative Group, and the Business Government Advisory Group on National Security. He is a Trustee of the Art Gallery of NSW and has recently joined the boards of Ariadne Australia Limited and Singapore Airport Terminal Services. He is a Director and life member of the Tourism Taskforce.
Mr Baffsky has previously held positions as Chairman, Citistate Corporation Ltd; Director, Club Mediterranée (Australia) Pty Ltd; Executive Committee of CARE Australia Corporate Council; co-Chair of the National Indigenous Tourism Leadership Group; member of the Business Roundtable on Sustainable Development. In 2001, Mr Baffsky was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia.
Dr Stuart Blanch
Dr Stuart Blanch is the Manager of Northern Landscapes at the World Wildlife Fund Australia, and a non-executive Director on the board of Land and Water Australia. Dr Blanch has previously worked on national water policy and restoring the Murray-Darling Basin with the Inland Rivers Network and Australian Conservation Foundation, as well as a Water Reform Officer with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. He has recently been appointed as a member of the Natural Resource Management Board (NT). Dr Blanch was also a delegate to the Australia 2020 Summit. He studied the River Murray for his doctoral research, and also has a background in environmental law.
Mr David Crombie
Mr David Crombie is the President of the National Farmers' Federation, a Director of GRM and Rosewood Pty Ltd; Deputy Chairman of a listed development company and the President of Queensland Rugby Union. Mr Crombie has also held positions as Managing Director of GRM Group and QNTP group; Chairman of the Board, Meat and Livestock Australia; Board member and Deputy Chairman of GRAINCO Australia. Mr Crombie was a delegate to the Australia 2020 Summit and continues to operate family properties in Southern Queensland.
Ms Elaine Gardiner
Ms Elaine Gardiner is Chair of the Ord Irrigation Cooperative, Chair of the Ord Catchment Reference Group and a National Water Commissioner. Ms Gardiner is active in the water reform process in Western Australia, and contributed to the development of the Ord River Water Management Plan. Ms Gardiner has farmed in the Ord for the past 20 years and is a current board member of the Rangelands Coordinating Group and Cambridge Gulf Ltd.
Dr Rosemary Hill
Dr Rosemary Hill is the Vice-President of the Australian Conservation Foundation and a Senior Scientist at CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems. She has been an active conservationist for 25 years and has extensive experience in environmental science and management, particularly in relation to Indigenous people's knowledge and planning systems. Dr Hill is a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas; Commission on Economic, Environmental and Social Policy; Wet Tropics Scientific Advisory Commission; and International Association for Society and Natural Resources. Dr Hill has received the National CRC Association Award for Excellence in Innovation; the Cassowary Award; and the International Women's Day Award for Excellence.
Dr Andrew Johnson
Dr Andrew Johnson is Group Executive - Environment at the CSIRO and currently leads the CSIRO's water, land, climate, marine, biodiversity, regional development and NRM research. Dr Johnson is a Director of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and Reef and Rainforest Research Ltd. He is also a member of various advisory Boards of organisations responsible for environmental management in Australia. Previously Dr Johnson held positions as Executive Director, CSIRO Strategic Change Programs and Chief CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems Division.
Ms Shirley McPherson
Ms Shirley McPherson is the Chair of the Indigenous Land Corporation. Ms McPherson is also a board member of First Australians in Business and a member of the Australian delegation to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples. Ms McPherson has held senior positions in the private, government and university sectors and has a wealth of experience at the regional, national and international levels of government in program delivery and private business development.
Mr Lachlan Murdoch
Mr Lachlan Murdoch is the Chief Executive Officer of Illyria Pty Ltd, a company he founded on returning to Australia after leaving his executive positions at News Corporation in late 2005. Mr Murdoch has been a member of the board of News Corporation since 1996 and until recently was a board member of the Robin Hood Foundation in New York and sat on the executive committee of the board of the Partnership for New York City He is currently a Director of the Asia Pacific Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS and was a delegate to the Australia 2020 summit.
Mr Michael Roche
Mr Michael Roche is the Chief Executive of the Queensland Resources Council. Before joining the Council in 2005, he spent nearly nine years with the Australian Stock Exchange in Sydney, including six years on the Executive Committee. His Executive roles with the Australian Stock Exchange included Executive General Manager of its markets and market data businesses with responsibility for strategy, marketing, corporate relations and international affairs. Mr Roche also has extensive experience in the government sector as a senior executive in the Department of Prime Minister, Chief of Staff to the Queensland Treasurer and Deputy Director-General in the Queensland Cabinet Office.
Mrs Terry Underwood, OAM
Mrs Terry Underwood is a pastoralist and author from Riveren Station in the Northern Territory. Mrs Underwood is a member of the National Advisory Council Outback Calling Ltd and has held positions on the Isolated Children's and Parents' Association; Katherine School of the Air Council; the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association and the Northern Territory University Council. Mrs Underwood was the winner of the Northern Territory Telstra Business Women's Business Owner of the Year 1997, represented Northern Territory pastoralists at the second International Conference on Women in Agriculture in Washington DC in 1998 and was a delegate to the Australia 2020 summit. The following is a link to Terry Underwood's website www.terryunderwood.com.
Prof Bob Wasson
Professor Bob Wasson is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research at Charles Darwin University. Professor Wasson was previously Director of the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies in the Institute of Advance Studies at the Australian National University as well as the Dean of Science. He is recognised nationally and internationally for research that underpins the management of natural resources. Particular research interests include understanding the pathways by which water, sediment, nutrients, carbon and pollutants move through river catchments, and the role of land use and climate change in these movements.