Board members are responsible for the effective management of natural resources in the Catchment.
About the Board
Board members are drawn from within the region and are appointed by Victoria’s Minister for Water.
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.
Current Board Directors
Helen Reynolds - Chair
Helen has lived and worked in the Goulburn Broken Catchment for more than 25 years.
Over the past 20 years Helen and her partner Craig have built an innovative and productive broadacre irrigated cropping business at Congupna.
Prior to that she worked in public and not-for-profit sector roles in agriculture, Landcare and land management.
Helen holds an Honours degree in Science and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She is passionate about sustainable land and water management and nature conservation.
Adrian Weston - Deputy Chair
Adrian, who previously ran a dairy farm, owns and operates an irrigated prime lamb and cropping farm enterprise at Rushworth. He is also a Campaspe Shire councillor, representing the Waranga Ward.
Adrian has a long-standing interest in natural resource management and believes the greatest challenge facing the catchment community is balancing the demand for the increased productive use of land (soil) and water resources with protecting and improving the condition of the region’s unique natural environment.
He says the key to building the catchment’s environmental and social resilience relies on the willingness of business, industry and communities to embrace and adapt to change.
Ron Harris
Ron is an agricultural scientist who is a farmer at Nagambie, supplying a branded grass fed beef program. He has held executive roles in the Department of Agriculture covering agricultural service delivery, natural resource management, biosecurity and emergency response and recovery.
Ron is currently chair of the Victorian Cattle Compensation Advisory Committee which recommends the expenditure of levy funds to the Minister for Agriculture. He is also chair of the Mid Goulburn branch of the Grasslands Society. He has lived in the Goulburn Broken catchment for over 40 years.
Sarah Parker
Sarah holds a Masters in Agriculture and Rural Development and a Bachelor or Leisure Management. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, National Famers Federation Diversity in Agricultural Leadership Program and Victorian Climate Smart Agriculture Fellowship Program.
She has experience in executive and management roles in agriculture, extension and research, community development and education.
Sarah has been a partner in an irrigated dairy farm at Undera, in the Goulburn Valley, since 2004. They have stud Illawarra Cattle with genetics exported to the USA, UK, New Zealand and Europe.
She is involved in Australian Women in Agriculture, National Rural Women's Coalition, Australian Dairy Collective, Victorian Farmers Federation and National Farmers Federation.
Sarah values a sustainable future for agriculture and the environment and is enthusiastic about the next generation becoming more involved in natural resource management.
Leanne Miller
Leanne is a Dhulanyagen Ulupna woman of the Yorta Yorta people. She is an experienced director with a history of working in government, non-government and social organisations.
She is skilled in governance and leadership in non-profit organisations, corporate social responsibility, program evaluation, conflict resolution and culture change.
Leanne is a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity and works as Principal Adviser Indigenous Workforce Development at RMIT University.
She has extensive experience advocating for and building opportunities with women in business, including in environmental management and tourism.
Leanne is chair of the Outback Academy Australia, Victorian Women’s Trust board member, Victorian Women's Benevolent Trust - Dugdale Trust for Women and Girls trustee, member of Koorie Women Mean Business and elected as a North East Member of the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria.
Les McLean
Les is an experienced board director and executive with a strong financial background as CFO with more than 20 years management and leadership experience in the Victorian water industry and health sector.
Les holds particular expertise in finance (FCPA), governance (GAICD), strategic planning, risk management and stakeholder engagement.
He was previously a board director of the Port Phillip & Westernport CMA and currently holds the position of Executive Officer of the Natural Resources Conservation League of Victoria and its associated environmental philanthropic trust.
Amanda McClaren
Amanda is passionate about regional development, community, food and fibre production, youth and their education.
As chair of Regional Development Australia for the Hume Region and an emeritus mayor of Strathbogie Shire, she worked alongside her fellow councillors and community to build flourishing communities in the Strathbogie Shire and wider Hume region.
Having lived on her farm at Graytown for the past 16 years, Amanda and her husband Ian have built a small-scale poultry business supplying their pasture raised chickens to discerning customers throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Jodie Smith
Jodie is a senior assessor for CPA Australia and previously worked as an accountant in public practice for the past 16 years. She holds qualifications in economics, accounting, agriculture and animal science, is a Fellow Certified Practising Accountant (FCPA) and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Jodie maintains an affinity to rural communities, being a board director of Rochester & Elmore District Health Service for the past five years and is a part of an irrigated cropping farm with her partner Nathan, in the catchment area. Jodie has an interest in how we can better maintain our environment and the role that agriculture plays in ensuring our natural resources are maintained for future generations.