Meet the new members joining landscape boards
The latest statewide call for landscape board members resulted in 26 members beginning 4-year terms on 31 January 2025, with 17 reappointments and 9 new appointments.
Members were appointed by the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water following a competitive nomination process.
At the same time, the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board underwent a significant change with existing board member Frances Simes take up the position of chair of the board, following the successful leadership of inaugural chair, Dianne Davidson AM.
Incoming board members
Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board
Sarah Day is a sustainable agriculture strategist, focused on delivering outcomes for organisations prepared to think differently about how they manage their land.
Professionally, she has supported everyone from farmers through processors, retailers, agri investors and peak industry bodies to understand better what sustainability means in agriculture, and what to do about it.
Sarah trained as a lawyer before realising her passion lay in land management and its outcomes. Since then, she has worked in both consulting and in-house roles, delivering meaningful impacts that align with her values.
Amelia Graham lives on and manages her family property in Hindmarsh Valley producing organically raised beef and lamb.
She is passionate about sustainable food production, soil health and revegetation and has an interest in native food and Ngarrindjeri language and culture.
She gained a Masters in Environmental Management from Charles Darwin University while working with Parks and Wildlife in the Northern Territory. Amelia brings experience in collaborative projects, environmental education and community engagement while working with local council over the last 10 years.
James Stacey is a farmer and the director of Bremer River Fodder. The business operates dryland and irrigated broadacre crops in the Fleurieu and Murraylands region.
He is a Nuffield Scholar having studied the impact of urban growth on agriculture in a number of regions around the world. James has been involved in water allocation planning and ongoing reviews of the Eastern Mount Lofty Water Allocation Plan alongside involvement with the Angus Bremer Water Management Committee.
He understands the impact that production agriculture has on natural resources but is also proactive in managing the landscape, undertaking various revegetation projects and protecting remnant vegetation with stock exclusion fencing.
Kangaroo Island Landscape Board
Heidi Groffen is an ecologist and co-founder/manager of Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife, and has extensive experience in engaging private landholders in threatened species conservation.
"I am passionate about KI’s biodiversity and natural places, the varying ecosystems and wildlife species that thrive and how reliant the economy is on the natural environment for primary industries and tourism," Ms Groffen said.
Limestone Coast Landscape Board
Dr Jonathan Sobels has an extensive background in agri-business including the seed industry, conservation farming, revegetation, and dryland salinity. He is a member of Landcare networks and groundwater basins in South Australia and has been a Lecturer in Environmental Management. He is the author of a survey of southeast irrigators’ water use practices and has previous experience in seed production and new variety development. He currently farms fat lambs, hay, and some pasture seeds, teaches as a relief teacher at Naracoorte High School and Chairs the Coorong Environmental Trust.
Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board
Samantha Blight is currently working as a sustainability officer with the Coorong District Council, Samantha’s skills and background in landcare and conservation will bring fresh perspectives about the issues facing the environment in the region.
Ms Blight said it was an honour to be part of the landscape board.
“I’m excited to collaborate with others who share a vision for a sustainable future, and to find solutions for the environmental challenges we’re facing in this region,” she said.
Northern and Yorke Landscape Board
Holly Cowan is a community development specialist with more than 12 years of experience in the local government sector. She holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies and Social Sciences, along with certifications in training and education, leadership and resilience, and emergency management. An active member of the Lochiel community, Holly is dedicated to fostering engagement, sustainability, and resilience through her professional and volunteer work.
Leo Redden has 40 years’ experience working in regional South Australia and has developed a strong network within agribusiness and primary production. He has a genuine interest in sustainable agriculture, remnant vegetation protection and biodiversity protection through the control of feral species.
Nicki Robins is the viticultural development manager at Barossa Australia, where she coordinates science-led, best practice viticultural management programs to support more than 500 grape grower members. These include Wildlife for Wine, Creating Resilient Landscapes, and Environmental Champions of Barossa. Nicki was raised on a small mixed cropping farm in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand and has lived in the Barossa for more than 20 years.
See all members for each landscape board
South Australia’s nine landscape boards support local communities to care for land, water and nature.
Each board has between 6 and 10 board members – as distinct to board staff – which adds up to a lot of local talent investing their time, knowledge and experience caring for local landscapes.
We’ve brought them all together in this SA Landscape Board Members chart.
