Rural Women's Network State Advisory Committee (SAC)
The State Advisory Committee (SAC) is the RWN’s advisory team. It was formed in 1992 to facilitate information exchange between key rural networks and government by working with the Department of Primary Industries Rural Women's Network (RWN) program.
The Committee is made up of women from rural, regional, or remote communities, who come from diverse backgrounds and represent the many interests of rural women.
The primary purpose of the SAC is to act as a reference group and provide independent advice and strategic direction to the RWN by:
- Developing strategies to address priority issues specific to women living in rural, regional and remote communities within NSW;
- Promoting and advocating RWN initiatives;
- Providing feedback on the effectiveness of the RWN programs;
- Being a consultative body for DPI providing feedback on the effectiveness of relevant programs and initiatives; and
- Identifying hot and emerging issues for rural, regional and remote communities within NSW.
The SAC is currently Co-chaired by Dr Richard Sheldrake, Director-General, Department of Primary Industries and Nerida Cullen, Livestock Health & Pest Authorities.
The RWN and SAC invite you to contact them at any time with your views, ideas and questions.
Members
Joy Beames
Organisation/Interest group: Country Women's Association of NSW
Location: Dunedoo
Term ends: May 2012
Joy has lived most of her life in rural NSW and along with her husband Ken, they run a farming operation producing wool from merino sheep and growing wheat, oats and barley crops. They have two children - one at university studying medicine and the other currently completing Year 12.
A representative of the Country Women's Association of NSW, Joy has been involved with the CWA of NSW for 17 years. During this time she has held many positions at local, group and state levels, some of which have included President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
Joy has worked in the banking industry, hospital administration and as a swimming teacher. Currently She is the practice manager for a doctor’s surgery, offers respite care and is a Lifeline Telephone Counsellor.
In the past she has been involved in local school committees as Chair of the School Council and President of the P&C Association. Her volunteer service includes holding executive positions in local and regional swimming organisations, assisting with National Bush Poetry Championships, and local church activities.
Rebel Black
Organisation/Interest group: Far West Area representative
Location: Lightning Ridge
Term ends: November 2010
Rebel was born and raised on a farming/grazing property in the Coonabarabran district and has lived and worked the past nine years in Lightning Ridge and the far west of the state.
Rebel is a passionate community development professional and has worked at acheiving a sustainable regional community through tourism and regional arts development, effective social service delivery and community facilitation.
Rebel has owned and operated two businesses; a multi award winning restaurant and function centre, Dig In, which she operated with her husband Michael and a project management business, Rebsolution, which enables her to achieve many community based success stories.
Rebel is the President of the Lightning Ridge Tourism Association and has led the organisation through a significant restructure with a view to long sustainability, good governance practice and successful tourism development and growth.
Rebel is also a board member of Yawarra Meamei Women's Group, who manage the Neighbourhood Centre and Lightning Ridge Safe House.
Rebel believes that through capacity building and relevant training, the outback region of NSW will be sustainable and continue to prosper.
Patricia Byrnes
Organisation/Interest group: Natural Resource Management interests
Location: Gol Gol
Term ends: June 2011
Patty and her husband Ned run Wamberra Station, a family owned property purchased by the Byrnes’ family in 1907. Wamberra covers 127,000 acres and is situated 40 kms North East of Mildura and has three main enterprises being: dryland cereal production, beef cattle production and four private conservation reserves that collectively total 27,000 acres (21%) of the property.
In 1996 Patty was appointed as a landholder representative to the Southern Mallee Regional Planning Committee and participated in the development of the innovative Southern Mallee Land Use Agreements. Over 107,000 hectares of private conservation reserves have been created and are managed in perpetuity by farmers at their own cost as a result of this farmer driven project.
Over the last decade Patty and Ned have hosted a number of tours and study groups, from children of pre-school age being introduced to malleefowl, through to government ministers, international scientists and post graduate researchers studying rangeland bio-diversity and threatened species. They are dedicated to promoting the achievement of creating a balance between conservation and sustainable agriculture.
In 1999 Patty participated in the West 2000 Rural Leadership Program and established the very successful Pooncarie Grazing Alternatives Field Day as her first project. The bi-annual field day has brought exposure to alternative enterprises and opportunities for on-farm diversification and also provided isolated farmers with a much valued social opportunity for almost 10 years.
Patty has been a Board Member of the Lower Murray Darling Catchment Management Authority (LMD CMA) since 2003 and has been re-appointed to this position until April 2010. She is Chair of the LMD CMA Think Tank Group Sub-Committee, is Chair of the National Landcare Program Indigenous Land Managers Project Steering Committee and holds the Board portfolios for Indigenous matters and biodiversity.
Patty is a strong advocate for maintaining local schools, communities and social networks and sees change as exciting and continues to promote openness to change and the need for introducing new ideas. She is very passionate about retaining women and young people in the rangelands. Education and training opportunities are vital for the survival of rural communities and Patty has promoted access to capacity building activities, including community forums, governance courses, women on boards training and study tours. Courses that build confidence and provide leadership skills are essential components of training initiatives.
Donna Cruickshank
Organisation/Interest group: Aboriginal women's interests
Location: Broken Hill
Term ends: June 2011
Donna Cruickshank is from Broken Hill. She currently works as the Coordinator for the Aboriginal Workforce Enhancement of the Greater Western Area Health Service which covers approximately 60% of NSW.
Her career began with a traineeship at the Local Aboriginal Land Council and she has done administration work, educated school children on healthy lifestyles, delivered training and education on IT systems and implemented and developed Aboriginal employment strategies.
Donna is an advocate of education being more accessible within local communities.
She is currently on the Aboriginal Community Working Party and is part of a community reference group that works with ‘Business Broken Hill’ (formerly Chamber of Commerce) and Broken Hill City Council.
Donna is also on the P and C of Broken Hill Public School and is a member of the Aboriginal parents working group that ensures support for additional funding and educational initiatives are being provided for the Aboriginal students of the school.
Nerida Cullen
Organisation/Interest group: Livestock Health and Pest Authorities (formerly Rural Lands Protection Boards) State Management Council
Location: Goulburn
Term ends: June 2010
A move to Goulburn in 2000 was a return to rural and more community focused living, buying a small property and agisting cattle. Planting lavender in 2001 at the 'start' of the drought, and wingless grasshoppers over the last two summers, have added an extra dimension.
A desire for the Rural Lands Protection Board (now Livestock Health and Pest Authorities) and other planning/decision makers to recognise the issue of changing land use motivated her to seek election to the former Goulburn Rural Lands Protection Board where she has been active in the Board's communication strategy and management of TSRs. She contributes to the community as a member and office holder of a number of organisations; Soroptimist International - Goulburn, Goulburn & District Education Foundation, Southern Region Community College, the Community Liaison Committee of Goulburn Mulwaree Council, Goulburn A P & H, and is a member of Parkesbourne Landcare Group.
Livestock Health and Pest Authorities play a key role in protecting rural lands in NSW. They deliver essential services to ratepayers and others in each district as the frontline in the management of animal health, pest animal and insect control, travelling stock reserves, stock movement, stock identification, and natural disaster relief.
Kim Deans
Organisation/Interest group: Rural Financial Counselling Program representative
Location: Inverell
Term ends: June 2010
Kim is employed as a Rural Financial Counsellor with the Rural Financial Counselling Service NSW – Northern Region, based in Inverell. She completed a Bachelor of Rural Science (Honours) from the University of New England in Armidale and has previously worked in a wide range of agricultural industries including the cotton industry, feedlot industry and a family farming business.
Kim finds it rewarding working with farming families in her community and empowering them to deal with the challenges of change and adjustment. She has well developed networks within her local community and works closely with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Rural Lands Protection Boards, Hunter New England Area Health Service, Landcare, Centrelink’s Rural Services officers, The NSW Rural Assistance Authority, accountants, solicitors, and counselling services.
Kim is passionate about natural farming systems and environmental issues and is involved with community groups in her area with a similar focus. She and her husband Angus own a property which they are restoring using biodynamic and organic farming principles.
Sally Green
Organisation/Interest group: NSW Minister for Primary Industries representative
Location: Mandurama
Term ends: June 2009
Sally and her family run a mixed farming enterprise, Rural Supplies store, and a Tyre Store where Sally is responsible for all the financials. She is a Director of two of the family companies and a member of the Flyers Creek Landcare Group, Grasslands Society, NSW Farmers’ Association, VIEW, and Rothbury Wine Club.
She has been involved in promotional work for the Australian Hereford Society Central West Branch and also takes photos for a Blue Mountains Life Magazine. She has a history working in Advertising for Western Newspapers and is a past member of the Blayney and Carcoar Hospital Boards, and inaugural member of the Uralba Inc Board.
Sally is past President and founding member of the Blayney and District VIEW Club. VIEW provides financial support for the Smith Family and their various projects to assist disadvantaged families in rural and city Australia. One project, the Learning for Life Program, which has now commenced in Orange and District, is very important to all Australians as it helps to break the cycle of illiteracy and hopefully will eventually eradicate it! Other programs are conducted from Dubbo as well.
Sally was instrumental in organising, through Blayney VIEW, the sending of toiletries to drought stricken families in the western region of NSW – a tradition now continued by other VIEW clubs. She has served on the Church Council, Home Help Board and supports local community associations including Rugby, Carcoar Show, schools, Progress Association, Local Government Council, etc.
The eldest of seven children, Sally is passionate about rural lifestyle and ensuring equal opportunities for both country and city women.
Angela Martin
Organisation/Interest group: NSW Farmer's representative
Location: Mullaley
Term ends: June 2011
Angela has been heavily involved in the NSW Farmers Association. She was Executive Councillor (2008-2007 and 2007-2006), on the Business, Economics and Trade Committee (2008-2007) and on the Rural Affairs Advisory Committee (2007-2006 and 2006-2005).
Angela is the mother of three young children. She is married to Peter and a partner in their grain production company in Mullaley-producing durum wheat, sorghum, canola, mung beans and faba beans.
She completed a Bachelor of Science at The University of Sydney in 1998.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Frances Parker
Organisation/Interest group: Academic representative
Term ends: June 2009
I grew up in Kellyville, which is now denigrated as the site of the new ‘McMansions’ - but I grew up on a small poultry farm and market garden. I went to Kellyville School when it had less than 100 students, with combined classes.
I did Agricultural Science at Sydney University, worked at NSW Agriculture as a bacteriologist, and then went to UNSW where I did a PhD in soil microbiology. I went to Hawkesbury Agricultural College in 1974, where I was the first female academic appointed through advertisement. Eventually HAC became part of the University of Western Sydney. I started as a lecturer in microbiology and ended up in the Faculty of Agriculture when Richard Bawden revolutionised the teaching of agriculture.
With all the university restructures I moved around a lot, but one of the most significant times was in the School of Social Ecology. I developed an interest and courses in Women in Agriculture, and subsequently Gender and Development, both in Australia and developing countries. I supervised many research students focusing on the role of women in agriculture, including their role in communities and organisations.
My other research interest was farmers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in the Sydney Basin, focusing on their access to resources and services and linking on the ground community development with policy change. This expanded to consider the importance of peri-urban agriculture and food security, which is now an increasingly important issue because of high fuel costs and climate change. I have been particularly interested in working with women from different cultural backgrounds, not only in the Sydney Basin but also in NSW as a whole, and hope to continue this interest.
I have worked with many overseas students. In addition, I conducted a major community development project on Lombok Island Indonesia, entitled the empowerment of landless village women, and have worked with the Grameen Bank and BRAC in Bangladesh, both of which focus on working with women. The Grameen Bank is recognised for its role in developing micro credit, with Professor Yunus, its founder, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, while BRAC is the largest NGO in the world working with 75 million people.
My husband was born in India, and we have a son and a daughter.