Bioenergy Government Network

Ann Denholm - ACT Government – waste to energy major projects

Azaria Dobson - Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation (RGDC)

Azaria is the NSW Manager of Precinct Partnerships and Strategy for the Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation (RGDC). An environmental scientist with over 15 years’ experience in regional strategic planning, Azaria has delivered many successful State Government priority projects including the Regional Plans for Central West and Orana, Far West and Riverina Murray Regions.  Azaria has a keen interest in regional development and enabling regional communities to fully realise their enormous potential through building strong partnerships and developing their unique opportunities. 

Brendan George (NSW - Department of Primary Industries - DPI)

Brendan is currently the Principal Advisor in NSW DPI regarding bioenergy and forest regulation. Previously a National Team Leader in IEA Bioenergy and retired Director of Bioenergy Australia Brendan coordinated the delivery of the national primary industries bioenergy strategic plan through the COAG process. After completing study focussed on soil physics and soil water management, Brendan has worked in native and plantation forest research and policy for more than 20 years his interests relate to the active and adaptive management of primary industry systems across the landscape.

Cath Carney (NSW - Department of Primary Industries - DPI)

Cath is a Research Officer with NSW DPI Forestry. She has more than 20 years’ experience in forest research across a broad range of topics, with the last 5 years working on bioenergy projects with Fabiano Ximenes. Cath is responsible for creating the NSW biomass spatial datasets for the NSW component of the ABBA project and is currently working on the Biomass for Bioenergy project, funded by the NSW Climate Change Fund.

Dr.Fabiano Ximenes (NSW - Department of Primary Industries - DPI)

Fabiano Ximenes is a Senior Research Scientist with the NSW DPI, with extensive experience in forestry research projects involving carbon and biomass and applications for bioenergy. Fabiano led the NSW component of the ABBA project, and is currently leading a major project with funding from the NSW Climate Change Fund, looking at opportunities for greater use of biomass for bioenergy generation in NSW.

Jackson Gerard (QLD - Trade & Investment Queensland - TIQ)

Kelly Wickham (VIC - Agriculture Victoria)

Kelly is an experienced Programs Advisor with a demonstrated history of working across diverse sustainability disciplines including Bioenergy Business Development,  Corporate Social Responsibility, Renewables, Waste Management (Waste to Energy) and currently Sustainable Energy for Agriculture. Kelly has a strong service focus on client needs working for Agriculture Victoria as Horticulture Industry Development, Energy and he seeks pathways of support sustainable energy solutions for the horticulture sector and bioenergy

Kim Brooksbank (WA - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development - DPIRD)

Kim Brooksbank has 20 years’ experience in the bioenergy industry and a particular interest in how growing biomass for energy and other products can also provide land care outcomes when integrated into annual agricultural systems. He works for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in Western Australia and is currently focussed on developing an industry support program that will facilitate the attraction of businesses interested in finding uses for WA’s underutilised biomass resources. Kim was instrumental in the development of the ABBA national biomass database and is the single point of contact in the WA government for all enquiries related to new uses for biomass in that state. He is looking forward to the bioeconomy maturing to the point where he can relax and go fishing.

Martin Berry  (ACT Government - NoWaste Policy)

Martin Moroni (TAS - Department of State Growth - DSG)

Martin has worked on bioenergy since 2004 when he estimated the woody fuels potentially available for bioenergy production in Tasmania and all organic waste and residues through his involvement in the Australian Biomass for Bioenergy Assessment Project. Since 2020 martin has worked solely on bioenergy, developing a Bioenergy Vision for Tasmania and imbedding support for bioenergy in Tasmanian Government policy. Martin has worked in the forest carbon cycle and the role of forest management in greenhouse gas mitigation domestically and internationally and and is an advocate for using organic residues for bioenergy production as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facilitates connecting those interested in bioenergy with expertise and information, often through linkages with Bioenergy Australia, that are needed to advance bioenergy initiatives.

Mary Lewitzka (SA - Department for Energy and Mining)

Mary has worked in the area of Spatial Information Science for over 15 years and is a certified GIS Professional. She has experience with Spatial Projects in a variety of fields including; Water Resources, Coast & Marine, Ecology, Urban & Environmental Systems, Energy & Mining and Natural Resources Management working with Commonwealth, State and Local Governments and in the private sector. In her current position she is involved with industry development of bioenergy in South Australia from within SA Government.  She advocates for and provides information and support around bioenergy initiatives and potential projects, funding and networks.  Mary is also part of a national team collecting and providing spatial information on the location and volumes of biomass for the purpose of catalysing investment in bioenergy projects around Australia. Mary regularly engages and collaborates with State and Commonwealth Government agencies and consults widely with stakeholders including industry, business and community groups.  

Michael Burke (QLD - Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning)

Michael Burke is the Director of DSDILGP’s Biofutures Sectoral Team where he is responsible for delivering the $30 million Queensland Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan and the successful deployment of its programs. These include the $5 million Biofutures Industry Development Fund; the $4 million Biofutures Acceleration Program; and the $4 million Biofutures Commercialisation Program.  He has also overseen the implementation of two new resource recovery funding programs aimed at diverting and reprocessing waste in Queensland: the $100 million Resource Recovery Industry Development Program and the $5 million Waste to Biofutures Fund.  Michael has previously held senior policy and industry development roles within the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for the intensive animal and broad acre cropping industries. His background is in aquatic animal husbandry where he spent 15 years in a research capacity at the Bribie Island Aquaculture Research Centre. Michael has a Master of Aquaculture and post-graduate degree in aquatic animal health.

Phil Norman (QLD - Department of Environment and Science - DES)

Ron Master (WA - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development - DPIRD)

Ron works for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, based in Albany, on the south coast of WA. He has a background in soils and perennial pastures and has worked in the natural resource management area for most of his career. At the moment he is working in the Bioenergy area on the national ARENA project, Australian Biomass for Bioenergy Assessment (ABBA). This project is collating and analysing state-based data on biomass from agricultural, commercial and municipal source that can be used in the Bioeconomy. This data is publicly available on the national web mapping interface, AREMI. Ron also works on soil nutrient management for profitability and to reduce the loss of phosphorous to waterways. 

Sarah Chambers (NSW - Department of Regional NSW)

Sarah joined the Office of Regional Economic Development, as a Senior Project Officer, for investment attraction across Regional NSW, in December 2020. Sarah comes to this role as an International Trade & Investment specialist with 20 years of experience including both commercial trade development and government relations. Her key focus areas are opportunities for cross - border collaboration within the energy, infrastructure, and food and beverage processing sectors. In her previous role, with the Royal Danish Consulate in Sydney, she project managed the launch of the Danish Biogas alliance and worked with the member companies to build their pipeline of projects and advocate for the uptake of bioenergy technologies in Australia. Sarah is now bringing these areas of experience together to assist in the development of bioenergy projects across Regional NSW. 

Tracy Cui - ACT Government – energy innovation and policy

Yasmin Campbell -  Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation (RGDC)

Yasmin is the Manager of Precinct Planning and Delivery in the Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation.  Yasmin has over 12 years’ experience in the planning industry, with a focus on shaping strategic planning and planning policy. She has been involved with the establishment, direction and implementation of Special Activation Precincts across regional NSW.  Yasmin is passionate about developing innovative planning policy and turning these into practical outcomes and development.