Conference speakers 2022

Speaker	Bio
Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d) Chair, Murray–Darling Basin Authority	Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d) was awarded the Knight of the Order of Australia in January 2015 for extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit in service to Australia, through distinguished service in the Australian Defence Force, continued commitment to serve the nation in leadership roles (particularly the national responses to the MH370 and MH17 disasters) and in a variety of roles in the community. Sir Angus retired from the military in July 2011 after serving for 41 years. He was Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 2005 to 2011 and prior to that was Chief of Air Force for 4 years. Sir Angus is Chancellor for the University of the Sunshine Coast and chairs several other boards. He serves as a board member for numerous organisations as well as being a visiting fellow of the Australian National University National Security College. He is the Ambassador/Patron for a number of charitable organisations, including several mental health charities. Sir Angus has been awarded 4 honorary doctorate degrees from the University of South Australia, the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales, and Griffith University. Sir Angus Houston has extensive experience in bringing different interests together to work towards a common goal and was appointed chair of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority in August 2020. Since then, he has toured extensively within the Basin listening to communities and water stakeholders. He is well placed to lead the Authority for the next stage of implementation.
Simon Kuestenmacher Keynote speaker Director and Co-Founder, The Demographics Group, Melbourne, Victoria	Simon holds degrees in geography from leading universities in Berlin and Melbourne and worked for several years as a business consultant with KPMG Australia. In 2017 Simon, with Bernard Salt, co-founded The Demographics Group. The group provides specialist advice on demographic, consumer and social trends for business. Simon has presented to numerous corporate and industry audiences across Australia and overseas on demographic trends, consumer insights and cultural change in Australia. His presentations and quirky observations are enjoyed by groups from the financial services, property, government, education, technology, retail and professional services industries, among others. Simon is also a columnist for The Australian and The New Daily newspapers; a media commentator on demographic and data matters. In his spare time Simon runs what is by now the world’s largest Twitter account dedicated to maps and data. He has amassed 300,000 global followers, reaches over 25 million people every month and ranks as one of the world’s Top 10 influencers in data visualisation. If you’re not already following Simon on Twitter, he can be found @SimonGerman600.
Rosalie Auricht Chief Executive Officer, Renmark Irrigation Trust	Rosalie Auricht is the CEO of the Renmark Irrigation Trust in South Australia. She returned to the Riverland in 2015, bringing extensive business management experience after several years in executive roles in a range of not-for-profit and public organisations. Coming from a farming background, Rosalie has a strong interest in the health of the River Murray and its communities and serves on the Katarapko Community Advisory Panel and the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board’s Water Advisory Committee. She is a member of the Water Market Reform Advisory Group and a board member of the National Irrigators Council. Since joining the Trust, Rosalie has established the innovative Renmark environmental watering program and achieved global recognition for the Renmark irrigation community’s good water stewardship.
Stuart Bunn Director, Australian Rivers Institute, Board Member, Murray–Darling Basin Authority	Professor Stuart Bunn’s major research interests are in the ecology of river and wetland systems, with a focus on the science underpinning river management. This research has resulted in more than 250 technical publications, most of which are refereed journal papers and conference proceedings. He has extensive experience working with international and Australian Government agencies on water resource management issues. From 2008 to 2012, Stuart was a National Water Commissioner. He has been a chair of the Scientific Advisory Panel for the Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum and a Director of Land and Water Australia. He is currently chair of the Science Committee for Healthy Land and Water and a member of the International Planning Committee for the Sustainable Water Future Programme. Stuart Bunn was appointed chair of the MDBA Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences in 2016. He currently plays an observer role.
Tennille Chalmers Director, Chalmers Wines	Tennille Chalmers is an owner and manager of Chalmers Wines. She grew up in the wine industry via her family business on a farm on the River Murray, 120 km outside Mildura. Over time she has worked vintages in Australia and Italy, developing a serious passion for Italian varieties and warm climate viticulture. Ten years ago, she joined the family business and since then has worked in all aspects of the vineyard, winery and administration. Tennille is a co-founder of the national Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, held in Mildura.
Frank Dimasi Chair, Lower Murray Water Strategic Advisory Committee	Frank Dimasi is the current chair of Lower Murray Water’s Strategic Advisory Committee and the Managing Director of Benecor Holdings Pty Ltd. Together with his wife, Frank runs 20 hectares of table grapes in Irymple. He takes great pride in his work and that of fellow irrigators in the region, whose produce competes on the world stage. His extensive background in irrigated agriculture also includes serving as Chair of the Mildura District Dried Fruit Association since 1984, past chair of Sunraysia District Council of Australian District Dried Fruit Association for 3 years, and board member of First Mildura Irrigation Trust.
Iain Ellis Senior Fisheries Manager, Freshwater Environment Branch, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Fisheries	Iain Ellis is a Fish Ecologist/Manager who has worked across the southern Murray–Darling for over 20 years. He is heavily involved in the planning of environmental flows – and operational flows where appropriate – to maximise outcomes for native fish and riverine/floodplain ecosystems. He is also involved in threatened species recovery programs in New South Wales. As the Native Fish Recovery Strategy Coordinator in the Lower Darling (Baaka), Iain is dedicating a lot of energy towards improving stakeholder engagement and education in matters that influence native fish outcomes in the Murray–Darling Basin.
Kelly Fyfe SunRISE Mapping and Research	Kelly Fyfe has managed community-led natural resource management programs within the Basin for 16 years. Kelly delivered the New South Wales salinity program in accordance with the Murray–Darling Basin Agreement. In Victoria she led the communications and stakeholder engagement program for a water corporation providing rural and urban services. In those roles she made extensive use of SunRISE Mapping and Research’s mapping and spatial information to inform government policy and decision-making. She also recognised the importance of using this invaluable community asset to empower irrigators by making sure they had access to this information and knowledge. She is pleased to be collaborating with SunRISE Mapping and Research once again. Kelly has strong relationships with the local irrigation community that are based on teamwork, collaboration, transparency, and trust. She built those relationships while coordinating irrigator-representative committees in several organisations. SunRISE Mapping and Research’s resources helped Kelly to facilitate irrigators’ contributions to public policy decisions that affect them.
Amy Goodman Water Manager, Central Irrigation Trust, South Australia	Amy Goodman is the Water Manager at Central Irrigation Trust (CIT), where she is responsible for CIT’s Water, Land and Customer Services. This includes members’ water rights, water policy, compliance, water trading functions and liaison. Growing up on a family farm in the Riverland of South Australia, Amy developed a keen interest in water management. This led her into a 20-year career working with government, industry, and not-for-profit organisations on community-led natural resource management programs. Amy holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture) from the University of Adelaide and is a Graduate of the Leaders Institute of South Australia’s Governor’s Leadership Foundation Program.
Tim Goodes Executive Director, Basin Plan Murray–Darling Basin Authority	Prior to joining the MDBA in June 2020, Tim was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions for the South Australian Government. He was responsible for Agriculture, Food and Wine; Regional Development; Major Program delivery; and corporate services. From 2009-2017 Tim was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources in South Australia. In that role he was responsible for the policy and strategy development of the department, including serving as the Basin Official for South Australia, overseeing the implementation of the Basin Plan and other major water projects. Tim came to natural resources management following 12 years in the justice portfolio, in courts and the Attorney-General’s Department including time as the Sheriff of South Australia, and 3 years as an Executive Director in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. He has a degree in Social Administration and a Masters in Public Policy and Administration.
The Hon. Troy Grant Inspector-General of Water Compliance	Following a 30-year career of public service in Government, Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, Social Justice, community and charity, the Honourable Troy Grant was announced as Interim Inspector-General of Water Compliance by the then Minister for Water the Hon Keith Pitt MP on 16 December 2020 and was appointed the Inspector-General of Water Compliance on 05 August 2021. Mr Grant has lived and worked in the northern and southern Basins for over 40 years. After a distinguished career in the New South Wales Police Force, he entered the 55th New South Wales Parliament in March 2011 as the 13th elected State Member for Dubbo. Mr Grant held a number of Ministerial positions, and became Deputy Premier of New South Wales in 2014. He currently lives in Queensland. Mr Grant retired from the New South Wales Ministry on 2 April 2019 and has been Managing Director of Perspective Advisory Services since May 2019. Mr Grant’s other current positions include Conjoint Professor of Practice (Public Administration) – University of Newcastle, Chairman of Integrity Assurance Committee – Racing New South Wales, and Chairman of the International Rugby League.
Phil Grahame General Manager, Ruralco Water	Ruralco Water is a water market intermediary that offers brokerage and water market solutions across a network of 14 branches in the Murray–Darling Basin and beyond. Phil Grahame is an Associate of the Australian Property Institute and a former Property Valuer. He started in water broking in 2008, developing a large client base including corporates, government and family irrigators across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Phil is a director of a citrus, wine grape and almond property in Sunraysia and is also a past Secretary and President of the Australian Water Brokers Association.
Harash Grewal Golden Grain Mills, Lake Culluleraine, Victoria	Harash Grewal works in a family business with primary operations in manufacturing and agriculture. She grew up in the family business with a strong passion for agriculture. The majority of Gold Grain Mills' operations are in Sunraysia, growing grains, pulses and nuts as well as processing several products.
Nathan Hancock Chief Executive Officer, Citrus Australia, Mildura, Victoria	Since his appointment as CEO of Citrus Australia in late 2017, Nathan Hancock has led new initiatives in expanding market access, fruit quality and strengthening biosecurity. He has grown the business in that time to meet increasing international demand for Australian citrus and to advocate for the needs of Australian growers to government. He was recognised for his leadership and representation of the citrus industry during the citrus canker outbreak in 2018 and subsequent recovery efforts. Nathan first joined Citrus Australia in 2011. Before taking the reins as CEO, he implemented maturity and quality standards in the national industry and improved industry statistics, including the citrus tree census, national plantings database, and production forecast model.
Sam Heagney General Manager, South Bunarba Agriculture, Mungindi	Sam Heagney is the General Manager of South Bunarba Agriculture, a diversified primary production business based at Mungindi on the New South Wales/Queensland border. South Bunarba Agriculture grows dryland and irrigated crops, including wheat, barley, chickpeas, cotton, mung beans and sorghum as well as running a beef cattle enterprise. South Bunarba Agriculture has been owned and operated by the Longworth family for over 100 years and the first irrigated crop was grown on South Bunarba in 1983. Irrigated crops are grown in the Gwydir Valley and Border Rivers.
Roseanne Healy Board Member, Murray–Darling Basin Authority	Roseanne Healy has over 20-years' experience in corporate management across agriculture food and wine, technology and infrastructure sectors. This includes extensive expertise in due diligence and corporate governance, strategy and investment, and analysis. Roseanne started in corporate advisory and investment banking as an economics and market analyst for ASX 100 and 200 companies in the resources, retail, and automotive sectors. As a tribunal member for the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs and Chief Executive Officer of SA Great, she influenced South Australia’s economic credentials for investment attraction, spanning agriculture, aquaculture, food and wine, technology, and infrastructure. As a South Australian, she knows how important a healthy working river system is... from north to south. Roseanne is currently Managing Director of Corporate Advisory, Enterprise Corporation. She is a board member of Grains Research and Development Corporation and National Water Grid Advisory Body. She is chair of Cashflow Manager, Dairysafe and non-executive director of Dairy Australia, Airborne Research Australia and GP Partners.
Mark Henderson Environmental Water Management Officer, New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment	Mark Henderson is an Environmental Water Management Officer with over 15 years’ experience in ecological monitoring and evaluation in the Murray and Lower Darling. These MER programs help to improve environmental water use and ecological outcomes for native biota such as vegetation, fish, frogs and waterbirds. Mark is currently managing a project to monitor the dispersal of golden perch in response to flows in the Great Darling Anabranch.
Tim Jackson Chief Executive Officer, Almond Board of Australia	Tim Jackson started as the CEO of the Almond Board of Australia in October 2021. He has worked in the almond industry for more than 16 years and has lived in the nation’s first irrigation settlement, Renmark, for the past 32 years. As a former regional newspaper editor and ABC radio presenter and small business owner, Tim has accumulated a career-long understanding and appreciation of the integral role sustainable horticulture must play within the southern Murray–Darling Basin.
Peter Kelly Business Manager, Murray Offroad Adventures, Irymple, Victoria	Peter Kelly has a deep understanding and a vast knowledge of northwest Victoria through to the southwest of New South Wales. He grew up on a local Mallee farm, providing a foundation for his passion and knowledge of the area. Early years involved exploring this diverse landscape, shearing sheep, countless hours driving tractors and mustering stock on horseback between the Sunset Country through to the Murray River. Peter's experience spans more than 30 years working on major projects with Landcare, forest management, emergency services (fire and flood) and developing techniques to create flooding in modified floodplain landscapes alongside salinity control. Peter has worked alongside the MDBA, South Australia and New South Wales Government departments from within several Victorian Government departments. His work with the First Nations and broader communities has involved implementing major advances in managing public and private landscapes in the Mallee to preserve our heritage, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. Peter's company, Murray Offroad Adventures, is a husband-and-wife combination tourism business operating along both sides of the Murray from Swan Hill to the South Australia border and beyond. They have been operating full-time since July 2017, using the knowledge gained through 40 years of natural resource management in public and private land and community engagement.
Jack Knowles General Manager, Basin Strategy and Knowledge, Murray–Darling Basin Authority	Jack Knowles joined the MDBA in August 2021 as General Manager, Communications, Engagement and Strategic Policy. Her career has focused on public policy in water, agriculture, natural resource management and the environment. For more than 20 years Jack has worked with government, industry, not for profit organisations and the private sector to facilitate stakeholder centred policy development, design, implementation and evaluation. Jack holds a Bachelor of Science (Environmental) from the University of New South Wales and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr Andrew Kremor Regional Manager and Acting Executive Director, River Management, Murray–Darling Basin Authority	The River Management team is responsible for operating the Murray River system on behalf of the states and under the Murray–Darling Basin Agreement. Prior to his current Acting Executive Director role, Andrew was responsible for the MDBA Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) Implementation Team, which coordinates the MDBA support required to enable delivery of the SDLAM program by the Basin states. He also held responsibility for the Enhanced Environmental Watering and Hydrometrics Networks and Northern Remote Sensing projects.  Prior to joining the MDBA, Andrew held executive management roles in corporate governance, project delivery, communications and operations with private and public sector businesses including Lower Murray Water, Santos, Alinta Energy, Energex, SA Power Networks and Ernst & Young. Andrew grew up on a local grape farm in Sunraysia and is currently a Board Director for a local not for profit human services provider, Mallee Family Care.
Susan Madden Board Member, Murray–Darling Basin Authority	Susan Madden brings skills, experience, and networks gained from a background in family farming, a First Class Honours degree in Agricultural Economics, and 15 years working in agricultural and natural resource management roles. Susan is Principal Economist, Natural Resources and Agriculture, with international consulting firm GHD. She has worked in public and private sector roles, including with the New South Wales Catchment Management Authorities, agricultural consultants Hassall and Associates, and KPMG. She was the Executive Officer of regional farming group Macquarie River Food and Fibre for almost 7 years. There, Susan participated in major government planning reform processes, including the review of New South Wales Water Sharing Plans and development of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan, and water pricing determinations undertaken by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. She has chaired the Central West Local Land Services since March 2017 and sits on the Local Land Services Board of Chairs. She is a Fellow of the Peter Cullen Trust and was a finalist in the 2013 Australian Cotton Industry Young Achiever of the Year Award.
Brett Millington Chief Executive Officer, Mildura Regional Development	Born and raised in Mildura, Victoria, Brett Millington has over 20 years’ experience at an executive level in the economic development and utilities industries. He was an inaugural board member of Mildura Regional Development following its formation in 2017 and was then appointed CEO in 2019. Prior to this, he spent several years as the Program Director for Intelligent Water Networks, the research and collaboration partnership supporting the Victorian Water corporations in their pursuit of innovation. Educated with a Bachelor of Science with honours from the University of Melbourne initially, Brett also holds post graduate qualifications in Business Administration from the University of Queensland and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Tyson Milne Director, River Murray Operations Murray–Darling Basin Authority	Tyson Milne is Tyson is a fourth generation Sunraysia local, with great-grandfathers who were original soldier settlers in both Red Cliffs and Birdwoodton. A qualified viticulturalist, Tyson has been involved in horticulture since growing up on a large vineyard, winery and citrus orchard near Nangiloc. Since then, has spent almost 2 decades working in general, asset and water management at various vineyards and cropping operations across 5 states and territories. Tyson joined the MDBA’s system review team in 2019 and is now overseeing the team responsible for the day- to-day operations of the River Murray System.
Peter O’Donnell Chair, Mildura Airport and Southern Cross Farms	In 2001 Peter O'Donnell founded Southern Cross Business Advisers (SCBA) that grew into a 4-partner organisation with a team of 30 professionals. Southern Cross Farms (SC Farms) was created in 2006 as part of the wider SCBA group. In 2013, Peter purchased SC Farms outright. SC Farms is a farm management company that provides Operational, Financial and Organisational Support for investors in irrigated horticulture. SC Farms manage farming operations in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland. Experience is across many crops with strongest focus on citrus, almonds, grapes and avocadoes. As Executive Director of the SC Farms group, his responsibility lies with strategy development, investor liaison and acquisitions. Peter is also involved in many community organisations. This includes Chair of Mildura Airports Pty Ltd, Director of NMLLEN, Chair of Mallee Regional Trade Training Centre, Finance committee member of the Mildura Specialist School and Committee member of Imperial FNC. Peter completed his economics degree in Adelaide, graduating in 1992.
Michael Peat Director, Northern Basin, Commonwealth Environmental Water Office	Dr Michael Peat is the Director of the northern Basin section in the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (CEWO). He has worked on water policy and programs in the Murray–Darling Basin since 2003, including the National Water Initiative, Murray–Darling Basin Plan and Northern Murray–Darling Basin Review. Michael is currently working on the design and implementation of water for the environment actions to enhance connectivity across the northern Basin.
Andrew Reynolds Acting Chief Executive, Murray–Darling Basin Authority	Andrew Reynolds has more than 26 years' experience managing major water supply infrastructure, the past 8 with the MDBA. He has worked extensively in the fields of engineering project delivery, dam safety and river management, and is a past chair of the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD). Andrew holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Agricultural) with Honours from the University of Melbourne. Andrew has been acting Chief Executive since August 2021, and his substantive position with the MDBA is Executive Director of River Management.
Tony Sharley Eco-tourism, Owner Murray River Trails, Renmark, South Australia	Tony Sharley is the Managing Director of Murray River Trails which he and his wife Susie established (as Murray River Walk) in 2016. Murray River Walk joined the Great Walks of Australia collective in 2016 and entered the Hall of Fame in the ecotourism category in the South Australian Tourism Awards in 2019. Their second tour, Murray River Safari, developed during the COVID-19 slowdown of 2020, is now part of the Australian Wildlife Journeys collective and extends their touring season from 5 months to 9 months of the year. Tony is an environmental scientist and a passionate advocate for more frequent high rivers and a healthy Murray River. His knowledge of the Murray River and a career working on wetlands and rivers led to the idea of a multi-day walk along the river and staying on a houseboat each night that moves to each new daily walking destination. Local foods including farmed Murray cod and yabbies paired with local premium wines add to the authenticity of the experience.
Michael Stewardson Chief Executive Officer, ONE Basin CRC	Professor Michael Stewardson is the leading academic hydrologist working in the field of environmental flow science in Australia. He has a strong track record of research leadership, leading a career total of 29 research projects and participating in 44 projects over 19 years representing a total grant income of more than $15m. Over the last decade, he has contributed to the leading science panels advising the Commonwealth, Victorian and other government agencies dealing with river health policy and management including auditing the health of the Murray-Darling Basin for the Commonwealth; and the former science panel which advised the Commonwealth Environmental Watering Program (which delivers $3.1b worth of environmental water in the Murray-Darling); and currently is a member of the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s Advisory Committee on Social Economic and Environment Science.
Rebecca Wells Chief Executive Officer, Mallee Regional Innovation Centre, Mildura	Born in Mildura and raised on a vineyard in Merbein in the north-west corner of Victoria, Rebecca Wells has long known the value of innovation, collaboration and community. Rebecca was appointed by The University of Melbourne as inaugural chief executive of the Mallee Regional Innovation Centre in 2019. She now leads the centre’s research and development projects in the 4 key areas of horticulture, water, energy and the environment. Formerly appointed by Bendigo and Adelaide Bank as a member of the Community Bank National Council, and by the Victorian Government as a member of the Mallee Regional Partnership, she has extensive experience in governance and community development. Rebecca also has more than 10 years of non-executive director experience, including 6 years as chair of the Merbein and District Community Bank Branch of Bendigo Bank and 5 years as chair of Northern Mallee Leaders. She is also a member of the SuniTAFE Smart Farm Horticulture Industry Advisory Group.
Andrew Young Owner, Redgold Farm, Wemen, Victoria	Andrew Young jointly owns and manages Redgold Pty Ltd. Redgold has grown from a market garden with many crops started the early 1950s to now being a 400 hectare salad growing farm. It focuses on producing fresh salad crops contract grown for national salad packing companies. Andrew's farms are along the River Murray in Wemen, between Mildura and Swan Hill in the northern Mallee of Victoria. The farming season is winter focused with harvests from March through to December. Redgold is carbon neutral. With a natural interest in motorcycles, trucks, tractors, agricultural technology and welders, Andrew has always enjoyed innovation. Since researching climate change, Andrew increasingly felt very conflicted by what he understands needs to happen and the little action he sees on the ground. Andrew sees the need to talk about obligations to future generations by becoming far more aggressive in decarbonising our daily lives, even where this might mean accepting some compromise in our own fortunate lifestyles.

Speaker

Bio

Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d)
Chair, Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d) was awarded the Knight of the Order of Australia in January 2015 for extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit in service to Australia, through distinguished service in the Australian Defence Force, continued commitment to serve the nation in leadership roles (particularly the national responses to the MH370 and MH17 disasters) and in a variety of roles in the community.

Sir Angus retired from the military in July 2011 after serving for 41 years. He was Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 2005 to 2011 and prior to that was Chief of Air Force for 4 years.

Sir Angus is Chancellor for the University of the Sunshine Coast and chairs several other boards. He serves as a board member for numerous organisations as well as being a visiting fellow of the Australian National University National Security College. He is the Ambassador/Patron for a number of charitable organisations, including several mental health charities. Sir Angus has been awarded 4 honorary doctorate degrees from the University of South Australia, the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales, and Griffith University.

Sir Angus Houston has extensive experience in bringing different interests together to work towards a common goal and was appointed chair of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority in August 2020. Since then, he has toured extensively within the Basin listening to communities and water stakeholders. He is well placed to lead the Authority for the next stage of implementation.

Simon Kuestenmacher

Simon Kuestenmacher
Keynote speaker
Director and Co-Founder, The Demographics Group, Melbourne, Victoria

Simon holds degrees in geography from leading universities in Berlin and Melbourne and worked for several years as a business consultant with KPMG Australia. In 2017 Simon, with Bernard Salt, co-founded The Demographics Group. The group provides specialist advice on demographic, consumer and social trends for business.

Simon has presented to numerous corporate and industry audiences across Australia and overseas on demographic trends, consumer insights and cultural change in Australia. His presentations and quirky observations are enjoyed by groups from the financial services, property, government, education, technology, retail and professional services industries, among others.

Simon is also a columnist for The Australian and The New Daily newspapers; a media commentator on demographic and data matters.

In his spare time Simon runs what is by now the world’s largest Twitter account dedicated to maps and data. He has amassed 300,000 global followers, reaches over 25 million people every month and ranks as one of the world’s Top 10 influencers in data visualisation. If you’re not already following Simon on Twitter, he can be found @SimonGerman600.

ARosalie Auricht

Rosalie Auricht
Chief Executive Officer, Renmark Irrigation Trust

Rosalie Auricht is the CEO of the Renmark Irrigation Trust in South Australia. She returned to the Riverland in 2015, bringing extensive business management experience after several years in executive roles in a range of not-for-profit and public organisations.

Coming from a farming background, Rosalie has a strong interest in the health of the River Murray and its communities and serves on the Katarapko Community Advisory Panel and the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board’s Water Advisory Committee. She is a member of the Water Market Reform Advisory Group and a board member of the National Irrigators Council. Since joining the Trust, Rosalie has established the innovative Renmark environmental watering program and achieved global recognition for the Renmark irrigation community’s good water stewardship.

Stuart Bunn

Stuart Bunn
Director, Australian Rivers Institute, Board Member, Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Professor Stuart Bunn’s major research interests are in the ecology of river and wetland systems, with a focus on the science underpinning river management. This research has resulted in more than 250 technical publications, most of which are refereed journal papers and conference proceedings. He has extensive experience working with international and Australian Government agencies on water resource management issues.

From 2008 to 2012, Stuart was a National Water Commissioner. He has been a chair of the Scientific Advisory Panel for the Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum and a Director of Land and Water Australia. He is currently chair of the Science Committee for Healthy Land and Water and a member of the International Planning Committee for the Sustainable Water Future Programme. Stuart Bunn was appointed chair of the MDBA Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences in 2016. He currently plays an observer role.

Tennille Chalmers

Tennille Chalmers
Director, Chalmers Wines

Tennille Chalmers is an owner and manager of Chalmers Wines. She grew up in the wine industry via her family business on a farm on the River Murray, 120 km outside Mildura.

Over time she has worked vintages in Australia and Italy, developing a serious passion for Italian varieties and warm climate viticulture. Ten years ago, she joined the family business and since then has worked in all aspects of the vineyard, winery and administration.

Tennille is a co-founder of the national Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, held in Mildura.

Frank Dimasi
Chair, Lower Murray Water Strategic Advisory Committee

Frank Dimasi is the current chair of Lower Murray Water’s Strategic Advisory Committee and the Managing Director of Benecor Holdings Pty Ltd.

Together with his wife, Frank runs 20 hectares of table grapes in Irymple. He takes great pride in his work and that of fellow irrigators in the region, whose produce competes on the world stage.

His extensive background in irrigated agriculture also includes serving as Chair of the Mildura District Dried Fruit Association since 1984, past chair of Sunraysia District Council of Australian District Dried Fruit Association for 3 years, and board member of First Mildura Irrigation Trust.

IaIn Ellis

Iain Ellis
Senior Fisheries Manager, Freshwater Environment Branch, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Fisheries

Iain Ellis is a Fish Ecologist/Manager who has worked across the southern Murray–Darling for over 20 years. He is heavily involved in the planning of environmental flows – and operational flows where appropriate – to maximise outcomes for native fish and riverine/floodplain ecosystems. He is also involved in threatened species recovery programs in New South Wales.

As the Native Fish Recovery Strategy Coordinator in the Lower Darling (Baaka), Iain is dedicating a lot of energy towards improving stakeholder engagement and education in matters that influence native fish outcomes in the Murray–Darling Basin.

Kelly Fyfe

Kelly Fyfe
SunRISE Mapping and Research

Kelly Fyfe has managed community-led natural resource management programs within the Basin for 16 years. Kelly delivered the New South Wales salinity program in accordance with the Murray–Darling Basin Agreement. In Victoria she led the communications and stakeholder engagement program for a water corporation providing rural and urban services.

In those roles she made extensive use of SunRISE Mapping and Research’s mapping and spatial information to inform government policy and decision-making. She also recognised the importance of using this invaluable community asset to empower irrigators by making sure they had access to this information and knowledge. She is pleased to be collaborating with SunRISE Mapping and Research once again.

Kelly has strong relationships with the local irrigation community that are based on teamwork, collaboration, transparency, and trust. She built those relationships while coordinating irrigator-representative committees in several organisations. SunRISE Mapping and Research’s resources helped Kelly to facilitate irrigators’ contributions to public policy decisions that affect them.

Amy Goodman

Amy Goodman
Water Manager, Central Irrigation Trust, South Australia

Amy Goodman is the Water Manager at Central Irrigation Trust (CIT), where she is responsible for CIT’s Water, Land and Customer Services. This includes members’ water rights, water policy, compliance, water trading functions and liaison.

Growing up on a family farm in the Riverland of South Australia, Amy developed a keen interest in water management. This led her into a 20-year career working with government, industry, and not-for-profit organisations on community-led natural resource management programs.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture) from the University of Adelaide and is a Graduate of the Leaders Institute of South Australia’s Governor’s Leadership Foundation Program.

Tim Goodes

Tim Goodes
Executive Director, Basin Plan
Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Prior to joining the MDBA in June 2020, Tim was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions for the South Australian Government. He was responsible for Agriculture, Food and Wine; Regional Development; Major Program delivery; and corporate services.

From 2009-2017 Tim was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources in South Australia. In that role he was responsible for the policy and strategy development of the department, including serving as the Basin Official for South Australia, overseeing the implementation of the Basin Plan and other major water projects.

Tim came to natural resources management following 12 years in the justice portfolio, in courts and the Attorney-General’s Department including time as the Sheriff of South Australia, and 3 years as an Executive Director in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. He has a degree in Social Administration and a Masters in Public Policy and Administration.

The Hon. Troy Grant

The Hon. Troy Grant
Inspector-General of Water Compliance

Following a 30-year career of public service in Government, Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, Social Justice, community and charity, the Honourable Troy Grant was announced as Interim Inspector-General of Water Compliance by the then Minister for Water the Hon Keith Pitt MP on 16 December 2020 and was appointed the Inspector-General of Water Compliance on 05 August 2021.

Mr Grant has lived and worked in the northern and southern Basins for over 40 years. After a distinguished career in the New South Wales Police Force, he entered the 55th New South Wales Parliament in March 2011 as the 13th elected State Member for Dubbo. Mr Grant held a number of Ministerial positions, and became Deputy Premier of New South Wales in 2014. He currently lives in Queensland.

Mr Grant retired from the New South Wales Ministry on 2 April 2019 and has been Managing Director of Perspective Advisory Services since May 2019. Mr Grant’s other current positions include Conjoint Professor of Practice (Public Administration) – University of Newcastle, Chairman of Integrity Assurance Committee – Racing New South Wales, and Chairman of the International Rugby League.

Phil Grahame

Phil Grahame
General Manager, Ruralco Water

Ruralco Water is a water market intermediary that offers brokerage and water market solutions across a network of 14 branches in the Murray–Darling Basin and beyond. Phil Grahame is an Associate of the Australian Property Institute and a former Property Valuer. He started in water broking in 2008, developing a large client base including corporates, government and family irrigators across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

Phil is a director of a citrus, wine grape and almond property in Sunraysia and is also a past Secretary and President of the Australian Water Brokers Association.

Harash Grewal
Golden Grain Mills, Lake Culluleraine, Victoria

Harash Grewal works in a family business with primary operations in manufacturing and agriculture. She grew up in the family business with a strong passion for agriculture. The majority of Gold Grain Mills' operations are in Sunraysia, growing grains, pulses and nuts as well as processing several products.

Nathan Hancock

Nathan Hancock
Chief Executive Officer, Citrus Australia, Mildura, Victoria

Since his appointment as CEO of Citrus Australia in late 2017, Nathan Hancock has led new initiatives in expanding market access, fruit quality and strengthening biosecurity. He has grown the business in that time to meet increasing international demand for Australian citrus and to advocate for the needs of Australian growers to government. He was recognised for his leadership and representation of the citrus industry during the citrus canker outbreak in 2018 and subsequent recovery efforts.

Nathan first joined Citrus Australia in 2011. Before taking the reins as CEO, he implemented maturity and quality standards in the national industry and improved industry statistics, including the citrus tree census, national plantings database, and production forecast model.

Sam Heagney

Sam Heagney
General Manager, South Bunarba Agriculture, Mungindi

Sam Heagney is the General Manager of South Bunarba Agriculture, a diversified primary production business based at Mungindi on the New South Wales/Queensland border.

South Bunarba Agriculture grows dryland and irrigated crops, including wheat, barley, chickpeas, cotton, mung beans and sorghum as well as running a beef cattle enterprise. South Bunarba Agriculture has been owned and operated by the Longworth family for over 100 years and the first irrigated crop was grown on South Bunarba in 1983. Irrigated crops are grown in the Gwydir Valley and Border Rivers.

Roseanne Healy

Roseanne Healy
Board Member, Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Roseanne Healy has over 20-years' experience in corporate management across agriculture food and wine, technology and infrastructure sectors. This includes extensive expertise in due diligence and corporate governance, strategy and investment, and analysis.

Roseanne started in corporate advisory and investment banking as an economics and market analyst for ASX 100 and 200 companies in the resources, retail, and automotive sectors. As a tribunal member for the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs and Chief Executive Officer of SA Great, she influenced South Australia’s economic credentials for investment attraction, spanning agriculture, aquaculture, food and wine, technology, and infrastructure.

As a South Australian, she knows how important a healthy working river system is... from north to south.

Roseanne is currently Managing Director of Corporate Advisory, Enterprise Corporation. She is a board member of Grains Research and Development Corporation and National Water Grid Advisory Body. She is chair of Cashflow Manager, Dairysafe and non-executive director of Dairy Australia, Airborne Research Australia and GP Partners.

Mark Henderson

Mark Henderson
Environmental Water Management Officer, New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment

Mark Henderson is an Environmental Water Management Officer with over 15 years’ experience in ecological monitoring and evaluation in the Murray and Lower Darling. These MER programs help to improve environmental water use and ecological outcomes for native biota such as vegetation, fish, frogs and waterbirds.

Mark is currently managing a project to monitor the dispersal of golden perch in response to flows in the Great Darling Anabranch.

Tim Jackson

Tim Jackson
Chief Executive Officer, Almond Board of Australia

Tim Jackson started as the CEO of the Almond Board of Australia in October 2021. He has worked in the almond industry for more than 16 years and has lived in the nation’s first irrigation settlement, Renmark, for the past 32 years.

As a former regional newspaper editor and ABC radio presenter and small business owner, Tim has accumulated a career-long understanding and appreciation of the integral role sustainable horticulture must play within the southern Murray–Darling Basin.

Peter Kelly

Peter Kelly
Business Manager, Murray Offroad Adventures, Irymple, Victoria

Peter Kelly has a deep understanding and a vast knowledge of northwest Victoria through to the southwest of New South Wales. He grew up on a local Mallee farm, providing a foundation for his passion and knowledge of the area. Early years involved exploring this diverse landscape, shearing sheep, countless hours driving tractors and mustering stock on horseback between the Sunset Country through to the Murray River.

Peter's experience spans more than 30 years working on major projects with Landcare, forest management, emergency services (fire and flood) and developing techniques to create flooding in modified floodplain landscapes alongside salinity control. Peter has worked alongside the MDBA, South Australia and New South Wales Government departments from within several Victorian Government departments. His work with the First Nations and broader communities has involved implementing major advances in managing public and private landscapes in the Mallee to preserve our heritage, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.

Peter's company, Murray Offroad Adventures, is a husband-and-wife combination tourism business operating along both sides of the Murray from Swan Hill to the South Australia border and beyond. They have been operating full-time since July 2017, using the knowledge gained through 40 years of natural resource management in public and private land and community engagement.

Jack Knowles

Jack Knowles
General Manager, Basin Strategy and Knowledge, Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Jack Knowles joined the MDBA in August 2021 as General Manager, Communications, Engagement and Strategic Policy. Her career has focused on public policy in water, agriculture, natural resource management and the environment.

For more than 20 years Jack has worked with government, industry, not for profit organisations and the private sector to facilitate stakeholder centred policy development, design, implementation and evaluation. Jack holds a Bachelor of Science (Environmental) from the University of New South Wales and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Andrew Kremor

Dr Andrew Kremor
Regional Manager and Acting Executive Director, River Management, Murray–Darling Basin Authority

The River Management team is responsible for operating the Murray River system on behalf of the states and under the Murray–Darling Basin Agreement. Prior to his current Acting Executive Director role, Andrew was responsible for the MDBA Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) Implementation Team, which coordinates the MDBA support required to enable delivery of the SDLAM program by the Basin states. He also held responsibility for the Enhanced Environmental Watering and Hydrometrics Networks and Northern Remote Sensing projects. 

Prior to joining the MDBA, Andrew held executive management roles in corporate governance, project delivery, communications and operations with private and public sector businesses including Lower Murray Water, Santos, Alinta Energy, Energex, SA Power Networks and Ernst & Young.

Andrew grew up on a local grape farm in Sunraysia and is currently a Board Director for a local not for profit human services provider, Mallee Family Care.

Susan Madden

Susan Madden
Board Member, Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Susan Madden brings skills, experience, and networks gained from a background in family farming, a First Class Honours degree in Agricultural Economics, and 15 years working in agricultural and natural resource management roles.

Susan is Principal Economist, Natural Resources and Agriculture, with international consulting firm GHD. She has worked in public and private sector roles, including with the New South Wales Catchment Management Authorities, agricultural consultants Hassall and Associates, and KPMG. She was the Executive Officer of regional farming group Macquarie River Food and Fibre for almost 7 years. There, Susan participated in major government planning reform processes, including the review of New South Wales Water Sharing Plans and development of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan, and water pricing determinations undertaken by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

She has chaired the Central West Local Land Services since March 2017 and sits on the Local Land Services Board of Chairs. She is a Fellow of the Peter Cullen Trust and was a finalist in the 2013 Australian Cotton Industry Young Achiever of the Year Award.

Brett Millington

Brett Millington
Chief Executive Officer, Mildura Regional Development

Born and raised in Mildura, Victoria, Brett Millington has over 20 years’ experience at an executive level in the economic development and utilities industries. He was an inaugural board member of Mildura Regional Development following its formation in 2017 and was then appointed CEO in 2019. Prior to this, he spent several years as the Program Director for Intelligent Water Networks, the research and collaboration partnership supporting the Victorian Water corporations in their pursuit of innovation.

Educated with a Bachelor of Science with honours from the University of Melbourne initially, Brett also holds post graduate qualifications in Business Administration from the University of Queensland and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Tyson Milne

Tyson Milne
Director, River Murray Operations
Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Tyson Milne is Tyson is a fourth generation Sunraysia local, with great-grandfathers who were original soldier settlers in both Red Cliffs and Birdwoodton.

A qualified viticulturalist, Tyson has been involved in horticulture since growing up on a large vineyard, winery and citrus orchard near Nangiloc.

Since then, has spent almost 2 decades working in general, asset and water management at various vineyards and cropping operations across 5 states and territories.

Tyson joined the MDBA’s system review team in 2019 and is now overseeing the team responsible for the day- to-day operations of the River Murray System.

Peter O’Donnell

Peter O’Donnell
Chair, Mildura Airport and Southern Cross Farms

In 2001 Peter O'Donnell founded Southern Cross Business Advisers (SCBA) that grew into a 4-partner organisation with a team of 30 professionals. Southern Cross Farms (SC Farms) was created in 2006 as part of the wider SCBA group. In 2013, Peter purchased SC Farms outright.

SC Farms is a farm management company that provides Operational, Financial and Organisational Support for investors in irrigated horticulture. SC Farms manage farming operations in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland. Experience is across many crops with strongest focus on citrus, almonds, grapes and avocadoes. As Executive Director of the SC Farms group, his responsibility lies with strategy development, investor liaison and acquisitions.

Peter is also involved in many community organisations. This includes Chair of Mildura Airports Pty Ltd, Director of NMLLEN, Chair of Mallee Regional Trade Training Centre, Finance committee member of the Mildura Specialist School and Committee member of Imperial FNC. Peter completed his economics degree in Adelaide, graduating in 1992.

Michael Peat

Michael Peat
Director, Northern Basin, Commonwealth Environmental Water Office

Dr Michael Peat is the Director of the northern Basin section in the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (CEWO). He has worked on water policy and programs in the Murray–Darling Basin since 2003, including the National Water Initiative, Murray–Darling Basin Plan and Northern Murray–Darling Basin Review. Michael is currently working on the design and implementation of water for the environment actions to enhance connectivity across the northern Basin.

Andrew Reynolds

Andrew Reynolds
Acting Chief Executive, Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Andrew Reynolds has more than 26 years' experience managing major water supply infrastructure, the past 8 with the MDBA. He has worked extensively in the fields of engineering project delivery, dam safety and river management, and is a past chair of the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD).

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Agricultural) with Honours from the University of Melbourne. Andrew has been acting Chief Executive since August 2021, and his substantive position with the MDBA is Executive Director of River Management.

Tony Sharley

Tony Sharley
Eco-tourism, Owner Murray River Trails, Renmark, South Australia

Tony Sharley is the Managing Director of Murray River Trails which he and his wife Susie established (as Murray River Walk) in 2016. Murray River Walk joined the Great Walks of Australia collective in 2016 and entered the Hall of Fame in the ecotourism category in the South Australian Tourism Awards in 2019. Their second tour, Murray River Safari, developed during the COVID-19 slowdown of 2020, is now part of the Australian Wildlife Journeys collective and extends their touring season from 5 months to 9 months of the year.

Tony is an environmental scientist and a passionate advocate for more frequent high rivers and a healthy Murray River. His knowledge of the Murray River and a career working on wetlands and rivers led to the idea of a multi-day walk along the river and staying on a houseboat each night that moves to each new daily walking destination. Local foods including farmed Murray cod and yabbies paired with local premium wines add to the authenticity of the experience.

Michael Stewardson

Michael Stewardson
Chief Executive Officer, ONE Basin CRC

Professor Michael Stewardson is the leading academic hydrologist working in the field of environmental flow science in Australia. He has a strong track record of research leadership, leading a career total of 29 research projects and participating in 44 projects over 19 years representing a total grant income of more than $15m.

Over the last decade, he has contributed to the leading science panels advising the Commonwealth, Victorian and other government agencies dealing with river health policy and management including auditing the health of the Murray-Darling Basin for the Commonwealth; and the former science panel which advised the Commonwealth Environmental Watering Program (which delivers $3.1b worth of environmental water in the Murray-Darling); and currently is a member of the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s Advisory Committee on Social Economic and Environment Science.

Rebecca Wells

Rebecca Wells
Chief Executive Officer, Mallee Regional Innovation Centre, Mildura

Born in Mildura and raised on a vineyard in Merbein in the north-west corner of Victoria, Rebecca Wells has long known the value of innovation, collaboration and community.

Rebecca was appointed by The University of Melbourne as inaugural chief executive of the Mallee Regional Innovation Centre in 2019. She now leads the centre’s research and development projects in the 4 key areas of horticulture, water, energy and the environment.

Formerly appointed by Bendigo and Adelaide Bank as a member of the Community Bank National Council, and by the Victorian Government as a member of the Mallee Regional Partnership, she has extensive experience in governance and community development.

Rebecca also has more than 10 years of non-executive director experience, including 6 years as chair of the Merbein and District Community Bank Branch of Bendigo Bank and 5 years as chair of Northern Mallee Leaders. She is also a member of the SuniTAFE Smart Farm Horticulture Industry Advisory Group.

Andrew Young

Andrew Young
Owner, Redgold Farm, Wemen, Victoria

Andrew Young jointly owns and manages Redgold Pty Ltd. Redgold has grown from a market garden with many crops started the early 1950s to now being a 400 hectare salad growing farm. It focuses on producing fresh salad crops contract grown for national salad packing companies. Andrew's farms are along the River Murray in Wemen, between Mildura and Swan Hill in the northern Mallee of Victoria. The farming season is winter focused with harvests from March through to December. Redgold is carbon neutral.

With a natural interest in motorcycles, trucks, tractors, agricultural technology and welders, Andrew has always enjoyed innovation. Since researching climate change, Andrew increasingly felt very conflicted by what he understands needs to happen and the little action he sees on the ground. Andrew sees the need to talk about obligations to future generations by becoming far more aggressive in decarbonising our daily lives, even where this might mean accepting some compromise in our own fortunate lifestyles.

Updated: 10 Jun 2022

Conference speakers 2022

Footer