Snowy Advisory Committee

John Rodger is a Conjoint Professor at the University of Newcastle, CEO and Executive Director at FAUNA Research Alliance and a Fellow at the Institute of Managers and Leaders. He has been involved in study of the reproductive biology of marsupials for all his career with a particular focus on turning this basic science into new and better tools to conserve threatened marsupials and fertility-based controls for overabundant marsupials, including the brushtail possum in New Zealand. He led the only Cooperative Research Centre dedicated to innovation in marsupial conservation and management. His contributions were recognised by appointment as an Emeritus Professor in 2019.

‘I am long-time companion to the unique Snowy Mountains, and am very pleased and honoured to be taking up this role. I look forward to working with the diverse members of the Snowy Advisory Committee in seeking opportunities for strategic improvements for flows in the Snowy and montane rivers that benefit not just the river environments but the rivers’ communities.’

I have had the wonderful opportunity to have lived at Marlo, near the mouth of the Snowy River, for the last 30 years.

I greatly appreciate the environment that I live in and this has motivated me to participate in community groups that are committed to the rehabilitation of the Snowy River.

The start of the environmental water releases and the first release of Australian bass by an indigenous aquaculturist in the Snowy River are my fondest memories.

Dr Doris Paton is a Monero - Ngarigo and Gunai woman. She is a specialised educationalist and researcher. She focuses on empowering others with knowledge to strengthen relationships and understanding. She is strongly committed to sharing her cultural knowledge of language and local history. Doris has a strong governance background and has held many positions on local, regional and national committees and boards.

She is currently a part-time Senior Lecturer at Monash University. Over many years, she has held management positions in Aboriginal Education and training. She is a specialist curriculum advisor in Aboriginal curriculum and content. She educates the wider community through customised cultural competency training.

Ms Vickii Wallace's biography will be available shortly.

Dr Fiona Dyer is Associate Professor in Water Science with the Centre for Applied Water Science (CAWS), and the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE), University of Canberra.  She is a freshwater research scientist with an active research program in environmental flows and eco-hydrology. For the past 20 years, Fiona has been involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of environmental flows in a range of riverine environments in south-eastern Australia.

Her research has contributed to the management of environmental flows from the upland rivers of the Murrumbidgee catchment to the lowland rivers of the Lachlan catchment. She has co-authored more than 50 peer reviewed journal publications, 2 book chapters, 10 refereed conference proceedings and a wide variety of technical reports.

In addition to her research led contributions to policy and practise, Fiona is actively involved in community natural resource management organisations in the region. She is currently an executive member and past chair of the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Network, a community-based cross-border network of agencies and groups responsible for natural resource management in the upper Murrumbidgee catchment and she has a particular interest in environmental flows across the montane rivers.

Ms  Iris White's biography will be available shortly.

The NSW representative on the Snowy Advisory Committee (SAC) Graeme Enders is a Director in the Biodiversity Conservation Division of DPIE. This role carries operational responsibility for the delivery of water to the environment in Southern NSW. This includes the Snowy and montane rivers, where the different groups within DPIE collaborate to make the annual environmental flows, with the advice of the SAC.

Graeme has a long association with the Snowy River, having contributed to achieving a balanced outcome for the river, for its communities, and for the hydro company during Corporatisation. He also contributed to a recovery project to bring together NSW agencies with community in anticipation of increased flows after that time. The SAC continues this important connection.

Graeme Dear has been a fisherman his entire life and has spent many years fishing the Snowy River for Bass and other estuary fish. His interest in fishing led him to become the CEO of the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (EGCMA), where his love of rivers and professional administration expertise aligned.

Graeme has been the CEO of the EGCMA for 18 years. The EGCMA is responsible for managing the health of the Snowy river in Victoria and provides advice on behalf of Victoria regarding the health needs of the river and estuary.