Community and stakeholder engagement and development

Summary:

• Demonstrated expertise in using engagement and collaboration techniques such as collaborative learning, collaborative governance, problem-solving communication, and lateral thinking to achieve effective and long-lasting community and stakeholder engagement and development outcomes.

Highlights:

• Coordinating numerous projects that achieved effective community and stakeholder engagement, often in challenging circumstances. Examples include:
  • Sustainable Management of the Helidon Hills Project, where a large number of landholders initially refused to participate and where there were initially strongly opposing views among stakeholders in regard to key management issues;
  • Land & Water Australia Knowledge for Regional NRM Program, where I engaged regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies across Australia in the development of knowledge management strategies;
  • Stockyard and Upper Flagstone Sub-Catchments Management Project, where a large number of landholders initially refused to engage in any way with Gatton Shire Council;
  • Hawkesbury-Nepean River Recovery Program, where as overall program manager I worked effectively with elected representatives, landholders, industry group representatives and other stakeholders to overcome the sensitivities associated with the controversial metering of river water extraction; and
  • Holistic Natural Resource Management of Crow’s Nest Shire Project, Queensland (‘Project Green Nest’) which included a university study to determine the most effective community engagement approaches, receiving a Commendation Award in the ‘Environment – Natural Resource Management: Partnerships for Biodiversity Conservation’ category in the 2002 National Awards for Local Government, and the Landcare Australia Local Government Award in the 2003 Queensland Landcare Awards.

• Playing an active role in community environmental management and natural resource management (NRM) organisations. Examples of my extensive community involvement include:
  • served as secretary of the Lockyer Watershed Management Association – Lockyer Landcare Group, where my activities included the successful integration of the group into new Queensland Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) arrangements which had caused group members considerable concern;
  • assisted the formation and development of three new Landcare groups, one of which won a Queensland Department of Natural Resources & Mines award for ‘Outstanding Commitment to Natural Resource Management’ in 2002;
  • worked as Regional Natural Resource Management Facilitator for the former Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority (CMA), where I initiated the establishment of a network of urban and peri-urban natural resource practitioners across Australia, and where my work included providing information on government NRM programs to Landcare and Bushcare groups and assisting them with identifying and accessing funding opportunities; and
  • served as an executive member of the Queensland Conservation Council (QCC), and chaired the QCC Sustainable Energy Working Group.

Testimonials:

Sustainable Management of the Helidon Hills Project

Crow’s Nest Shire ‘Project Green Nest’ (click to enlarge)

South-East Queensland Projects

Regional Natural Resource Management Facilitator, Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority (CMA)