Jim McDonald

Chairman, Namoi Catchment Management Authority
Jim McDonald is the Chairman of the Namoi Catchment Management Authority. Jim provides the CMA with skills in commercial enterprises, primary production, community leadership, negotiation and consultation, along with Company Directorship experience. Jim has an Associate Diploma in Farm Management and a career as the owner/manager of Marianker Partnership, a farming business near Quirindi. This property is one of the first in the world to be certified to the international standard ISO 14001. He has had extensive experience in Natural Resource Management through the development of policy advice for the Australian and NSW Governments, on planning, community consultation processes, and the development, management and monitoring of research and analytical projects. He currently sits on the DIPNR Science and Information Board and the Australian Government and NSW Government Natural Resource Management Joint Steering Committee.

Jeff Austin

Board Member, Namoi Catchment Management Authority
Jeff is a Chartered Professional Engineer who has lived at Walgett for the past 30 years, most of which was as Council's Chief Engineer and sometime General Manager.

He now conducts a private business as an accredited Engineer Mediator and Facilitator for natural resource and local government issues.

Jeff was previously Chairman of the NSW Great Artesian Basin (GAB) Advisory Committee and is currently Chairman of the Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee.

Ed Colless

 
Board Member, Namoi Catchment Management Authority
Ed holds a Bachelor of Business (Agricultural Commerce) from the University of New England - Orange Agricultural College. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Walgett Special One Co-operative Ltd.
Previous to this, Ed worked for the Queensland Department of Primary Industries as a Farm Financial Counsellor, Regional Extension Specialist, and later as the Regional Coordinator, then State Coordinator for Property Management Planning.

Ed currently owns a farming and grazing enterprise at Walgett.

Bob Hudson

Board Member, Namoi Catchment Management Authority
Bob graduated from the University of Sydney with a degree in Agricultural Science. He spent the next four years in the NSW Western Division with the NSW Soil Conservation Service as a soil conservationist and farm planner. Having made the decision to go consulting he spent the next 15 years in the Liverpool Plains region based at Quirindi working as a farm management consultant. During this period he had his appetite for overseas assignments whetted by stints in PNG, Sudan and India through his founding input with consulting firm Hassall & Associates.
At the beginning of 1980 he commenced a two year assignment in Thailand returning to Canberra and continuing to work in the overseas sector. In the late 1980's he moved to Sydney and began working more closely with Australian institutional and corporate clients. Following a series of inputs totalling more than three years in Uzbekistan in the 1990's, Bob left Hassall's to move back to Quirindi. Since early 2001 he has operated consulting practice in the area which specialises in program review, strategic planning and project assignments in the natural resource management area and agribusiness sector.

Brian Tomalin

Board Member, Namoi Catchment Management Authority
Brian has owned a grazing enterprise at Hanging Rock since 1980, prior to that managed a medium sized commercial printing business. Holds a Business Management Certificate and completed a Silviculture Course at Coombel Farm Forestry Centre.
He has been heavily involved in Natural Resource Management being formerly the Chair of Nundle Regional Vegetation Committee, Member of Namoi Catchment Management Board and Chair of Native Vegetation Advisory Council Planning sub committee.

Presently he is a Director of Armidale Rural Lands Protection Board, Executive Councillor of New South Wales Farmers' Association and member of Conservation and Resource Management Committee, Chair Northern Region Feral Animal Advisory Committee and member Tamworth Region Bushfire Management Committee.

Hugh Barrett

Board Member, Namoi Catchment Management Authority

Dr Hugh Barrett is the most recent appointment to the Board of Namoi CMA; appointed in November 2008.

Hugh has had an extensive career as an irrigation design engineer. He undertook his Masters and PhD in agricultural engineering in the US, set up a consulting practice in Narrabri and worked in various countries around the world as a consulting irrigation and water resources specialist. Hugh has spent most of his professional time in Narrabri.
 
Hugh’s vast knowledge of water resource engineering and irrigation systems will bring valuable expertise to the Namoi CMA Board. Water management, including a water sharing plan for the Peel Valley, is a major priority for Hugh as well as halting the separation of land and water policy and planning, particularly as it relates to the movement of carbon around parts of the landscape.

Maria Woods

Board Member, Namoi Catchment Management Authority

Maria joins Namoi CMA with a host of experience in weeds, environmental management and local government. She is a Councillor on Walcha Council, a Shires Association Representative on the NSW Noxious Weeds Advisory Committee, Chair of New Eng

land Noxious Plant County Council, Chair of Northern Inland Weeds Advisory Committee, Chair of the New England Local Government Group, and is a member of the Namoi Local Government Group.

Maria graduated from TOCAL and spent 12 years working as a station hand in the Niangala area. Maria, her husband and their daughter live on a family cattle and sheep property at Walcha.

Maria was appointed to the Namoi CMA Board in September 2007.

Bruce Brown

General Manager, Namoi Catchment Management Authority
Bruce Brown has had extensive senior management experience across a number of agribusiness industries. These roles have involved profit centre management, strategic planning, business development and marketing activities.
Bruce has a strong agricultural network across both the private and government sectors. He is currently a member of the National Rural Advisory Council and recently participated as a panel member in the review of the National Rural Counselling Service.

He is an honours graduate of both Wagga Agricultural College and UNE (Bachelor of Agricultural Economics) and has in the past served as an Advisory Council member of Orange Agricultural College.

Bruce also has farming interests involving grain production and cattle breeding.