East Coast Catchments Committee

The East Coast Catchments Committee (ECCC) was established by the Landscape Recovery Foundation, with support from Glamorgan Spring Bay Council, to provide leadership, local expertise, and strategic guidance for natural resource management (NRM) in Glamorgan Spring Bay Municipality. The committee comprises local community members who bring diverse experiences and insights to the committee, reflecting various community interests. The committee provides perspectives, advice, and guidance to the LRF in the implementation Glamorgan Spring Bay NRM & Climate Resilience Strategy.

Would you like to be part of it?

We would like to hear from people interested in joining the Committee to support the implementation of the Strategy. Ideal candidates will have experience or skills in the following:

  • Geographic representation across the East Coast Catchments

  • Industry expertise in primary production sectors (agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, commercial fishing, viticulture)

  • Community perspectives on conservation and land management

  • Tourism and local business experience

  • Cultural heritage - with a particular focus on aboriginal heritage

  • Communications and marketing skills

  • Finance and fundraising abilities

  • Stakeholder engagement and partnership-building expertise

Interested in joining?

Please submit a cover letter and CV to mel.fazackerley@landscaperecovery.org, clearly outlining:

  • How your skills and experience align with required skills and experience we are seeking

  • Your interest in Tasmania’s East Coast, and

  • Your ability to effectively communicate and raise awareness of NRM issues and initiatives within the community

The LRF acknowledges the important contributions of past members of the ECCC who significantly contributed to developing the Glamorgan Spring Bay NRM & Climate Resilience Strategy.

Committee Members

Sarah Graham (Chair)

Sarah has been visiting, working and living on Tasmania’s East Coast since 1964. She has qualifications in Science, Teaching and Natural Resource Management, and recently retired from a 34-year career in the State Government where she worked in fisheries, parks and wildlife, nature conservation and environmental remediation. Sarah has skills in communications, strategic planning and community engagement, experience in wildlife, water and waste management, and a passion for the communities and natural values on the East Coast.

Josie Kelman

I have a passion for working on action which leads to positive landscape change. Landscapes include freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems and the people who inhabit them. I have worked in environmental management for 20 years, working in both scientific and community engagement roles. The main focus of my research interests are in designing and evaluating conservation project effectiveness i.e. how to get bang for limited buck!

My ecological expertise is as a botanist and vegetation management specialist, working in both Queensland and Tasmania as a botanist and program manager. I have worked extensively with the farming community, with a particular interest in pastoral systems. This work is close to my heart as my parents and much of my extended family are/were farmers.

I enjoy the fabulous contrasts life offers, from being in remote areas listening to the silence, to cruising on my motorcycle, to being in meetings discussing intellectually challenging ideas and having interesting debates – sometimes all in one day. I am also a fan of frocking up and going to the theatre!

If you are interested in becoming a member of the East Coast Catchments Committee contact mel.fazackerley@landscaperecovery.org

Cassie Melrose

Cassie Melrose has 25 years experience in the oyster industry owning and operating Melshell Sea Farms with her husband Ian. She is passionate about protecting the water ways of Tasmania and views oysters as a regenerative species to grow in harmony with our natural environment. Cassie and Ian live on site at the Oyster Farm with their 2 boys at Dolphin Sands, often sharing their love of the East Coast bushwalking and boating with visitors. 

Erika Maginnis

Erica has a strong connection to the region’s people and environment. With 13 years’ experience in HR and governance roles across the environmental sector—including 10 years at The Wilderness Society and now at Sea Forest—she brings practical skills in policy, compliance, and workplace systems that suit regional settings. Erica is committed to sustainability projects that protect, restore and promote our unique and beautiful environment of Tasmania and Australia, and believes it is achieved through communities having clear processes, good communication, and local collaboration.