About Council members
Dr Sarah Ryan has a PhD in agriculture and 30 years research experience spanning agriculture, international development, ecology and water research. She is currently an Honorary Fellow at CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and working on ecosystem governance research. Sarah has been active in the community throughout her 25 years in Canberra. She was a member and then Chair of the Advisory Council of Canberra Institute of Technology over many years, and more recently joined the ACT Environment Advisory Committee which was the forerunner to the NRM Council. Sarah also has strong personal interests in communicating about environmental issues in art and writing and is an active participant in environmental art projects with the School of Art, Australian National University.
Mr Bill McCormick, Deputy Chair
Bill McCormick has thirty years experience in providing analysis and policy advice in relation to environmental and natural resource management issues. He has a BSc in Biology and MSc in Zoology specialising in ecology and is a member of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand. He has written articles on forestry, water, salinity, world heritage and fire management issues.
Peter has almost forty years of extensive, reputable experience in natural resource management and agriculture at the operational, regional executive, senior executive and chief executive level. Peter's experience spans four NSW Government agencies, most NSW regions, other states and territories, business organisations and a diverse range of issues, disciplines and industries.
Peter was a former Western Lands Commissioner, Soil Conservation Commissioner and Chief Executive of the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Trust. As an Executive Director with the (former) NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation, Peter had state-wide responsibility for catchment management including the network of catchment organisations.
Peter has operated his own consultancy business, been a Visiting Fellow at the University of Western Sydney and a judge of the National Landcare Awards. Peter is also a Churchill Fellow.
Peter is a board member with Greening Australia Capital Region and is working with the Ginninderra Catchment Group to advance community based catchment management in the ACT.
Mr Shorthouse retired as the Senior Manager of Environment ACT’s Wildlife, Research and Monitoring Unit in 2007 but continues to be actively involved with projects conducted by the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society and ACT community environmental groups such as Bush on the Boundary Reference Group.
Mr Shorthouse has a PHD in Biology and MSc in Conservation and has long term experience working for the ACT Government and ACT community in environmental and conservation planning management.
Ms Hughes is an Aboriginal woman of the Bell clan from the Ngunnawal Nation, traditional owners of the ACT and Region. Ms Hughes holds a Bachelor of Adult Education, majoring in Aboriginal Studies and Community Adult Education. As Director of the Yurauna Indigenous Centre at the Canberra Institute of Technology, Ms Hughes is experienced in leadership and management and is strongly committed to quality educational outcomes and support of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in accessing Indigenous knowledge.
Ms Hughes has a strong background in community engagement and close connections with her Ngunnawal culture. Ms Hughes has recently had the opportunity to be involved in the development and implementation of the accredited Conservation and Land Management program for Indigenous employees, a program initiated and developed by the ACT NRM Council through Caring for our Country funding. <?xml:namespace prefix = o />
Mr Michael Shanahan, Member
Mr Shanahan the rural lessee of “Tidbinbilla” property, is a chartered accountant and works for the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) as a Business Enterprise Officer. Mr Shanahan’s primary role with the ILC has been to establish cattle businesses and associated Indigenous training programs on Indigenous owned land in Northern Australia, as well as overseeing the Indigenous management of a Landcare award winning large sheep station on Bruny Island, Tasmania.
Mr Shanahan demonstrates his commitment to natural resource management by pursuing environmental goals such as native grass productivity and diversity, weed control and tree establishment on his own property.
Mr Shanahan was the founding chair of the Paddy’s River Landcare Group, the first rural based Landcare group in the ACT. He has been a member of the ACT Government’s Landcare committee and was awarded the ACT Rural Landcarer award in 2006.
