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.

Helen Martin is Chairperson of the Gippsland Coastal Board. Helen has extensive experience in strategic planning for rural and regional areas, with a particular focus on coastal planning and integration of planning for private and public land. She runs a small consultancy based in East Gippsland. In addition, Helen is a sessional member of Planning Panels Victoria, a member of the Ministerial Reference Council on Climate Change Adaptation and an alternate member of the Heritage Council of Victoria. Helen has held senior positions in local government and has also worked for State and Commonwealth agencies, as well as in the private sector.

Lynette Skilbeck is Chairperson of the Western Coastal Board. Lynette has commerce and law degrees from Melbourne University and is a current Australian Legal Practitioner practising as a lawyer in Warrnambool. Lynette's area of expertise is in property law including general property, commercial property arrangements, development, and planning and environmental law. She is a Warrnambool and district local - born and bred.

Liz Johnstone is the Chairperson of the Central Coastal Board. Liz is a Senior Policy Advisor 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.

Rob is a coastal geomorphologist by training; he taught Environmental Science and Physical Geography at tertiary level, then for thirty years he has presented television weather.  In his professional life he works as an environmental and communications consultant and is a Director of World Wind Pty Ltd. He is also a company director, and a published author and a photographer. He is the national President of Greening Australia, Chairman of the Mornington Peninsula and Westernport Biosphere Reserve Foundation Ltd. and serves on the board of Surfing Victoria.  Rob is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and an Inaugural Fellow of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand. He was the Environment Ambassador to the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. 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, a Mentor of the Environmental Jobs Network and has been made a Life Ambassador for Australia Day.

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.

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.

Originally trained as an agricultural scientist, Matt has experience in agriculture, education, planning and government. His most recent positions were as Director Corporate Affairs at RMIT University and Chief of Staff to the Minister for Planning, Arts and Women’s Affairs. He now runs his own consultancy business. He has a long-term interest in Victoria’s coast and is a keen ocean swimmer, sailor and surf life saver.

Jennifer Wolcott is General Manager Corporate Strategy & Services for Parks Victoria.  She is a career Victorian State public servant who has held senior positions in a range of natural resource and environmental agencies.  Ms Wolcott was Director of Natural Resources Policy at the Department of Primary Industries from 2003 -2007, Director of Policy at the Environment Protection Authority where she worked for some ten years, Manager of Environmental Policy at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and has worked as a policy advisor for the Department of Premier and Cabinet.  Ms Wolcott has significant experience in developing policy and strategy for natural resource and environmental issues, including developing a range of legislation and regulatory instruments as well as community engagement and change programs. She has represented the State of Victoria on a range of national for a, and represented States in Australian delegations to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.  Ms Wolcott has worked on sustainability issues on secondment to the Business Council of Australia.  Ms Wolcott has a keen interest in government working in partnership with business and communities to achieve sustainable development, including the critical role of our parks estate in achieving environmental, health and economic outcomes.

Caroline Douglass is Director of Public Land Use and Development within the Public Land Division of the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE).  She has extensive experience in land management programs, having worked in range of positions in the Department from Landcare, catchment and public land management to salinity control and native vegetation protection.  The positions have been located in regional Victoria as well as Melbourne and have included policy and legislation development, community engagement and project management.  Ms Douglass has a background in natural resource management and an Executive Masters in Public Administration from the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.  She recently became one of the first female State Duty Officers for the Emergency Co-ordination Centre located within DSE.

Leigh Phillips has over 30 years experience with the Victorian Planning system. He has held a number of senior planning positions in various State Government departments with a particular focus on regional land use, project facilitation and management of the planning system. His contribution to planning in Victoria has been recognised by the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association (VPELA) when he was presented with the ‘Paul Jerome’ award in 2008. He is also a former member of the Central Coastal Board and now runs his own planning consultancy business.