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Specialising in natural resource and social planning; community consultation and facilitation; values mapping and consensus building, mediation and conflict resolution; policy development; program and organisational diagnosis and development.

Grassy White Box Woodlands - Taking Action Now!

The Rural Liaison Officers each play a central role in the project. Each is an active landholder with a strong interest in conservation management of the land and its vegetation, and good knowledge of their local region. The RLOs work part-time with this project.

Each RLO works in his or her own region, seeking out other landholders and managers with a good patch of Grassy White Box Woodland (GWB) on their property. They are in touch with scientists and Government agency staff able to provide technical advice on conservation management of these remnant patches, and provide a pathway from landholders back to the scientific community.

The RLOs also have a sound working knowledge of the various incentive programs available to assist landholders in fencing out areas and changing management of them.

In the North

Toni McLeish describes herself as “intelligent, interesting, capable, humorous, talented, practical, one of you, wife, mother of three daughters and grazier”. She and her husband Robert run a 4000 acre grazing property at Upper Manilla and have Grassy White Box Woodlands on their property. Greening Australia has an Agroforestry trial on the property and Toni and Robert will be soon planting a native cut flower trial. They are also in the process of developing an environmental tourism enterprise. Toni has been very involved in Landcare activities in her area.

Toni McLeish
"Kurrajong Hills"
Upper Manilla NSW 2346
Ph/fax 02-6785 6504
email: tmcleish@tpg.com.au

In the Central West

Geoff Tonkin was raised on his family's mixed farm at Molong. He has been actively involved in running that farm and his own farm at Cumnock for the past 30 years as well as the Murrabar Merino Stud. In the mid '80s he began a seed collection and propagation programme and fenced off substantial areas of remnant vegetation including 8ha of Grassy White Box Woodland. Geoff is vice-chair of the Wellington/Dubbo District Landcare management group. He is also a member of the popular 'November Shorn' bush band.

Geoff Tonkin
"Murrabar"
Cumnock NSW 2867
Ph 02-6367 7226
Fax 02-6367 7035
email: geoff.tonkin@bigpond.com

In the South

Ray Dowling is a farmer and grazier running Murray Grey beef cattle and growing winter cereal crops at Murringo, 25 kms east of Young. Ray was born and raised in the Grassy White Box Woodland environment and he has been long concerned at its gradual decline . He has a life long interest in conservation which has led to various soil conservation, pasture improvement and tree planting works on his property.

Ray has been active in a campaign to save the endangered Superb Parrot, with National Parks and Wildlife Service and Greening Australia, having an involvement with some 50 km of direct seeded and 6000 tube stock trees being planted. Secetary of the local Landcare group, Ray has managed a Work For The Dole project to do weed removal, tree planting and fencing of remnant vegetation and he also propagates local tree species for use in local Landcare projects. His other interests include travel, bushwalking and cross-country skiing.

Ray Dowling “Braeburn”
Murringo Via Young 2594
Ph 02-6384 6319
email: rayd@hn.ozemail.com.au

Team leaders

Jane Elix & Judy Lambert
Community Solutions
179 Sydney Rd
Fairlight NSW 2094
Ph & fax 02-9948 7862
Or 02-9332 3913
email: jane@communitysolutions.com.au &  judy@communitysolutions.com.au