Inaugural Limestone Coast Landscape Board appointed

The new board members all live locally and provide a diverse range of skills and expertise.

The six new board members are:

• Bruce Wood – Bruce operates a prime lamb business in south east South Australia and western Victoria. He is a director for a number of companies including Winegrapes Australia, and has considerable expertise in the mining sector. Bruce is an advocate and practitioner of sustainable farming to enhance the environment for future generations.
• Mark Bachmann – Mark is the Principal Ecologist and Manager of Nature Glenelg Trust, a not for profit environmental trust he initiated, working across the south east of South Australia and western Victoria. He has undertaken a wide range of conservation, scientific research and environmental projects and has published widely reporting on habitat restoration and species recovery. Mark’s regenerative projects focus on on-ground works and threatened species conservation.
• Penny Schulz – Penny is co-owner and manager of a sheep and beef farming operation at Field in the upper south east. She holds leadership positions on a number of industry groups and is vice chair of Livestock SA and Australian Beef Industry Foundation Board. Penny’s areas of expertise include livestock genetics, farm business management, producer networks and sustainable production methods based on environmental stewardship.
• Robbie Davis – Robbie has been the CEO of Potatoes South Australia Incorporated since 2012. She sits on a number of boards and committees related to agricultural business, research and development including the National Potato Industry Advisory Council and Rural Bank Agribusiness Advisory Board and is an advocate for reducing food waste pre-farm gate to realise value-adding opportunities.
• Ben Hood – Ben is the director of a creative business providing graphic design, production development, brand development, website design, marketing and a host of other creative services to predominantly primary industries and educational services based in the lower south east. He is a councillor with the City of Mount Gambier and holds a number of leadership roles on boards and committees in the region. As co-creator of George the Farmer, Ben has found a way to tell children the story of where food and fibre comes from – the farm.
• Miles Hannemann – Miles is the owner and manager of his family farm at Keith. He is a current board member of the South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board and Councillor of the Tatiara District Council. He has had extensive involvement in the local community including as an emergency services volunteer.

Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said the new Landscape boards will be partnering with community groups, local government and industry to ensure our state’s regional landscapes and farming industries are thriving, resilient and sustainable.

“The Marshall Liberal Government promised a stronger, back-to-basics system with an emphasis on effective water management, pest plant and animal control and soil and land management,” said Minister Speirs.

“The successful passing of Landscape South Australia Act 2019 means we can get on with delivering this and the creation of new landscape regions are crucial to giving local communities a greater say in natural resources management and in particular how levies are spent.”

Member for MacKillop Nick McBride welcomed the new Limestone Coast Landscape Board members.

“I would like to congratulate the new board members on their appointment. It’s great to see that there is good representation from around the region, as well some really unique experience and knowledge” said Mr McBride

“The new Limestone Coast Landscape Board will help deliver our government’s back-to-basics approach to natural resources management in South Australia.”

Limestone Coast Landscape Board Chair Kerry DeGaris said she was excited to work with the new board members.

“We were extremely happy with the range and calibre of applications that we received from the community, which made the selection process more challenging than ever. I would like to thank all of those that applied, and congratulate the successful applicants,” said Dr DeGaris.

“With the knowledge and skills that these new board members bring with them, I think we are well placed to provide the leadership needed to manage our regional landscape, which we will do in close collaboration with our many partners.”

The Limestone Coast Landscape Board is one of nine new regional landscape boards, which from 1 July will administer the new Landscape South Australia Act 2019, including a new metropolitan landscape board, Green Adelaide.

Initially all board members will be appointed by the Minister, but from 2022 three out of seven members will be elected by the community (except for the specialist board Green Adelaide and the Alinytjara Wilurara board, which is already represented by select regional leaders).

To ensure a smooth transition for regional communities, services will continue to be delivered under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 until the new Act 2019 is fully operational on 1 July 2020.

For more information visit www.landscape.sa.gov.au

Presiding Member media contact: Charlene Riley, Media and Communications Coordinator, 0439 505 220, charlene.riley@sa.gov.au