ABOUT TY

Land management has had a profound influence in my life and shaped the direction of not only my career but the values I hold. I have been privileged to have worked alongside and learned from Traditional Owners and other land stewards across Victoria and in Central Queensland. I have assisted with bushfire suppression and management in multiple states in Australia and have been deployed internationally, to California. These experiences have shown me that land, people and culture are inseparable, and management plans must be holistic in order to deliver a broad range of outcomes.

They have also shown me that private values and public life are inseparable if we are to engage authentically with one another and not simply pay lip service to honouring Country. Facilitating a dialogue between Aboriginal people and government agencies on community development and bushfire management projects has been dependent on the strength of the relationships I have shared. 

I have always enjoyed living and working in the bush and have personally experienced a range of bushfire events. Having been involved in bushfire management, research, planning, engagement, suppression and recovery with various fire agencies since the mid-1990s, I have developed a thorough understanding of the principles and practices of bushfire management and ecology. Seeing the sheer vulnerability of people and native flora and fauna to the widespread devastation of bushfires has underscored the importance of my holistic approach. Planned burning and fuel management are important, but must be part of a holistic approach.

I have also seen the enormous benefits of applying the principles and practices of positive psychology among communities and workplaces. I believe it is not enough to simply aspire to be more resilient — though that is a worthy goal — but to actually flourish and thrive. That view led me to enrol in a coaching diploma and a mentorship program to assist men recovering from grief and trauma. Taking on personal coaching clients in 2020 and 2021 ignited my passion for bringing land, people and culture together once again in my environmental work. My focus has now returned to conservation and land management.

My areas of interest

I am most interested in first starting a dialogue with community leaders and organisations regarding how I can help you with your projects and problems. Whether it is operational delivery, project management, strategic planning, facilitation, engagement or policy, I would love to discuss how I can support you.

A recent project I have been involved in is planning and coordinating Traditional Owner engagement to support the Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) Independent Panel Major Event Review (MER) into the 2019/20 bushfire season. My role is to help coordinate, plan and manage their approach to Traditional Owner engagement as part of the review. I am engaging with Aboriginal communities across the state but with a specific focus on fire-impacted areas.

Through my work, I have come to realise that no two problems have the same solution, and that the same problem may have multiple solutions. As a consultant, I am open to working across a whole range of areas and people, designing solutions to your specific problems. Similarly, I like achieving work in the field. I am available for a scope of work that includes:

• Protected area management planning and strategy; 

• Threatened species management;

• Pest plant and animal control;

• Catchment and water management;

• Bushfire management;

• Native animal management;

• Environmental research, monitoring and evaluation;

• Post-settlement cultural heritage management;

• Indigenous cultural heritage management;

• Community partnerships creation;

• Information, interpretation and education; and

• Tourism management.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to begin a conversation.

I would love to have a conversation to see how I can support you to achieve your land and conservation management goals.