The NRCMA Board
The Northern Rivers CMA is guided by a Board made up of a Chair and six Board members with skills and knowledge across areas such as primary production, cultural heritage, biodiversity conservation, business administration and governance. The Board is accountable to the NSW Minister for the Environment and Climate Change and is responsible for the implementation of the Northern Rivers CAP, associated investment strategies and corporate governance compliance.
What does the Northern Rivers CMA Board do ?
The Board's role includes:
- Review and monitoring of financial and corporate governance activities
- Facilitating compliance with key NSW Treasury and Australian Government financial policy and Australian Accounting Standards
- Supporting the targeted delivery and reporting of projects supported by the Australian and State governments and other funding bodies
- Facilitating and oversighting internal reviews of Investment Strategy projects and the administration of external contracts
- Development and monitoring of Complaints Management Policy and Corruption and Fraud Control Policy
- Review of recommendations and advice from the NSWAudit Office and Natural Resources Commission
The Board meet monthly and regularly undertake field inspections of northern rivers CMA projects and regional natural resource managemnt issues and opportunities.
Who are the Board members ?
The Northern Rivers CMA Chair and Board are members of our community. Their profiles are provided below:
Dr Judy Henderson AO (Chair)
Judy Henderson was appointed Chair of the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority in 2004 and her current term runs to 2011. Judy has a long-standing interest in corporate social responsibility and is the former Chair and current Board member of the Amsterdam-based Global Reporting Initiative, which is setting global standards for sustainability reporting. She was former Chair of Australian Ethical Investment Ltd and currently is Chair of the Canberra-based Centre for Australian Ethical Research. Judy was a former Board member of the NSW Environment Protection Authority, a participant in the 2008 Australia 2020 Summit and is a strong advocate for regional sustainable development. She is a former Chair of Oxfam International and Commissioner of the World Commission on Dams. In 1998 Judy was appointed an Officer of General Division of the Order of Australia.
Robert Quirk
Robert has served on the Northern Rivers Catchment Management authority as a board member since it formation. Robert was a Tweed Shire Councillor from 1987-91 and still serves on two Tweed Shire council committees, the Tweed River Committee and Floodplain Committee, along with the Drainage Union, Tweed Cane Growers Executive and the NSW Cane Growers Council. Robert has served on national committees including the Australian Cane Grower's, Farm Management Systems (FMS), Water Use Efficacy and the Sustainable Industries Initiative. Robert serves on two international committees, the Round Table for Sugar Cane (The Better Sugar Cane Initiative), of which he was Chair for its first two years of operation and is a current member of the Steering Committee, and the International Union of Soil Sciences - Scientific Committee for Acid Sulfate Soils. Robert has received numerous awards including Life membership of the International Senate for the Junior Chamber International, Churchill Fellowship in 2002, the Presidents Medal for the most useful research to the Australian sugar industry in 2002 and the 16th McKell Medal for excellence and achievement in natural resource management.
Sally Wright
Sally has had a long term interest in land management and farming techniques. She continues to be excited by the developments in knowledge and understanding of the effect of management on both soil and above ground biodiversity, and how this can be harnessed on-farm to optimise production and returns to farmers. An active member of Landcare since its early days, Sally has been involved at all levels (on ground, management and policy). She has chaired Local, District and Regional Lanccare groups and is currently a Board Member of Southern New England Landcare Limited. Sally has been involved in Regional NRM management for many years, with periods spent on the Clarence Catchment Committee, and the Upper North Coast Catchment Board before joining the NRCMA in 2004. She has a passionate belief that the change management necessary to meet the demands of the future and of Climate Change will come from an informed and motivated community and that CMAs have a major role to play in facilitating such change.
Rod McKelvey
Rod was appointed to the Northern Rivers CMA Board in 2005.Rod was a Coffs Harbour City Councillor from 2004-2008. He was Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Land Use, Health and Development committee. Rod was Chair and Project Officer for the Orara River Restoration Project, which won the 2002 National NHT Rivercare Award. He served on the NSW Coastal Envirofund
Assessment Panel since its inception and has judged the NSW Landcare awards. He is currently an Executive Member of Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare, a member of Nana Glen Landcare and Arrawarra Dune Care. Rod has recently been appointed Chair of the Australian Government's Caring for our Country Community Coastcare grants panel for NSW, the ACT and Norfolk Island. He is a board member of the Mid North Coast Area Consultative Committee, which supports sustainable business projects from Coffs Harbour to Great Lakes. While farming in Inverell, he was an executive member of the North West CMB and chair of GWYMAC, the regional Landcare organisation. He was a member of the NSW Landcare Working Group and the NSW Vegetation Forum, which advised the Minister on the preparation of the Native Vegetation Management Act.
David Donnelly
David has been an active Board Member since the formation of the Northern Rivers CMA in June 2004. David has performed the role of delegate to the Finance Committee along with the Chair, Dr Judy Henderson, since the Committee was established. Natural resource management has been an integral part of David's life over the last 20 years with roles including member of the first Clarence total Catchment Management Committee, Deputy Chair of the Upper North Coast Catchment Management Board, North West representative to the State Landcare Working Group, Chair of the Border Rivers Flow Management Plan Community Reference Panel, Chair of local Landcare groups and district network (Glenrac ), Chair of the Upper North Coast Landcare Network and member of the Northern Tablelands Vegetation Committee. Other community involvement has included 23 years service as Councillor on the Glen Innes Municipal Council with 10 consecutive years as Mayor, as well as numerous roles within the local, regional and state representative organisations.
Steve MacDonald
Steve was a former secondary high school Science and Agriculture teacher before swapping chalk for microphone to become a Rural Reporter with ABC Radio for 27 years. As a Broadcaster, Steve has covered an array of farming issues together with stories on the management of natural resources, compiling and presenting relevant interviews for air. From this experience, he gained a wide understanding of landholders' interests and concerns about their enterprises and projects. Steve has witnessed, first hand, achievements of groups and individuals working towards achieving sustainable outcomes for the environment together with all the passion that comes from these efforts. Steve's other involvements include past member of the Kempsey Main Street program for several years, parent member of Aldavilla Primary School Council, and parent member of Kempsey High School Council. He is a current Board member of the Macleay Vocational College as well as Secretary of the Macleay Valley Arts Council. Steve joined the Northern Rivers CMA Board in April 2008.
Lorina Barker
Lorina joined the Northern Rivers CMA Board in May 2008. Lorina is a descendant of the Wangkumara and Muruwari people of North-west NSW. Lorina is currently undertaking a PhD in family/community history. The key objectives of Lorina's research entitled People, Place and Time: The Weilmoringle Community, are to document peoples' connections to and memories of place and their associated water stories. As part of her research, Lorina is also endeavouring to record both traditional and contemporary Aboriginal land care management beliefs and practices.
Current terms of appointment: end dates
| Dr | Judy | Henderson | 30-Jun-11 | |
| Mr | David | Donnelly | 24-Oct-09 | |
| Ms | Lorina | Barker | 30-Mar-10 | |
| Mr | Robert | Quirk | 24-Oct-09 | |
| Mr | Rod | McKelvey | 24-Oct-10 | |
| Ms | Sally | Wright | 24-Oct-10 | |
| Mr | Stephen | MacDonald | 30-Mar-10 |
