The Board members of the Authority are responsible for the effective management of natural resources in the Catchment.
About the Board
The Board members of the Authority are responsible for the effective management of natural resources in the Catchment. Members of the Board are drawn from within the region and are appointed by Victoria’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change.
Collectively, the Board has extensive experience and knowledge of primary industry, land protection, water resource management, waterway and floodplain management, environmental conservation, Local Government, food processing, and business and financial management.
Working with its partners, including Goulburn-Murray Water, Goulburn Valley Water, and the Departments of Sustainability and Environment and Primary Industry, the CMA is developing detailed strategies to address land and water degradation.
The CMA’s Annual Report details the Members and the results of the Authority and its Partners for the financial year.
Current Board Directors
Peter Ryan - Chair (Cosgrove South)
Peter is a full-time primary producer of prime lambs, crops and hay. Peter has had a long and distinguished career in agriculture, education and business. Peter's past positions include: CEO of Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, Principal of Dookie College, Principal of the Gilbert Chandler College of Dairy Technology and a Senior Rural Education Officer with the Victorian Department of Agriculture.
Peter's previous board positions include the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, International Training Australia Pty Ltd, Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE and a number of rural and regional development organisations.
Peter is currently holds positions as Director of Goulburn Valley Health and Chairman of the Independent Review Panel-Northern Victorian irrigation Renewal Project.
Murray Chapman (Goomalibee)
Murray is a Director of RuralPlan Pty Ltd, which provides natural resource management advisory services as well as land and water project management throughout Australia. Murray specialises in providing technical support and facilitation services on water and onfarm efficiency. He has many years' experience in assisting governments and industry to achieve change-based programs.
Murray has served on the board of the Benalla and District Memorial Hospital. He is a partner in a family farm at Goomalibee and a member of local community organisations.
Russell Pell (Wyuna)
Russell is a member of the Murray Darling Basin's Basin Community Committee. He also chairs the Modernisation Group for Central Goulburn for the Northern Victorian Irrigation Renewal Project (NVIRP).
Russell's previous positions include eight years as a member of the Shepparton Irrigation Region Implementation Committee (including four years as Chair), membership of the Australian Landcare Council, and he was an Associate Director of Tatura Milk Industries. He has worked with Dairy Australia on a number of projects over recent years.
Russell has built up a large dairy enterprise at Wyuna which he now manages with his son. His interests lie in finding a balance between managing the environment and sustaining good agricultural industries.
Dr John Craven
John is a registered veterinary surgeon with a PhD in microbiology and is currently employed as a Director of Terip Solutions Pty Ltd. He has considerable experience in research and research methods and was formerly a research manager in the Department of Primary Industries and the Dairy Research and Development Corporation.
Until recently John owned a beef cattle property in Terip Terip which was originally settled by his family in the 1880’s. He has had considerable experience in on-farm conservation activities and sees the need for communities to value the environment sufficiently to contribute time, energy and money to improve conservation outcomes.
Mike Dalmau
Mike is currently a houseboat broker, a mediator for the Department of Justice’s Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria, and voluntarily contributes to many community organizations.
Ailsa Fox
Ailsa is a primary producer of many years with strong involvement in the VFF and is currently a partner in a farm in Merton.
Ailsa is a Director of AgStewardship, Primesafe Victoria, Rural Skills Australia and the North Central Rural Financial Counseling Service.
Ailsa has a large farm in Merton focusing on beef cattle and prime lamb production. Ailsa believes the challenges to natural resource management is to work with larger landholders to achieve better outcomes.
Sandy MacKenzie
Sandy has a Masters in Rural Science (UNE) and is currently the Landcare coordinator for the Burnt Creek Landcare Group.
Sandy holds executive positions with the Victorian Landcare Council and Australian Landcare International.
Sandy is also a Community Assessor for the Federal Government NRM programs Caring for our Country and Carbon Farming Initiative
Sandy has experience in Governance, Natural Resource Management and Community Education/engagement and was the Founding Principal of Orange Agricultural College (Charles Sturt Uni)
Ross Runnalls
Ross is a rural landholder, former Regional Manager with VicForests, and now a self-employed forestry consultant.
Ross has vast experience in natural resource management, including commercial use of native forest and fire management.
Ross lives in Benalla on a small rural holding and is a member of the local Whitegate Fire Brigade. Ross considers improving the environmental condition of agricultural land whilst maximizing the production as the greatest challenge currently facing natural resource management.
Rien Silverstein
Rien is a primary producer and self-employed as a partner of Silver Orchards. Rien is Past President of VFF-Horticulture and a Coordinator and founder of Goulburn Valley Women in Horticulture.
Rien is a member of the Goulburn Murray Water Shepparton Water Services Committee.
Rien is also a current member of Fruit Growers Victoria, a member of The Victorian Farmers Federation and Australian Women in Agriculture.
Rien has an apple and pear orchard in Orrvale and believes the challenge of managing water with the changing climatic conditions is currently the greatest challenge to farming.
