A key priority
for Council in 2001 was the review of the Victorian Coastal Strategy
including broad scale market research and community consultation. The
Victorian Coastal Strategy 2002 has been endorsed by the Government.
Council Members'
Resumes
Chair
- Libby Mears
Cr Libby Mears
lives with her family at Aireys Inlet having moved from Melbourne in
the 1990s. Libby is a passionate advocate for the coast with a particular
interest in the role coastal communities play in coastal protection
and management and in promoting sustainable use of our coastal resources.
In 2004, Libby's community activism led her to be elected to local government
and Mayor of the Surf Coast Shire in 2006. Libby currently serves on
a number of council committees including Chair of a joint working party
between the Shire and the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee aimed at
advancing integrated coastal planning within the Shire and is a member
of Council's Environment Advisory Committee.
Libby's professional background is in public health with a keen interest
in the way environments impact on the health, wellbeing and connectedness
of communities.
Page
Top
Duncan
Malcolm
Duncan Malcolm
lives on a farm at Boisdale in Gippsland. He has a strong interest in
natural resource management developed through various positions he has
held and has worked hard to develop strategic linkages between resource
managers and participants at regional, State and Federal levels.
Duncan's current
positions include Chairman of the Victorian Environmental Assessment
Council, Chairman of the Gippsland Coastal Board and a member of a number
of other committees and bodies. He is a former Chairman of both the
Irrigation Association Australia and the Lakes and Wilderness Tourism
Association Inc.
Page
Top
Lynn
Murrell
Lynn Murrell is
a former Secondary School Teacher and a Councillor for the City of Portland
for over 18 years. Mr Murrell owns a primary production property at
Cape Nelson.
Lynn has been extensively
involved representing his community at a local, regional, State and
Federal level and is a current member of the Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment
Management Authority, Victorian Economic, Environment and Social Advisory
Council, Greater Green Triangle Area Consultative Committee Good Governance
Panel and the Natural Resources Conservation League. Lynn is also Chair
of the Western Coastal Board.
Page
Top
Liz
Johnstone
Liz Johnstone holds
a position with the Municipal Association of Victoria. She has extensive
experience in local government and community associations as a former
councillor and Mayor of the City of Port Phillip, the Association of
Bayside Municipalities and the Australian Local Government Women's Association.
At Port Phillip
her particular area of interest was in the planning and environmental
area. She is also Chair of the Central Coastal Board. Liz trained as
an accountant and has a background in small business.
Page
Top
Robert
Gell
Rob is a coastal
geomorphologist by training. He taught Environmental Science and Physical
Geography at tertiary level, then for twenty-five years he presented
television weather.
Rob currently works
as an environmental and communications consultant and is Chairman of
Access Environmental Pty Ltd. He is also a company director, a published
author and a photographer. He is President of Greening Australia Victoria
and Chairman of the Mornington Peninsula and Westernport Biosphere Reserve
Foundation Ltd. Rob is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and
an Inaugural Fellow of the Environment Institute of Australia and New
Zealand.
Rob also serves
on the boards of the Natural Resources Conservation League of Victoria,
Earth Share Australia and Surfing Victoria. He has been a local government
councillor and was a councillor of the ACF. He is also the Patron of
the Geography Teachers Association of Victoria, Wildlife Victoria, Life
Education Victoria, the Safety House Association, a Mentor of the Environmental
Jobs Network and is in his fifth year as an Australia Day Ambassador
for the State of Victoria.
Page
Top
Maggie
Baron
Maggie Baron is
the director of Baron Planning and Projects P/L, a Melbourne based public
policy, planning and heritage consultancy. She is a sessional member
of Planning Panels Victoria and serves as a Panel member considering
Planning Amendments and Environment Effects Statements. She has also
been appointed to the MCG re-development and Barwon Heads Bridge Ministerial
advisory committees.
Maggie has extensive
experience in heritage, planning and cultural resource management and
is a regular provider of professional development programs. She has
also initiated professional development programs to build capacity in
relation to Indigenous heritage management.
Maggie has a strong
commitment to governance and is the Deputy Chair of the Department of
Primary Industries audit and risk management steering committee
Page
Top
Michael
Keough
Professor Michael Keough is a leading marine scientist with an international
reputation in marine ecology.
He leads a research
team at the University of Melbourne that has been successful in demonstrating
the impacts of pest species in Victorian waters. He is a frequent contributor
to state and national workshops on coastal management, and has advised
state governments on marine monitoring. He contributed to State of the
Marine Environment reports at both state and national level.
Michael serves
on the EPA Scientific Advisory Panel and is a member of the Australian
Research Council's College of Experts.
Page
Top
John
Sweetman AM
John Sweetman AM
has over 30 years experience in the tourism and hospitality industry,
working with peak bodies and with industry both in Victoria and nationally.
John was the foundation
Executive officer of the Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC).
As managing director of J Sweetman & Associates Pty Ltd, he continues
to work across the tourism and hospitality industries and with industry
sector associations, including relationships with Tourism Victoria.
John is the Chairman of the Tourism Accreditation Board of Victoria,
Service Skills Victoria and Service Skills Australia.
John was recognised
for his contribution to the tourism industry in the 1996 Australia Day
Honours
Page
Top
Information on any of the above is available from The Executive Officer
- Victorian Coastal Council on (+61) 03 9637 9456, Email - enquiries@vcc.vic.gov.au
