• Team member, Kathy Rankin
    Kathy Rankin
    Policy Director – Rural Affairs & Business Economics & Trade @ NSW Farmers Association

    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.

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  • Team member, Miyuru Ediriweera
    Miyuru Ediriweera
    Senior Policy Officer, Energy and Water @ Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
    (+61 2) 8898 6525

    Along with the rest of the energy and water team, I work with and advocate to businesses, regulators and the government for the interests of NSW consumers. We work to develop a system that delivers affordable and sustainable energy for all households – both now and into the future.

    I bring a mixture of engineering, economic and policy experience to my work as well as a firm belief that households shouldn’t have to worry about whether they can afford essential services like electricity.

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  • Team member, Andrew Richards
    Andrew Richards
    CEO @ Energy Users Association of Australia
  • Team member, Iain Maitland
    Iain Maitland
    Energy Advocate @ Ethnic Communities Council of NSW
    0425 833 891

    I have worked as the Energy Advocate for the Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW (ECCNSW) since 2014 supporting culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) domestic and small business consumers in the complex National energy market, mainly around research, communication and policy areas. I have also worked in the education sector, youth employment and housing services and academic and scientific research. 

    I will consider myself to be out of work when CALD consumers have at least the same opportunities and experiences as most others when engaging with the energy market.

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  • Team member, Simon Moore
    Simon Moore
    Policy Manager, Infrastructure @ Business NSW

    Simon Moore is responsible for issues relating to the infrastructure businesses depend on to function, including energy, transport, telecoms and water. Prior to joining Business NSW, Simon has worked on energy and environmental policy for organisations in the UK and Canada.

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  • Team member, Cr. Janine Lea-Barrett
    Cr. Janine Lea-Barrett
    Community representative and Cobar Shire Councillor @ Cobar Shire Council; Business Manager Landmark Russell

    I am a Chair, Board member and Executive/Senior Leader with over a decade of board level experience across the Mining, construction, asset management and agribusiness industries.

    At board level, Local Government Elected Member, Regional Development Australia Committee Member, Western NSW Primary Health Community Council Member, Chair Economic Taskforce and elected member of Local Government, Chair Mining Electrical & Mining Mechanical Engineering Society Western Chapter and earlier as a Board Member of the Far North Queensland Regional Electricity Council. In these roles, I provide oversight in strategic, business, operational and risk management and governance. In an executive capacity, I am currently working as the Strategic Business Manager at an Agribusiness where I work with the business owner to develop and implement strategic planning; in my own business, I research opportunities for businesses in the region and I volunteer in the mentoring/coaching field.

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  • Team member, Jennifer Brown
    Jennifer Brown
    Policy @ Cotton Australia
  • Team member, Marie Russell AM
    Marie Russell AM
    Community representative @ Representing rural and remote customers

    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 3rd International Women in Agriculture Congress in Madrid (2002) and DLWC bursary winner to represent NSW at the 2nd 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.


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  • Team member, Mark Byrne
    Mark Byrne
    Energy Market Advocate @ Total Environmental Centre (TEC)