WOOSANG farmer and former Country Fire Authority chief officer Euan Ferguson is the new chairman of North Central Catchment Management Authority
He is one of three appointments to the board by Water Minister Harriet Shing announced on Monday.
Mr Ferguson will be joined by Boort farmer David Weaver who has a lifelong interest in the floodplains, lakes and streams in the area.
Now running the family farm with wife Kristin, Mr Ferguson has just finished a four-year term as a North East CMA board member.
He replaces outgoing North Central chair Julie Miller Markoff who has been appointed chair of the Victorian Environmental Water Holder.
Mr Ferguson said he had a clear focus on delivering lasting positive change through strong partnerships across the region.
“I have a focus on a continuity of delivery to support landholders, farmers, natural resources management stakeholders, and our broader communities,” he said.
“I want to consolidate the great work done under Julie’s leadership and I’m looking forward to working with new and existing Board members and staff.
“A core part of what the CMA does is to work alongside Landcare, traditional owners, governments, and other natural resource management organisations to get the job done for our communities. Partnerships are a key part of emergency services and recovery, and the North Central CMA has a proud record of working together with their communities to ensure the region’s land, water, and biodiversity are sustainably managed.
“We value those partnerships and recognise how important they are in creating a prosperous community in a changing climate.
“This is important work and work that has a big impact.”
Mr Ferguson was the community recovery co-ordinator for the Black Summer bushfires in northern New South Wales in 2019-2020 and the March 2018 Tathra bushfires, and recovery co-ordinator for the April 2017 Northern Rivers floods in New South Wales.
The former South Australian Country Fire Service and the Country Fire Authority chief officer is now a volunteer with Woosang Fire Brigade.
Mr Ferguson, Mr Weaver. Malmsbury’s Latarnie McDonald and Yea’s Olivia Lawson replace Graham Atkinson, Richard Carter, and Charlie Gillingham on the North Central CMA board. Continuing members are Mary Bignall, Jan Boynton, Sally Mitchell, and Clinton Tilley.
North Central CMA’s region covers 13 per cent of the state. It is bordered by the mighty Murray River to the north, which injects life into the land around it, the Great Dividing Range and Wombat State Forest to the south and Mt Camel Range to the east and delivers the overarching strategy for all involved in land, water and biodiversity management