SPEAKERS
Hon Michael McCormack MP
Michael has lived and worked in the Riverina all his life.
Michael was elected as The Nationals’ Member for Riverina on 21 August 2010.
Following the 2013 Federal Election, Michael was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance.
Michael was then appointed Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister in September 2015. In this role, Michael worked alongside The Nationals’ Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss, in the administration of regional development programmes.
A reshuffle in February 2016 following the retirement of Mr Truss saw Michael become the Assistant Minister for Defence.
Following the 2016 Federal Election Michael was appointed the Federal Small Business Minister and has ministerial responsibility for the nation's 3.2 million small businesses.
On 26 February 2018 Michael was elected the 14th Leader of The Nationals and was sworn in as Australia's 18th Deputy Prime Minister as well as the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.
The Regional Development portfolio was added to Michael’s responsibilities in August 2018.
Warren Sharpe OAM
Warren Sharpe has 30 years experience in Local Government, holding a wide range of engineering positions in development assessment, infrastructure planning, asset management, design, construction, maintenance and associated people management.
For almost 20 years he has held senior management positions including Technical Services Manager, Works Manager, Group Manager Roads & Recreation Services, Director Roads and Recreation and now Director Infrastructure Services.
He graduated from the University of Technology Sydney with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil - 1st Class Honours). He then undertook the Graduate Certificate qualifications in Local Government Engineering and subsequently Environmental Engineering & Management and an Advanced Diploma in Management. He has also undertaken a series of short courses including Management, Leadership and the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.
Warren has a strong interest in developing people and has been heavily involved in innovative training programs for existing workers, particularly in the operational areas.
Warren was named NSW Public Works Leader of the Year 2011 and the National Public Works Leader of the Year 2011.
Warren received the Order of Australia Medal in May 2014 ‘for services to engineering, and to the community’.
In his current role as Director of Infrastructure Services he has responsibility for all Council infrastructure including community spaces, sewer and water services, emergency management, storm water and flood management, transport and provides organisation support.
Warren is also actively involved on a volunteer basis on external advocacy and industry groups including:
- President - Institute of Public Works & Engineering Australasia NSW since 2014
- Board Member – IPWEA (NSW & Australasia)
- Member – Executive Committee NSW Roads & Transport Directorate
- Member – South East Australian Transport Strategy Inc
Warren is also the Local Emergency Management Officer and Chair of the Local Emergency Management Committee since 2006. Warren oversaw the response to the 2019-20 bushfires, over a 100 day period when the crisis was declared a natural disaster under Section 44.
Larissa Copeland
Larissa Copeland is Telstra’s Regional Engagement Manager for Southern NSW. She is responsible for stakeholder and community engagement across the region. Larissa joined Telstra in 1999 and has worked in diverse roles holding responsibility for sales, business development, community and stakeholder engagement, business operations and planning. She brings a deep knowledge of the Southern NSW region having been part Regional Australia team for over 10 years. Larissa holds a Bachelor of Management from the University of Canberra. Larissa is currently based in Canberra.
Jimmy Scott
Jimmy has extensive working knowledge within QRA, having worked in the organisation since 2012 to successfully manage the acquittal of the state’s largest reconstruction program following 2011 events, including Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi.
He was QRA’s General Manager of Operations for three years, assisting state and local governments prepare for and respond to natural disasters. Jimmy now coordinates implementation of the Queensland Strategy for Disaster Resilience as QRA’s General Manager of Resilience.
Holding a Bachelor of Business and Arts, Jimmy is experienced in state government grants administration, principally to local government and has worked across both Queensland and Northern Territory governments. Within his work, Jimmy is passionate about helping communities build their resilience, enabling quick recovery following natural disasters.
Steven Butler
Major General Andrew Hocking
Major General Andrew Hocking, CSC is a graduate of the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College Duntroon. As an infantry officer he served in regimental appointments in both the 1st and 3rd Brigades, including command of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment from December 2009 to December 2011.
Major General Hocking's operational service includes two tours of East Timor as an Adjutant/Battle Captain and as a Company Commander, and two tours of Afghanistan as a planner in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Headquarters and as a Battle Group Commander of Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force - Two. Other postings have included as an instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, as Plans Branch Chief at United States Pacific Command, a posting to Directorate of Career Management - Army as Career Adviser Infantry and then Senior Career Adviser, and a twelve month secondment to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as a Defence Policy Adviser.
Major General Hocking’s more recent appointments include as the Director of Future Land Warfare in Army Headquarters, Deputy Chief of Staff Army Headquarters, and six months as a Visiting Military Fellow at the University of NSW where, in partnership with the Centre for Social Impact, he researched and published a paper on Australia’s veteran support system. Major General Hocking attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom and on return to Australia in August 2018, he assumed command of the 7th Combat Brigade.
In January 2020, Major General Hocking was posted as the Deputy Coordinator for the National Bushfire Recovery Agency, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Major General Hocking has a Bachelor of Science (Maths and History), a Masters of Management (Defence Studies) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Major General Hocking is married to Caroline and they have one daughter (Jessica 6) and one son (Hugo 4). His hobbies include hang gliding, windsurfing, surfing, skiing and playing the guitar badly.
Lance King
Lance has lived in the Latrobe Valley most of his life where he has been involved in a range of community activities which he continues to this day.
Lance has been the Chair of the:
- Gippsland Regional Emergency Management Planning Committee
- Gippsland Municipal Emergency Management Enhancement Group
- Latrobe City Municipal Fire Management Committee
Lance’s current community volunteer roles include:
- CFA member at Yallourn North
- CFA Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria District 27 President recently retired
- Committee member Yallourn North Community Housing Committee
Lance is a life Member of CFA, Yallourn North Urban Fire Brigade and has received the National Medal with two Bars, Gold Star award Medal, National Emergency Medal and the Australian Fire Service Medal.
Megan Gould
Tony Johnson
Tony Johnson has more than 35 years experience working in the family, youth, public health and emergency management fields in local government. Tony is currently the Manager Health & Family Services and the Municipal Recovery Manager at Whitehorse City Council.
Much of Tony’s time in local government has been in leadership and management positions working with highly skilled teams supporting vulnerable families in the community.
Tony has qualifications in public health and commerce and recently completed the company directors course with AICD.
He is passionate about strengthening communities and supporting its most vulnerable members. Tony is also a Director on the Magical Getaway Foundation which aims to send families away on their first ever holiday. “Helping, inspiring and providing vulnerable families with opportunities they might not otherwise have strengthens us all”.
Tony has been a member of local Kindergarten, primary school and sporting club committees and been a junior cricket coach for a number of seasons. He has an active interest in outdoor activities and physical fitness and last year completed his four Triathalon in Noosa, Queensland.
Mayor Mark Greenhill
Mark holds degrees in law and the arts, as well as tertiary qualifications in business.Outside of the Council, he has enjoyed a long corporate career.
In 2016, Mark was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to local government and to the community of the Blue Mountains. He is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, and was awarded the University of Western Sydney Community Award for his leadership during the 2013 bushfires.
He was recently named Climate Ambassador of the Year at the national Cities Power Partnership Awards, following his leadership in keeping climate on the national agenda after last summer’s catastrophic bushfires.
John Richardson
John Richardson is the National Resilience Adviser for Australian Red Cross.
He has extensive experience in recovery in government and NGO settings, with individual, local, state, national and international levels. He has also worked closely with disaster affected individuals and communities.
John has a background in Geography and Nursing, with a strong interest in the human impacts of disaster, particularly death and bereavement.
He is also an Honorary Fellow of the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne. He has recently joined the UN’s Global Risk Assessment Framework’s Risk Communications Working Group.
Nick Wiesner
With over 96% of Australian homes insured, the insurance industry plays a critical role in rebuilding communities following disasters. As the Senior Operations Manager for Disaster, Risk & Resilience, Nick manages this process.
Nick has led the industry’s response to numerous recent catastrophes, including the Black Summer Bushfires, Townsville Monsoon, Sydney Hailstorm and Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie which resulted in over 76,000 lodged claims at a total loss of $1.78 billion. When not responding to disasters, Nick is focussed on improving resilience and mitigation to achieve a safer community.
Nick previously practised as a corporate risk lawyer and, prior to that, served in the Australian Army.
Patty Kinnersly
Patty Kinnersly is a national leader in the prevention of violence against women and their children. As Chief Executive Officer of Our Watch, she works with women and men across all parts of the community to stop violence before it starts.
Formerly the Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Health Grampians, Patty joined Our Watch in 2015 as Director, Practice Leadership, bringing broad experience in women’s health, community services and education. She was appointed to the chief executive role in June 2018.
Patty has had an extensive governance career, serving on the boards of Ballarat Health Services, Rural Northwest Health, and Child and Family Services Ballarat.
She is currently a member of the Australian Women's Health Network National Board and the Carlton Football Club Board of Directors, the first to oversee its women’s football programs.
Patty lives in regional Victoria.
Vesna Rozman
Vesna Rozman has been working in Local Government within the community service portfolio since 2005.
For the past 4 years she is in the role of Social Inclusion Coordinator for the City of Charles Sturt in South Australia.
She is passionate about empowering communities to fully participate in all aspects of community life.
Vesna is currently the Chair of the Western Adelaide Violence Against Women Collaboration (known as WAVAWC), which is made up of three local councils, Non-Government Organisations such as Women’s Safety Services, Relationship Australia, OARS, Uniting Care and OARS to name a few.
The role of the WAVAWC is to raise awareness about domestic and family violence and the devastating impacts it makes to women and children.
The group has been the driver of various primary prevention projects and campaigns over the past few years.
In 2018 Vesna lead the LG Domestic and Family Violence Toolkit Trial Site on behalf of South Australia, being recognised for the achievements of the group and in relation to the City of Charles Sturt.
Vesna, having a background in Arts and Culture created a series of Arts Projects as a gateway into community awareness raising for the prevention of domestic violence in homes, workplaces, neighbourhoods and communities.
Sharmila Falzon
Sharmila Falzon is a Primary Prevention Practitioner and a Community Capacity Building Officer at City of Parramatta Council. She wrote the City of Parramatta’s Domestic and Family Violence Action Plan and, as an avid trainer, Sharmila has trained nearly 100 people in the Our Watch ‘Change the Story’ framework.
In 2018, she led the trial of the Prevention Toolkit for Local Government in the Parramatta local government area. Prior to Council, Sharmila had 20 years’ experience in the not for profit sector across settlement, family and women’s services.
Liam Bantock
Liam has over twelve years local government experience across Councils in both metropolitan and regional Victoria. He comes from a community development background and is passionate about building inclusive communities. For the past five years he has led Latrobe City Council’s prevention of violence against women and gender equality work. Outside of work he is a volunteer firefighter and enjoys bushwalking as well as embarrassing his children with his repertoire of dad jokes.
Dr Neryl East
Dr Neryl East is a professional speaker and facilitator who shows current and aspiring local government leaders how to be heard, stand out and command influence.
After a media career, Neryl moved into local government where she held senior communication roles at Wollongong and Shellharbour City Councils. She managed communications at Wollongong during one of the biggest corruption scandals in Australian local government history, which led to public ICAC hearings and the dismissal of the elected council. She has also managed communications at times of fire and flood.
Neryl now consults to councils around Australia and provides training, mentoring and strategic advice on all elements of media and communication. Her expertise in emergency communication has seen her provide advice to agencies including the State Emergency Service, Transport for NSW and the South Australian Emergency Management Committee, chaired by the Premier.
Neryl has a PhD in Journalism and is a Certified Speaking Professional – an international designation awarded to only a small percentage of professional speakers globally. She is the author of five books including an Amazon best-seller on media and reputation.
Kate Crowe
Kate Crowe is a communications and media professional, with extensive experience in the government and political landscape.
Kate commenced her studies with a Bachelor of Creative Arts with the University of Wollongong before following her strong interests in journalism to attain a Master of Journalism.
Working as a Journalist for Fairfax Regional media, Kate cut her teeth in the regional media space with the Milton Ulladulla Times, Baypost, Moruya Examiner, Narooma News, Eden Magnet and the Bombala Times.
Moving into the political sphere, Kate was a trusted media advisor to Member for Gilmore Anne Sudmalis before moving into Local Government. It is in Local Government that Kate has excelled in crisis and emergency communications, managing Council Communications in the Emergency Operations Centre during both the Kingiman, Currowan Bushfire and flood events in the Shoalhaven.
Kate’s commitment to continued learning, her extensive experience and strong knowledge and understanding of issues and trends in local government and the wider media and political landscape has cemented her as a trusted, valued, and respected communications professional in Local Government.
Candy Choo
Candy Choo has been the Chief Executive Officer of Local Government Professionals WA since 2017. In this time, Candy has transformed the Association into an innovative and progressive membership Association supporting local government officers through strong advocacy and representation, evidence-based research programs and member-centred training and development programs both online and in-person. Candy is passionate about the critical role local government has in enriching community connectedness, and the tangible impact it has on community through the diverse services local government provides.
Prior to this role, Candy was a senior executive at Local Government Insurance Services (LGIS) in WA for seven years overseeing the portfolio of WA local government workers compensation program as well as all associated people risk prevention services.
Candy is a registered psychologist specialised in organisational psychology, engagement, culture and leadership development. She is also the Chair of the Cat Haven WA Board.
Catherine King MP
First elected in 2001, Catherine King represents the electorate of Ballarat in the Australian Parliament.
Following the 2019 election, Catherine moved to the key economic portfolio of Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development after serving six years as Labor’s Shadow Minister for Health and Medicare.
In Government, Catherine was in Cabinet as Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories. Catherine earlier served as Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories and Minister for Road Safety, and before that as Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Parliamentary Secretary for Health.
Catherine holds Bachelor Degrees in Social Work and Laws and a Masters’ in Public Policy.
Prior to entering Parliament, Catherine was a senior manager at KPMG’s Consulting Practice.
As a regional MP, Catherine is a strong advocate for the seven million Australians who live outside our capital cities.
Mayor Greg Conkey
After being graded he worked in Armidale NSW (where he met his wife, Jenny) before moving to Wagga Wagga in 1977 working in radio, television and newspapers.
Two years later Greg started his own newspaper and spent 25 years as the Managing Editor.
During that time the paper won many NSW Country Press Awards, organised campaigns to assist people in third world countries, started the city’s outstanding business awards, and organised and ran campaigns to assist the less fortunate in Wagga Wagga.
In 2005 he sold his interests in the newspaper and started his own Marketing and Public Relations business.
Nicki Hutley
Nicki is a highly experienced economist with broad-based experience in economic policy, gained over nearly three decades of practice.
In particular, she has expertise in the application of economic modelling and analysis in the fields of urban economics, addressing issues such as affordable housing, social and economic infrastructure investment, urban renewal, precinct planning, climate mitigation and social policies. She leads Deloitte Access Economics’ Urban Advisory practice.
Nicki has extensive experience in Cost Benefit and Social Return on Investment Analysis, strategic land use analysis, economic impact assessments, and policy and regulatory reviews.
Nicki spent the first half of her career as a macroeconomist for commercial and investment banks. She is a regular commentator on economic and financial issues in the media and is a sought-after keynote speaker.
Prior to joining Deloitte, Nicki held senior roles with Access Economics, KPMG and Urbis.
The Hon Mark Coulton MP
On 26 May 2019, Mark was appointed to the Coalition Government Ministry by Prime Minister Scott Morrison as the Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government, and Assistant Trade and Investment Minister, and was officially sworn-in on 29 May 2019.
From March 2018 to May 2019, Mark was the Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.
During his time in the Federal Parliament, Mark has also held the positions of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Party’s Chief Whip, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Ageing and the Voluntary Sector, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Water and Conservation and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Emerging Trade Markets.
Prior to his election to the House of Representatives, Mark was the Mayor of Gwydir Shire Council from 2004 until 2007.
Mark has an extensive agricultural background having spent 30 years as a farmer and grazier. Mark and his wife Robyn owned and operated a mixed farming system growing cereal crops and running beef cattle.
The electorate of Parkes covers an area of 393 413 square kilometres – which is 49% of NSW and has an economy based on agriculture and mining.
As the Federal Member for Parkes, Mark represents one of the largest Aboriginal populations in the Australian Parliament.
Gabby O'Neill
Gabby O’Neill joined the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications in 2019, as Head of the Office of Road Safety. The Office is responsible for setting the direction of road safety through the National Road Safety Strategy, administering funds to develop innovative road safety practices, and embedding safe systems thinking into infrastructure investment. Key to its success is building community acceptance for known road safety solutions and the penetration of road safety outside of traditional transport agencies. Gabby has held senior government policy roles in road safety, work health and safety, residential tenancy and change management with a view to mainstreaming new practises and opening up new approaches to problem solving.
Peter Tegart
As part of the merger, Peter designed a service-program-activity framework upon which services were reviewed, strategies reprised and organisation structures and budgets established. To build the confidence, competence and capacity of the organisation, diagnostic tools such as Human Synergistics were deployed to record the concerns of change and drivers for growth. The foundation organisational values of innovation and improvement, integrity and respect drove the cultural change.
To capitalize on the ambitions expressed by the organisation, the tactics to pursue significant grants aligned with infrastructure and nominate for awards to showcase innovation, were deployed to develop capability and attract recruits to the evolving organisation. And with that, QPRC has smart people on board, alert to opportunities for innovation, grants and awards!
Based on feedback from community and DPC: the merger transition had little controversy; services and rates were harmonised and seamless; the merger brought together the strengths of strategies, structures, staff and systems; it ensured ethical, open and accountable governance; and took up opportunities to improve services and infrastructure.
It’s now four years since the merger, and testament to that success is an asset base growing at over $30m per year, and projects to construct new offices and libraries for staff at its three branches in the next 2 years funded by debt serviced by merger savings and property rationalisation.
Richard Harris, SC, OAM
He has expertise in diving, wilderness and remote area health. His passion for cave diving goes back to the 1980’s and has taken him to the corners of the globe in search of new adventures.
Harry and his colleagues have explored the Pearse Resurgence in New Zealand to 229m depth, Daxing Spring in China to 213m and Song Hong Cave in Thailand to 196m to name a few.
He is an enthusiastic but inferior UW photographer and videographer who is resigned to capturing opportunistic images via helmet cams.
Harry has a professional and voluntary interest in search and rescue operations, establishing the first sump rescue training course in Australasia. By building relationships with emergency services locally he has been preparing for such an event. The 2018 Thailand Cave Rescue was an opportunity to put this training to work.
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