Whos Listening

Kathy is a Policy Director at NSW Farmers' Association with responsibility for the Rural Affairs and Business, Economics and Trade portfolios.

Kathy has extensive experience as an educator and in developing and implementing policy. Building on an early career as a teacher, she has increasingly focused on skills for the economy, workplace inclusion, building community resilience, and regional sustainability.

She has worked as a senior policy manager with the NSW Business Chamber, and led a state wide curriculum support team at TAFE NSW. Before joining NSW Farmers' Association Kathy worked on social policy in the NSW Premier's office before being appointed as Chief of Staff for the NSW Minister for Mental Health and then the Minister for Early Childhood Education and Aboriginal Affairs.

Eloise is the Residential Land Lease Communities Officer at the Tenants Union of NSW.  The Tenants' Union of NSW is the main resourcing body for Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services (TAASs) and a community legal centre specialising in NSW residential tenancies law.  In her role Eloise supports residents of land lease communities across NSW through assistance provided to TAASs and directly with volunteers in communities and resident organisations. Prior to joining the Tenants Union,  Eloise worked as a Tenant Advocate in Sydney for 18 years providing advice, advocacy and representation to tenants, boarders and lodgers and residents of land lease communities.

• Live and work on a cropping farm near Illabo NSW
• President of Illabo Evening Branch CWA
• Secretary of Junee Landcare Group
• Member of NSWFF Junee Branch
• State Agricultural and Environmental Officer of NSW CWA

Marie is well known in the Western Region and across NSW for her services to rural communities.  She owns and manages Old Budda Station in partnership with her children at Tilpa on the Darling River.  In 2006 Marie was acknowledged in the Queen's Birthday Honours list (AM) for her services to NSW rural communities through a range of organisations involved in environmental, conservation, mental health and drought assistance. 

Marie is Chairperson of the NSW Centre of Rural and Remote Mental Health.

Director Local Land Services Western Region.

Member, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council (NPAC);

NPAC Chairperson Management Planning sub committee

Current Director, Mount Grenfell Historic Site Management Board;

Member, National Parks and Wildlife Western Rivers Regional Advisory Committee

Marie was the team leader for NSW (as the Co-Chair of the NSW DPI Rural Women’s Network) on the high level delegation to the 3^rd International Women in Agriculture Congress in Madrid (2002) and DLWC bursary winner to represent NSW at the 2^nd International Women in Agriculture Conference, Washington DC 1998.

Marie was also one of fourteen from the Pacific invited (7 from Australia) to attend the Bangladesh First Peoples Health Assembly 2000.