Southern Region National Policy Group Candidates 2025

My husband and I have been broadacre dryland cropping near Rupanyup in the Wimmera for 25 years. I grew up on an irrigated cropping farm in northern Victoria and hold a degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Melbourne. Alongside farming, I have worked in the fertiliser industry, natural resource management, and with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) Community Committee, providing community input on water, environmental, cultural and socioeconomic issues.

I am passionate about sustainability and climate resilience, and would like to see GrainGrowers continue its efforts in this space to ensure research and policy align grain production with environmental responsibility and global competitiveness.

Through my involvement with the MDBA, I have had the opportunity to represent the interests of regional communities affected by water policy decisions and provide advice around Basin Plan issues. This experience has demonstrated to me the value of collaborative problem solving, respectful advocacy and evidence-based dialogue to achieve balanced outcomes, and I wish to bring those principles to the National Policy Group.

I am a grower in south-west Victoria, producing cereals, canola, beans and prime lamb. I currently serve on the National Policy Group and bring experience from corporate and consulting roles in trading, marketing, investment and strategy - in grain and other agricultural sectors. This includes many years of international business - especially Asia/China.

My background also spans advocacy, policy, education/training and board roles - across all stages of the supply chain. From input suppliers to end consumers.

With a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Business Administration I adopt an evidence-based approach to decision making. Key issues I am passionate about include research, trade, capability development and raising the industry’s profile. All aimed at future proofing our industry.

My career has mainly been in multi-stakeholder and cross-cultural environments. Be it working on e.g. national dairy legislation, commercial trade, marketing, policy or producing grain etc. I believe in bold and solutions-focused policy, grounded in respect, collaboration and long-term strategic thinking.

I look forward to continue helping shape the future of our grain industry through the National Policy Group – underpinned by my “whole-of-supply chain” experience.

I am a grain grower based near Wagga Wagga in southern NSW, producing wheat, canola, barley, peas and lupins through our business, Elwood Pastoral. I am a future-focussed thinker, having served on the EvokeAg steering committee, am a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and am a founding convenor of the NSW Thriving Womens Conference. I am currently serving as Chair of Riverina Local Land Services, and have a strong interest in biosecurity and agricultural extension.

I believe global market access is critical to grower profitability, especially in a time of trade fragility and shifting chemical regulations. We must invest in innovation such as automation, robotics, and biotechnology, and position agriculture as an industry of choice to attract the multi-disciplinary workforce of the future.

I am proud to have represented producers as Chair of the Southern NSW Livestock Research Advisory Council, a member of the MLA Red Meat Panel, Chair of the AgriFutures Pasture Seeds Advisory Panel, and Chair of FarmLink. Each role has been an opportunity to advance practically relevant research, and I would welcome the chance to continue representing growers through GrainGrowers’ National Policy Group.

I am part of the fifth generation on my family’s merino sheep and cereal cropping property in Narrandera NSW. I hold a Bachelor of Laws and work as a Solicitor at Farrell Goode, a rural-based firm focused on commercial law and farm transition planning. I also serve as Chair of Narrandera District Investments Ltd, which operates our local Bendigo Bank branch.

As an alumnus of GrainGrowers’ 2024 Australian Grain Leaders Program, I explored the challenges of farm succession and small-town population decline. I am passionate about rural Australia and committed to supporting its future.

I have led community initiatives with the Bank that deliver real impact, from cyber awareness and mental health support and physical health checkups for farmers locally to housing for local doctors and seniors. I wish to continue to advocate for rural communities and the grains industry through the National Policy Group.

I have been surrounded by grains most of my life, first as the daughter of grain farmers, and for the past 20 years farming alongside my husband Russell on our farm in the Victorian Wimmera, where we feel privileged to be raising our four children. We grow clover for hay, canola, wheat and beans, and raise prime lambs. Before farming, I worked in Local Government as an Engineer and later as an Operations Manager.

I am passionate about educating decision-makers on the value of agriculture. We need “Ag Champions” with lived experience and public reach to help shape policy on important topics such as land use, food access and availability along with climate reporting.

I have represented community interests in health and education, and I know the importance of respectful communication and common-sense leadership. I am committed to supporting the next generation and strengthening our industry’s voice through the National Policy Group.

I have helped build a more resilient farm business in the southern Wimmera. Following succession, we started again with half the machinery and half the land of the original farm. What we did have was a mindset for change, confidence in the industry, and a passion for growing quality crops.

As a representative of the Southern Region on the National Policy Group, I have contributed to discussions on key issues including transport, competition, social licence, farm safety, innovation gaps, and labour. I have worked to ensure that challenges such as increased taxation, the loss of AgVic staff, mining developments, and transmission line proposals—and the resulting stress on Victorian and Wimmera farmers—are recognised at the national level. People are at the heart of agriculture, and we must look after everyone involved. 

I balance farming, community, and family through active participation in the local football club and by playing tennis to keep our team in the league. I also supervise a PhD candidate researching farmers’ mental health. I advocate for diverse perspectives and believe that well-informed policy—shaped by both local and international insights—creates the foundation for compromise and better outcomes. I bring a collaborative, honest, and practical mindset to continue representing grower interests on the NPG. 

My agricultural career began in 2003 as a broadacre agronomist in Dimboola, in Victoria’s Wimmera region. Over the past 20 years, I have worked closely with growers across the Wimmera and Mallee, and since 2010, I have proudly built my own grain farming business.

I am passionate about supporting the grain industry from a grower’s perspective and helping guide its future. Sustained market access, simplified compliance standards, and managing rising input costs are key policy priorities in my opinion, and I believe that government must consult more closely with rural communities on renewable energy developments.

I am a strong proponent of grower advocacy. During my time working as senior agronomist with a rural retail supplier business, we were locked out of various R & D supplier agency agreements where we didn’t have market access to their herbicide products to supply our advisory clients. Through ongoing consultation & the support of our grower clients, we successfully advocated for access to key herbicide products, securing better outcomes for growers. I am committed to continue achieving practical, grower-led solutions through the National Policy Group.

I co-own a fifth-generation mixed farming enterprise in north-western Victoria, overseeing broadacre cropping and livestock production. I bring a strong background in governance, finance and education, with qualifications including a Master of Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Education. I currently serve on the boards of East Wimmera Health Service and the Rex Theatre Museum Ltd, am a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a former Mayor of Buloke Shire Council.

I believe input affordability to be a key national policy priority, directly impacting farm profitability and long-term farm sustainability. Ensuring affordable, reliable access to essential inputs like nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers is crucial, and I support policies that boost domestic production, improve market transparency, and invest in alternative nutrient sources to reduce reliance on volatile global markets.

As Mayor, I proudly represented my community through COVID-19, serving on the Victorian Local Government Minister’s Mayoral Advisory Panel, and was instrumental in the implementation of programs that created vital local jobs and supported better learning outcomes for students. Over two terms, I secured record funding for the Shire, working with government and community to improve infrastructure, services and broader community resilience. I am committed to bringing my experience to the National Policy Group to help shape a stronger future for the grain industry.

I am a fifth-generation farmer from north-east Victoria, raised on a mixed cropping farm in the heart of the Rutherglen wine region. My early interest in agricultural operations and logistics led me to tertiary education and extension within the industry. After time in the agricultural finance sector, I’ve recently returned to the family farm.

My experience in extension includes my former position as vice-chair of the VFF Farming Systems Committee, and graduating from GrainGrowers’ Australian Grain Leaders Program.

I believe Biosecurity is one of the greatest risks to our grain industry. The NPG has a vital role in helping government understand the true cost of an outbreak and in advocating for best-practice border protection that reflects industry expert advice.

In 2022, I joined a VFF subcommittee with the aim to ensure young people in agriculture were heard. I am passionate about representing the next generation of growers and making sure their opinions, views and ideas help shape the future of our industry.

I manage a farm in South West Victoria growing wheat, barley, canola, faba beans and linseed using a 12m Controlled Traffic Farming System. I’m passionate about producing high-quality crops efficiently, using the latest technologies available to me.

I believe improving market access and international competitiveness is vital for our industry to thrive. That includes creating higher-end niche and specialty markets, connecting directly with end-users, reducing input costs, and targeting sustainably grown grains to meet carbon market demands.

I’ve also spent time working closely with local grower groups and research organisations such as Southern Farming Systems, where I’ve gained valuable insights into innovation and collaboration across our industry. I aim to bring that same commitment to advocacy and to the NPG, by supporting growers in achieving tangible policy outcomes for our industry.

I’ve been farming and growing grain in the Junee district for over 40 years, initially as part of a family company, and since 1995 with my wife Megan on our own property. We grow a mix of crops including canola, wheat, barley, lupins, field peas and oats, alongside livestock. 

Connectivity, both digital as well as distance from major centres, is becoming one of the most pressing challenges we face, alongside freight, input costs, and biosecurity.

I bring experience, a healthy dose of scepticism, and a genuine interest in the full lifecycle of grain, from seed to end product. I’ve contributed to policy debates and Research and Development discussions, and I’m keen to continue representing growers with practical insight and a long-term view. 

I bring practical insight, shaped by years of experience and a genuine interest in the full lifecycle of grain, from seed to end product. During my time in the NPG, I have contributed to policy and Research and Development discussions, and I’m keen to keep adding a grounded, grower-focused voice to industry conversations. 

I am the Managing Director of my family’s cropping operation in Parkes NSW, producing summer and winter crops. I hold a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics, am a Nuffield Scholar, and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

I have served eight years on the GRDC Northern Panel and currently sit on the Wheat Subcommittee of Grains Australia. I am passionate about farming systems research, grain supply chains and markets, and increasing profitability to create opportunities for regional communities and future generations.

I believe agriculture must be part of Australia’s transition to net zero. Sustainable Aviation Fuel presents a unique opportunity to value-add grain, improve fuel security, and reduce emissions.

I have consistently advocated for growers in previous industry roles, including leading a review of National Variety Trial sites to improve access to relevant decision-making data, and aim to continue that advocacy through the National Policy Group.

In 1983, I returned to our family farm in Corowa after five years as an aircraft maintenance engineer with Trans Australia Airlines. Together with my wife, we’ve built a mixed farming operation producing winter cereals, summer irrigation crops, and beef cattle. Today, we farm 2,500 hectares together with our son and daughter-in-law.

I have held leadership roles across the industry, including as President of NSW Farmers Association, Member of the NSW Farmers Grains Committee, Director of the NFF and Beyond Blue, and currently serve as Chair of Murray Local Land Services and Director of the Rural Assistance Authority.

I am passionate about succession planning and believe tax-related barriers such as Capital Gains Tax thresholds must be addressed to protect family farm succession planning and continuity.

I have represented growers through complex policy reform, including native vegetation legislation. I am committed to continue pursuing policy change and advocacy through GrainGrowers’ National Policy Group.

I have represented growers through complex policy reform, including native vegetation legislation, and am committed to continue that advocacy through GrainGrowers’ National Policy Group.

I crop beans, barley and canola across 1,000 hectares near Bendigo, VIC, and co-founded my enterprise, GPS-Ag, after introducing one of Australia’s first autosteer technologies. I have spent the past 25 years driving agtech adoption, including 15 years as the Australian distributor for Weed-It.

I grew up on a family farm in Kaniva and returned to agriculture with a focus on innovation and autonomy. I am passionate about the future of grain and believe bioenergy presents a major opportunity to increase demand and diversify grain markets.

I have spent decades engaging growers in change, and I am ready to give back by bringing my deep industry experience and a commitment to shaping policy to GrainGrowers’ National Policy Group.

I have worked full-time on our family farm for the past 25 years, having grown up in the business. We run a mixed cropping operation in southern Victoria, and I am proud to contribute to the grain industry through roles as a Director of Southern Farming Systems and a member of the Victorian Farmers Federation Grains Council.

I am particularly interested in the challenges around land use regulation and rural transport infrastructure, both of which are critical to the future of grain production.

I have represented grower interests through local action, including community engagement around the recent Victorian fire service levy reforms, and I continue to work with Southern Farming Systems on trial production goals. I am committed to practical solutions to the industry’s challenges and would welcome the opportunity to contribute through the National Policy Group.