On 11 November 2026, Southern New England Landcare Ltd (SNEL) celebrated 25 years as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Previously operating as the Southern New England Landcare Coordinating Committee Inc (SNELCC) from 1992, the organisation marked its 25th Annual General Meeting (AGM) as a not-for-profit company.
The AGM was chaired by Bev Stubberfield, representative of the Uralla Rivercare Group.
During the meeting, the organisation farewelled Emeritus Professor Nick Reid from his three-year tenure as Chairperson and welcomed David Steller as the new Chair.
Chief Executive Officer Karen Zirkler said, “David is a long-serving Landcare board member and representative of the Armidale Tree Group Inc, and the organisation looks forward to his leadership in the years ahead.”
Karen also noted that this is the first time in the 25-year history of Southern New England Landcare Ltd, that the organisation has had its full complement of ten board members.
Nick Reid stepped into the role of Vice-Chairperson and will support David through the transition.
Robert Sieben was re-elected as Treasurer for a second term.
Returning board members include Bev Stubberfield, Steve Harvey, Dr Brooke Kennedy and Dr Andrew Lawson, while new board members include Agness Knapik and Rowena Childs.
Shane Andrews, inaugural SNEL Board member, was also returned to the board.
Following the AGM, members gathered for the biannual Member Muster, chaired by Steve Harvey.
“A highlight of every Muster is the ‘Around Our Groups’ segment, where representatives from local Landcare groups share recent achievements and activities,” said Karen Zirkler.
The organisation welcomed Rowena Childs as the new group representative for Armidale Urban Rivercare and Michael Colvin as the new representative for the Guyra Landcare Network.
“The positive energy in the room was amazing”, said Michael Colvin, Group Representative from the Guyra Landcare Network about his first Member Muster.
A special acknowledgement was made for Bill Perrottet, who served as the Guyra Landcare Network representative for 25 years before stepping down this year.
Bill also served on the SNEL Board for several years as well as serving a term as Chairperson.
Reflecting on the evening, Bill said, “That was one of the best Musters in 25 years… I really enjoy the Around Our Groups part of the evening because you always learn something new."
Guest speakers for the evening included Emily Sims from Uralla Shire Council, Keith Walker from the New England Landcare Network, and Dr Julian Prior from Prior Consulting.
Emily, Strategic Planner with Uralla Shire Council, spoke about the opportunities presented by the Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and the progress Council has made in its engagement with EnergyCo.
She also highlighted the valuable contribution of the Biodiversity Reference Group, of which Southern New England Landcare is a member, to the broader rollout of the REZ and its impacts in the region.
Keith Walker, Regional Landcare Coordinator with the New England Landcare Network, and Dr Julian Prior presented on their feasibility study, Building an Investment-Ready Natural Capital Platform, funded through Phase 3 of the Landcare Enabling Program.
The pilot study is designing, testing and validating an integrated mapping and modelling package for the New England region, aimed at supporting future natural capital investment opportunities.
The evening concluded with the annual awards presentation.
Janet Hodge received the Coordinator's Choice Award, presented each year to someone who has gone above and beyond to support Southern New England Landcare's Local Landcare Coordinators.
"This award is presented to someone who has helped us not go completely mad this year," joked Struan Ferguson, Local Landcare Coordinator with Southern New England Landcare.
‘I appreciate the award though it's all just part of the job and I enjoy working with a great team’, said Janet.
The second award, the John Winter Irving Memorial Bequest, recognises outstanding commitment to sustainable agriculture, natural resource management and community leadership in Landcare.
This year's recipient was Elizabeth Rosser, Local Landcare Coordinator with Southern New England Landcare, in recognition of her dedication to sustainable agriculture projects across the region and her significant contribution to the community.
"I am honoured and quite stunned to be receiving this award," said Elizabeth.
"I look forward to using the bequest to further my knowledge of sustainable agriculture and how it can be used for the benefit of farmers in our region," she said.
This project was supported by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) through funding from the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund.
