THE BOARD (2024 - 2025)
The Yarram Yarram Landcare Network Board consists of volunteer YYLN members who manage and represent the needs of the Yarram districts Landcare Groups. They do this through active communication with the community, well researched strategic direction, and project management by a small, core group of dedicated staff. and volunteers.
The constitution of the Board provides for nine Board members, including a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
The Board still has two general member vacancies. If you are interested in supporting your local Landcare community and like to get stuff done, please reach out to our Executive Officer, Simon Hamilton for a chat!!
The constitution of the Board provides for nine Board members, including a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
The Board still has two general member vacancies. If you are interested in supporting your local Landcare community and like to get stuff done, please reach out to our Executive Officer, Simon Hamilton for a chat!!
Your Board Members
Julieanne Peavey - Chair
Julieanne has a background in teaching and runs a grazing property at Woodside with her partner, Dan Boland. Julieanne is a longstanding member of the Woodside Landcare Group. Most recently, Julieanne and Dan hosted a Regional Landcare Forum day trip to their farm where they and other members of the Woodside group were able to demonstrate the rewards that mature shelter belts bring to the local biodiversity. Julieanne has been a general member of Board and its subcommittees for many years. She has also been actively involved in growing Junior Landcare with the schools in the Yarram Yarram Landcare Network region.
Julieanne has been a member of the Board for several years and is an important link to the Woodside Group which is one of the Network's first established Groups.
Jill Brown - Vice-Chair
Jill has a strong English Language education background having worked as a research assistant with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, 25 years as a secondary school English Language teacher and VCE authority, and 20+ years as a senior lecturer and researcher at Monash University. She has successfully applied for large grants, assessed international programs, supervised doctoral students, written a number of books and research articles. A research project with a university in Sweden involved exploring the relationship between children and the natural world. Jill has also been writing a book focussed on silence, isolation and connections with the natural world.
Jill has lived on a rural property in Won Wron for more than 12 years. She has a large section of her property locked up as a wildlife reserve, has successfully implemented 3 Landcare grants and is developing the appropriate resources to enable the safe release of orphan wombats on her property. Jill is deeply committed to the protection and preservation of the natural world and her experience and skills as an academic and researcher is an asset to our Landcare Board.
Russell Botten - Treasurer
Russell is an electrical engineer with extensive experience in the IT sector. He is currently Telco Sales Director for Red Hat. He has previously held a range of positions with Google, Cisco, Siemens and Telstra.
Russell is an active member of the Wonyip Landcare Group having been a major contributor to establishing the Wonyip Conservation Trail, strengthening shelter-belts with native species and installing nest-boxes for a range of arboreal species. Russell is currently project managing a VLG Project which seeks to restore native vegetation along private properties in the Dingo Creek catchment area.
Russell has been on the YYLN Board for two years, Treasurer for the last year and has served on the Employment Steering Committee and Finance Committee.
Helen Spittle - Secretary
Helen has 30+ years’ experience as a higher education manager at universities in WA, Qld and Victoria. Most recently, she led a team supporting Monash Business School’s MBA and Global Executive MBA programs and its executive/corporate education function. Helen is the Contact Officer of the Wonyip Landcare Group, has project managed some VLG projects, and most recently driven the ‘Wonyip Biodiversity Survey: Volunteers, Experts and Technology Unit for Impact project’.
Helen has previously served as Secretary on the YYLN Board for 1 ½ years and has continued to support the Board’s social media and web-communications for a number of years.
Susan Taylor - General Member
Susan has 34 years' experience working with DEECA as a Biodiversity Officer. The focus of her DEECA role included:
Susan is excited to join the Board and believes that she can bring considerable experience on resource conservation to this role.
Bronwyn Teesdale - General Member
Bronwyn brings a depth of experience in natural resource management having worked as an environmental consultant at Greening Australia. Bronwyn has a long history of involvement in the Landcare movement and has expertise in propagation from her experience in native nurseries. Bronwyn is a member of the Woodside Landcare Group.
Bronwyn joined the YYLN Board in October 2022. During her time on the Board, Bronwyn has chaired the Project Committee and, with the Landcare Facilitator, has spearheaded the establishment of the YYLN native nursery.
Alison Livermore - General Member
Alison joined the Board for the first time in December 2024, having been a longstanding member of YYLN. Alison and her partner John have a large holding backing on to Reedy Creek, a site which has been the subject of a large scale restoration project - removing willows and planting native species to encourage the endangered Martin's Toadlet.
Julieanne has a background in teaching and runs a grazing property at Woodside with her partner, Dan Boland. Julieanne is a longstanding member of the Woodside Landcare Group. Most recently, Julieanne and Dan hosted a Regional Landcare Forum day trip to their farm where they and other members of the Woodside group were able to demonstrate the rewards that mature shelter belts bring to the local biodiversity. Julieanne has been a general member of Board and its subcommittees for many years. She has also been actively involved in growing Junior Landcare with the schools in the Yarram Yarram Landcare Network region.
Julieanne has been a member of the Board for several years and is an important link to the Woodside Group which is one of the Network's first established Groups.
Jill Brown - Vice-Chair
Jill has a strong English Language education background having worked as a research assistant with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, 25 years as a secondary school English Language teacher and VCE authority, and 20+ years as a senior lecturer and researcher at Monash University. She has successfully applied for large grants, assessed international programs, supervised doctoral students, written a number of books and research articles. A research project with a university in Sweden involved exploring the relationship between children and the natural world. Jill has also been writing a book focussed on silence, isolation and connections with the natural world.
Jill has lived on a rural property in Won Wron for more than 12 years. She has a large section of her property locked up as a wildlife reserve, has successfully implemented 3 Landcare grants and is developing the appropriate resources to enable the safe release of orphan wombats on her property. Jill is deeply committed to the protection and preservation of the natural world and her experience and skills as an academic and researcher is an asset to our Landcare Board.
Russell Botten - Treasurer
Russell is an electrical engineer with extensive experience in the IT sector. He is currently Telco Sales Director for Red Hat. He has previously held a range of positions with Google, Cisco, Siemens and Telstra.
Russell is an active member of the Wonyip Landcare Group having been a major contributor to establishing the Wonyip Conservation Trail, strengthening shelter-belts with native species and installing nest-boxes for a range of arboreal species. Russell is currently project managing a VLG Project which seeks to restore native vegetation along private properties in the Dingo Creek catchment area.
Russell has been on the YYLN Board for two years, Treasurer for the last year and has served on the Employment Steering Committee and Finance Committee.
Helen Spittle - Secretary
Helen has 30+ years’ experience as a higher education manager at universities in WA, Qld and Victoria. Most recently, she led a team supporting Monash Business School’s MBA and Global Executive MBA programs and its executive/corporate education function. Helen is the Contact Officer of the Wonyip Landcare Group, has project managed some VLG projects, and most recently driven the ‘Wonyip Biodiversity Survey: Volunteers, Experts and Technology Unit for Impact project’.
Helen has previously served as Secretary on the YYLN Board for 1 ½ years and has continued to support the Board’s social media and web-communications for a number of years.
Susan Taylor - General Member
Susan has 34 years' experience working with DEECA as a Biodiversity Officer. The focus of her DEECA role included:
- working on recovery program for threatened species (both fauna and flora) and native communities;
- providing advice both within DEECA and outside agencies on measures to mitigate potential adverse impacts on native flora and fauna from prosed works (eg. road and bridge construction and maintenance, planned-burning, and timber harvesting); and
- providing departmental responses to statutory referrals including planning permits and major projects.
Susan is excited to join the Board and believes that she can bring considerable experience on resource conservation to this role.
Bronwyn Teesdale - General Member
Bronwyn brings a depth of experience in natural resource management having worked as an environmental consultant at Greening Australia. Bronwyn has a long history of involvement in the Landcare movement and has expertise in propagation from her experience in native nurseries. Bronwyn is a member of the Woodside Landcare Group.
Bronwyn joined the YYLN Board in October 2022. During her time on the Board, Bronwyn has chaired the Project Committee and, with the Landcare Facilitator, has spearheaded the establishment of the YYLN native nursery.
Alison Livermore - General Member
Alison joined the Board for the first time in December 2024, having been a longstanding member of YYLN. Alison and her partner John have a large holding backing on to Reedy Creek, a site which has been the subject of a large scale restoration project - removing willows and planting native species to encourage the endangered Martin's Toadlet.