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Meet Our Team

Melanie Gates

Melanie Gates

Regional Landcare Coordinator

 

Melanie first learnt about Landcare by planting trees along the Wilson River with the local Landcare group in Lismore over 20 years ago, while studying Media at Southern Cross University.

With ancestral ties to Wilcannia and Menindee, she recently returned to live in Broken Hill after walking out of chest deep floodwaters on the north coast of NSW where she’d raised her family of three.

Since returning to her heartland, Mel has used her multi-media production skills and coordination experience to support the goals of various local organisations, including the Broken Hill Kart Club and Broken Hill’s former Barrier Truth newspaper, where she worked as a journalist before stepping into the Landcare Broken Hill Coordinator role. Having supported the board at Landcare Broken Hill to host several successful community events during 2024, like the Landcare Broken Hill Garden Awards, Mel is delighted to now be supporting Western Landcare in the Regional Landcare Coordinator role.

Sonia Carey

Sonia Carey

Local Landcare Coordinator - Projects

 

Sonia has lived in Western NSW since 2007 with her husband and 2 children.  She currently lives on a grazing property supporting goats, sheep and some cattle.  Her 2 children completed School of the Air and are now attending an agricultural boarding school.

Living on the land Sonia has a close connection to the environment and is passionate about protecting our land and rehabilitating areas that have previously been neglected.  Sonia is also involved in supporting a variety of local community groups, Landcare being one of these.

Sonia has been a member of Western Landcare since 2018.  She took on a role as Treasurer and Secretary initially.  She then moved into a role of admin and finance until the beginning of 2023 where she took on the Executive Officer position, moving into the RLC position in early 2024. 

Tracey Lauritsen

Tracey Lauritsen

Local Landcare Coordinator - Broken Hill

 

Tracey grew up in Broken Hill and is is very familiar with the region and has managed properties with her partner in both the South and East of Broken Hill. During this time Tracey has educated her three children through Broken Hill School of the Air, Yanco AG and Dubbo distance Ed, she is now based in Broken Hill as they finish High School.

Tracey has taken many opportunities to gain extra skills and education through employment, volunteering on committees and attending clinics and workshops.

While living out of town for the past 30 years Tracey has lived through and experienced the effects horrendous droughts have had on the land and its inhabitants and is looking forward to working with other land managers to address sustainability and environmental issues. With this perspective along with vast rural networking skills we look forward to Tracey’s input and local knowledge.

Vanessa Anderson

Vanessa Anderson

Junior Landcare Coordinator - Schools

 

Vanessa grew up on a sheep/beef property on the Fleurieu Peninsula SA. She spent time working on farms in Norway on an Ag exchange before becoming a professional wool classer, working in shearing sheds through outback SA and Far Western NSW. She lived and worked on a sheep station at Moulamein before managing a sheep station between Ivanhoe and Cobar, then settling on a sheep station West of White Cliffs where she raised 2 children through Broken Hill School of the Air.

Vanessa has spent the last few years working a variety of jobs in Adelaide. She is a Justice of the Peace, has worked in aged care, Education support, administration, amongst a variety of volunteering initiatives including the sheep section of the Royal Adelaide show and BlazeAid. She is community minded along with being passionate about the environment and sustainability.

 

Danielle Connolly

Danielle Connolly

Local Landcare Coordinator - Southern

 
 
Danielle has lived and worked in Western NSW for the past three and half years, with her husband Mick and son Arthur. While not a born and bred local, Danielle has developed a deep appreciation for this diverse region and the incredible opportunities a life on the land has afforded her family.
 
Danielle is a passionate freelance writer and counts their Quarter Horses and Gypsy Cobs as much loved members of their family. Danielle helps manage her husband’s horse training business and has a Bachelor of Human Nutrition with Honours. Danielle has managed her own consultancy which specialised in the treatment of Eating Disorders for many years and is passionate about mental health and well-being.
 
It’s the value she’s felt first hand, living and working on the land in this region, that has driven her to get more involved and give back to the Far West community.
 
 Sarah Theakston

Sarah Theakston

Regional Admin Support Officer

 

Sarah has lived in Western NSW since the year 2000 after moving to the area with her husband and deciding to stay. She has since raised and homeschooled six children on a small block of land where a variety of farm animals keep them company.

Sarah enjoys being involved in various community groups and loves being part of a small town community.

A background in administration, along with living and traveling throughout the western region, has led to a position in Western Landcare and Sarah is looking forward to being a part of the Western Landcare NSW team.

Kelly Lawson

Kelly Lawson

Local Landcare Coordinator - Projects

 

Having spent her early childhood in Moree, Kelly now resides in Bourke, on Ngemba Country, with her husband since January 2024. She holds a deep appreciation for Aboriginal cultures and the diverse natural landscapes of the Western District. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, exploring the area’s wildflowers, and practicing meditation.

With an extensive background in government agencies, Kelly brings experience in governance, community development, and project management. She also continues to coach small business owners and support leaders in developing emotional intelligence to strengthen their own leadership, and the teams they work in.  Passionate about leadership, personal development, creativity, and innovation, Kelly runs her own small business offering holistic counselling, coaching, meditation workshops, and Reiki both in-person and online.

Kelly is excited to expand her knowledge of natural resource management and apply her skills to support Landcare operations, local communities, and landholders throughout the Western District.
 
Kelly Eglinton-Lewis

Kelly Eglinton-Lewis

Local Landcare Coordinator - Broken Hill

 
 
Kelly grew up SE of Broken Hill on her family grazing property, where they produce wool, sheep and cattle. Kelly considers herself fortunate to have grown up within commuting distance of Broken Hill where she was educated. After leaving the area for life in the big smoke, she ultimately felt home calling, with Kelly and her husband returning to the place she grew up to raise their family and explore the opportunities of outback life.
 
Kelly has first-hand experience in droughts and flood, and the boom and bust of the bush and wants to see a sustainable future for the agricultural industry in our Western Region.
 
Mary-Anne Watson

Mary-Anne Watson

Knowledge Broker - Southern NSW Innovation Hub

 

Mary-Anne was born and raised in the South East of South Australia, but has spent her adult life in Western New South Wales and calls this area home. After living in Tibooburra for many years, she and her family moved to Broken Hill. After teaching at a variety of schools in the area, she and her husband now work their property between White Cliffs and Wanaaring, where they produce cattle and run an earthmoving business. They are also involved in carbon credit trading.

Mary-Anne has a deep appreciation for the diversity of land and people in the Western district and is keen to engage and learn more.

Mary-Anne position is funded by the Southern NSW Innovation Hub and she is looking forward to engaging with stakeholders to deepen her understanding of the challenges, impacts and joys that living in this area brings.

Diana Anderson

Diana Anderson

Knowledge Broker - Southern NSW Innovation Hub

 

Diana is new to the Far West of NSW, though she see’s many similarities with the places where she has lived and the people she’s worked with. Warm welcomes, wide open spaces, big blue sky and a horizon that takes your breath away.

Having lived in the Victorian Mallee on a dry land broad acre cropping property Diana has firsthand experience of the challenges land managers face in their work and private lives. She’s been part of local, State and National groups improving the understanding of the impacts of living in remote areas, adapting to weather conditions, access to infrastructure, changes in economic and political structures.

The Knowledge Broker position is funded by the Southern NSW Innovation Hub. The Hubs priority is to support collaboration, leverage expertise and investment, driving action in social, economic and environmental priority areas.

Through this role Diana is looking forward to using her project management experience to assist the people of the Far West define the region-specific major issues, develop sustainable solutions, improve connection to vital services and put drought resilience at the forefront of our region’s future.

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