Speaker Biographies
Major General Dave Chalmers AO, CSC
Major General Dave Chalmers graduated from the Royal Military College Duntroon in December 1980 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. Major General Chalmers was National Commander of the Australian Contingent on Operation Tanager in East Timor in 2001/2002. He also commanded Combined Joint Task Force 629; the ADF relief effort in Sumatra following the 2004 Tsunami. Major General Chalmers was made a Member of the Order of Australia in Jan 2003 for his service in East Timor and promoted to become an Officer of the Order of Australia in Jun 2006 for distinguished service as the Commander, Combined Joint Task Force 629 on Operation Sumatra Assist. Major General Chalmers has been the Operational Commander of the Northern Territory Emergency Response since its inception in June 2007.
Minister Robert Knight- Member for Daly
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Rob was born and raised in Launceston, Tasmania. He has lived and worked across the Territory for almost 20 years including roles in hospitality, land management and indigenous communities. He has also worked for Local, Territory and Commonwealth Governments. He has been the Member for Daly since 2005. Prior to becoming a Minister in early 2008 he was the Government Whip, Chairman of Committees and Deputy Speaker. He is currently the Minister for Housing, Local Government, Essential Services and Public Employment. He has made a name for himself with his roll-up-his-sleeves attitude and extensive travel to meet as many Territorians as he can.
Ms Julia Hardaker- Executive Officer AMRRIC- AMRRIC Update
Julia’s has a background in health and management in the Non-Government, Not for Profit programs sector. Twenty two years in rural NSW, coordinating and facilitating programs for Non Indigenous and Indigenous women and families. Studies in Community Development and Peace Studies lead her to Afghanistan to establish a Capacity Building and community development program that included mentoring and training community members to ensure sustainability. She supported remote programs and developed multiple training packages. Julia moved to the NT in 2006 to coordinate an Indigenous Health Care Program in the Southern Barkly Communities. Her interests in community development and sustainability lead her to AMRRIC.
Ms Janet Robinson QLD HEalth- "Improving environmental health outcomes in Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through community based animal management programs".
Janet holds the position of Senior Environmental Health Adviser within the Environmental Health Policy and Research Section of the Environmental Health Unit, Queensland Health. Janet is based in Brisbane. Prior to her appointment to the Environmental Health Unit, Janet worked as an environmental health officer with the Brisbane Northside Population Health Unit of Queensland Health and in local government. She was raised in North Queensland in the Innisfail-Tully area and moved to Brisbane in 1985. Prior to commencing her career in environmental health, Janet worked in hospitality and in retail pharmacy. Among her responsibilities in her current position is the administration and oversight of various components of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Environmental Health program with a particular focus on the implementation of community animal management programs.
Ms Megan Prendergast- Attitudes of Indigenous Australians that may influence uptake of desexing programs: A Case Study
Megan is a student from the University of Sydney who conducted a research year in 2007 investigating factors associated with the unwanted dog problem in rural NSW. The study featured analysis of pound statistics and interview questionnaires with rural dog owners, and she attended several dog health programs in rural and Indigenous communities. Megan is due to graduate as a vet in December.
Mr Robert (Bob) Small-How Dog Health Programs Can Work - Umbakumba Style
Bob has been with the NT Department of Health and Families (Nhulunbuy) for a little over 8 years, all of which have been in East Arnhem providing environmental health services throughout the region. Prior to his current position in East Arnhem he was employed as an EHO with the Shire of Augusta Margaret River and immediately before that with the Royal Australian Air Force for 21 years, 6 as an EHO. Bob’s experience as an EHO is extensive. Along with the normal statutory requirements with Food, Boarding Houses and Public Health matters, the role of the EHO in East Arnhem, like all rural areas of the Northern Territory take them to many remote and in some cases isolated communities. Visiting remote communities, large and small all have their own individual challenges. Much of the focus is to assess and provide environmental health services that will give the greatest benefit in achieving good health outcomes for those community members.Services may include infrastructure assessment, personal hygiene awareness, house cleaning information and the provision of cleaning equipment, and in many cases, particularly in larger communities, facilitating and assisting with Dog Health programs. Bob enjoys his role in East Arnhem and the life style it offers. Bob is committed to achieving good health outcomes in remote Aboriginal communities and is fully aware of the dedication required by all parties to achieve good results.
Nesman Bara co presenting How Dog Health ProgramsCan Work - Umbakumba Style
Nesman is an Indigenous Environmental Health Worker (IEHW) living and working at Umbakumba on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The NT Health & Families Environmental Health program sponsors Nesman and has been with the program for approximately 8 years. Nesman is studying environmental health through Batchelor College and is nearing completion of his Certificate IV level and has been a member of the Umbakumba Community Council for the past two years.Nesman, through his council employ 3 ladies also studying at Batchelor to assist him in his day-to-day duties in addressing and providing environmental health services. Nesman is passionate about his community and the need for all community members to maintain good personal health. Nesman’s duties include maintaining housing maintenance and cleaning programs, hygiene programs, particularly with the community’s women’s groups and school children along with coordinating regular dog health programs. Nesman has an uncanny knack of knowing where his role as an IEHW is needed. He has a great rapport with his fellow community members, his council, government and non-government agencies at all levels. His ability to achieve good results in the name of environmental health on his community is very commendable. Nesman looks forward to maintaining his position as the IEHW for Umbakumba and improving the health outcomes of all his community population.
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Darren Hickey B.App.Sc(Ag), T.C.A. RSPCA (Victoria) Regional Inspector - Gippsland-Dog Health programs
Darren Hickey is the RSPCA (Victoria) Inspector based in eastern regional Victoria. Commencing with RSPCA (Victoria) in Melbourne in 1997, he took up the country position in 2001. Prior to working for RSPCA (Victoria) he was with the Agricultural Business Research Institute in Armidale, NSW for 6 years. Darren then undertook project based work for a horticultural industry group in western NSW during 1996-97. Darren's work with RSPCA (Victoria) provides many opportunities to improve the lives of animals subjected to cruelty or neglect. He finds the most rewarding aspect of his current role is being able to provide animal owners with the knowledge and skills to give their animal's a better quality of life. Darren's relationship with AMRRIC began in 2006 when he began implementing a dog health program at an Aboriginal community located at Lake Tyers in east Gippsland.
Miss Bonnie Cumming-The Value of Volunteering
Bonny is a final year veterinary student at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. Having grown up in Toowoomba with a Mother who is a wildlife carer, her interest in animals of all types was developed from an early age. During high-school she began working at Australia Zoo on weekends and holidays. Initially keeping in various departments at the zoo, Bonny eventually transferred to the zoo's Wildlife Hospital, where she currently works as a vet nurse when she's not studying. Her association with AMRRIC began relatively recently when she volunteered on their Kintore program. Bonny has also recently returned from a trip to Sumatra where she volunteered in an elephant conservation camp. Prior to this her travels include attending a student conference in South Africa regarding the utilisation of wildlife, as well as numerous trips to Cape York working with the zoo's crocodile research team and performing ecological surveys of the area. Eventually Bonny hopes to combine her love of the environment and its wildlife, with her desire to work towards developing sustainable community projects. Bonny's interests include photography, music and travelling.
Dr Sophie Constable Approaches to Community Education in two Rural and Remote Indigenous communities: 2 case studies Constable SE, Dixon RM, Rixon RJ
Dr Constable is a veterinarian with a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Education through Charles Darwin University and a Masters of Educational Studies, focusing on Indigenous Education, from the University of Newcastle. She is an educator in both the Pets and People Education Program and the Australian Veterinary Association/RSPCA Community Animal Welfare Scheme in rural NSW. Dr Constable is also contributing to AMRRIC as a PhD student in the ARC Linkage Grant project, Healthy Dogs, Healthy People.
Mr Scott McIntyre- Implementing integrated, community-based animal management programs in Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island local governments.
Scott McIntyre holds the position of Animal Management Project Adviser within the Tropical Population Health Unit, Queensland Health. This position is based in Cairns, FNQ however it has statewide responsibility. Scott has had significant experience working in Indigenous communities including Thamarrurr Regional Council in the NT where he was involved natural resource management. As the land management coordinator to the Northern Land Council Scott was involved in the coordination of land management activities throughout the Daly River – Port Keats Aboriginal Land Trust. Prior to joining Queensland Health, Scott was Project Adviser to the Indigenous Land Corporation based in Brisbane. In his current position, Scott is responsible for advising and assisting Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait local governments to plan and implement community animal management programs.
Geoff Irwin, Vice President AIAM, Local Government Involving the Community
Geoff Irwin has been working in Local Government since 1976 and is a graduate of the Public Sector Management Certificate from Flinders University. In recent years Geoff has been the Coordinator Animal Management with the Gold Coast City Council, is the Vice President of the Australian Institute of Animal Management and has been a member of the AVA Centre for Companion Animals since it inception. Geoff is proud of his aboriginal heritage and has a passionate interest in animal ownership which has been a driving force in achieving positive outcomes for the Gold Coast Community who choose whether to own pets or not.
