New board members to steer Hills and Fleurieu landscapes
The Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board has recently welcomed three new board members. Their appointment follows a statewide call in 2024, encouraging community members with environmental and agricultural skillsets to apply.
Amelia Graham, Sarah Day and James Stacey each bring knowledge and experience that will complement the strengths of existing board members and help the board steer the management of the region’s natural resources over the coming years.
A total of 26 member positions have been filled for the state’s regional landscape boards, achieving greater gender balance and strong diversity.
A competitive nomination process was undertaken before the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Susan Close appointed the board members based on their skills, knowledge and experience.
Minister Close welcomed the new and reappointed members, while also thanking outgoing members for their valuable contributions.
“South Australia’s landscape boards are vital in helping manage and protect our productive and natural landscapes,” she said.
“Taking care of our water resources, boosting biodiversity and improving soil management supports the environment and our state’s prosperity.”
Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board Chair, David Greenhough, joined new and existing board members at an onboarding session last week.
“We are pleased to welcome Amelia, Sarah and James. We are confident that our board has a solid mix of expertise and experience to lead us forward and into a new era of landscape management.
“On behalf of the board, I would also like to thank Becky Hirst, Amy Williams and Keith Parkes, who will not be continuing in their roles. Each brought a wealth of skills and knowledge to the board and have helped us to have real impact in caring for our natural environments and productive landscapes,” said Mr Greenhough.
The Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board is one of nine regional landscape boards established under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019.
The board supports communities and land managers to improve the management of the region's landscapes, putting community at the heart of sustainably managing soil, water, pest plants and animals and biodiversity.
You can learn more about the board and its members at https://www.landscape.sa.gov.au/hf/aboutyourboard
Meet the new members
Amelia Graham
What inspired you to put your hand up to join the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board?
Facing climate changes in our region I am keen to contribute towards planning sustainable water and landscape management, food production, and community involvement in preparing for the future.
What do you love about the region?
The diversity, beauty, resilience and community.
What does a biodiverse and productive region look like to you?
Strong protection of natural areas. Primary producers are supported with best knowledge and latest research in sustainable production methods. Collaboration, strong community connections and local support means that local food, culture, farmers and business thrive in harmony with environmental conservation.
Sarah Day
What inspired you to put your hand up to join the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board?
I am keen to focus on the landscapes as a whole and the relationships that exist between people, land, water, air and animals, and the role we play in supporting the highest possible outcomes for each.
What do you love about the region?
The Hills and Fleurieu region is the perfect mix of adventure, homeliness, community and opportunity. The diversity and beauty of the region is unsurpassed in South Australia or maybe even Australia. This also presents a unique challenge, addressing this diversity and at times, a conflicting suite of interests.
What does a biodiverse and productive region look like to you?
Productivity is an outcome of biodiversity, and if we can look at the industries, landscapes, communities and living systems as an opportunity to support a thriving diversity rather than a complex problem to solve, I think we’ll be better positioned to truly achieve outcomes that benefit all.
James Stacey
What inspired you to put your hand up to join the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board?
Being involved in production agriculture and part of a group that manages a significant part of the landscape and resources that it provides, I believe it’s important to have input in decisions that impact how that is managed now and into the future.
What do you love about the region?
I love how this region has a diverse mix of a relatively dense population, in Australian terms, that can have mix of the natural environment, thriving towns, productive lifestyle and commercial landholdings.
What does a biodiverse and productive region look like to you?
A region that manages the impacts of its growth and footprint on the natural environment in a sustainable way for future generations. The pressure on this is huge, driven by the fact that Australia is a place that many people from around the world want to come and live.
