Meet the team behind the Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party, helping you in eliminating Serrated Tussock across Victoria.
Lance Jennison is a resident of Bacchus Marsh and joined the VSTWP in 2016 after 11 years as a volunteer and Deputy Chair of the Grow West implementation committee with responsibilities for creating major bio links, establishing healthy soils and waterways in the Upper Werribee catchment. Grow West continues enhancing the farming landscapes to reduce the spread of noxious weeds, improve landholder skills and protect profitable farm land. Lance continues leading volunteer planting teams within Grow West and across the Victorian Mallee.
Lance is a member of Werribee Gorge and Long Forest Friends group and is responsible for managing their native plant nursery and supports weed removal programs; he is also a volunteer with the Friends of Werribee River. He was the inaugural Chair of Friends of Lerderderg Gorge. He is a Director on the Board of Bacchus Marsh/Bendigo Community Bank and Chair of the Governance and Audit committee.
He is a consumer representative on a Western Health steering committee. Lance has held Director positions on Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority Board and has been a member on two State Environmental Advisory Councils.
Lance manages a family property business and supports a family farm in East Gippsland.
Peter has been a member of the Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party since 1998 and was Chair of the group from 2005 to 2008 and again in 2015.
He has lived in the Barrabool Hills for 24 years, currently residing on a 70 acre property which has been set up for breeding horses.
Peter is a rural property consultant for RT Edgar and was the manager of the Roxby Merino Stud and South Roxby property of 3500 acres at Gnarwarre from 1989 to 1998 which ran 10,000 fine wool sheep.
He is an inaugural member of Barrabool Hills Landcare, Chair of Barwon Recreational Motorcycling, and Life Member of the Geelong Agricultural and Pastoral Society.
Graham has a background in agriculture and farming, having travelling around on sales positions to many areas of Victoria. He is passionate about the future of farming and is based around Bacchus Marsh. He is keen to get some action in his region and reduce the impact of Serrated Tussock.
Graham has joined the VSTWP after a long career in agriculture and has a formal background training from Ag College. His working life was in agriculture, grass seed production, artificial breeding of cattle and the production cocksfoot and rye grass seed.
He is looking forward to next 12 months with the VSTWP and encouraging groups to apply for the community grant program.
Graham is keen to attend events in western Victoria, such as Sheepvention and the Ararat show.
Lachlan recently joined the VSTWP to represent the Wimmera region and educate the community around the Ararat catchment. He currently works for Project Platypus on a number of project.
Project Platypus was established in 1994 when it became obvious that the huge land and water degradation problems in the area were too extensive to be managed by individual landholders and Landcare groups. Project Platypus acts as an umbrella organisation for the eleven Landcare groups of the Upper Wimmera Catchment to deliver large scale projects.
Lachlan manages a small farm at the base of the Grampians National Park and enjoys restoring the landscape he is managing.
Bruce grew up on a sheep property in remote WA, and graduated from Muresk College of Agriculture in 1968. He joined ICI Rural Division based in Katanning, WA, from where he carried out a series of field trials concerned with the technique of Direct Drilling winter crops. In 1973 he joined the WA Dept. of Agriculture to carry out an extension program based around Albany to eradicate the Sheep Measles disease, which resulted in a complete reduction of the disease in the area.
In 1976 he re-joined ICI Rural to develop the Direct Drilling concept across the southern half of the WA wheat belt. In 1980 he was transferred to Young in NSW to commence extension of the technique across the SW Slopes and Central West. In 1982 he left ICI to establish his own agronomy practice, which led to an interest in computer programming.
In 1990 he and his family moved to Melbourne, where he established a software development business that still operates today. Since moving to Point Cook three years ago he has semi-retired, and developed an interest in community environmental activities. He is a founding member of Point Cook Open Spaces, a graduate of Wyndham City Council’s Building Blocks program, a member of the Wyndham City Council Environment Portfolio Committee, and a committee member of the Werribee River Association.
He is particularly interested in involving suburban community groups in environmental projects across both urban and rural areas.
Joe is a resident near Bacchus Marsh and has lived there for two decades.
Over that time he has seen the devastating effect that Serrated Tussock has on native grasses and pastures and the result of its infestation if left unchecked.
Joe is keen to lend his experience in dealing with serrated tussock over the past two decades and help the VSTWP on events and strategic direction.
Charles has a strong history in invasive plant management, and was a former researcher at the State Government. He completed a Phd in Chilean Needle Grass control methods, and is a well known local farming contractor. Charles will be an excellent addition to the committee and is excited to be on board
I became interested in the VSTWP through my Landcare work and farming background and I have a real desire to help landholders, Shires and DELWP to control all weeds as they are such a detriment to our environment. We have an smallish infestation of serrated tussock around Hamilton and Pierrepoint and I see what it can do when I travel through areas of severe infestation. I appreciate the backup and support of the VSTWP as we deal with our local infestation and feel Committee’s like this have a important role to play in education and control of serrated tussock as a State wide issue.
Topsy looks forward to providing strategic direction to Serrated Tussock control and management in Victoria and beyond.
I have experience in Computer Systems Support and Development, Systems Auditing and Management. I am a CPA (Retired) and have held the Certified Information Systems Auditor qualification. I had thirty years experience in large banking businesses prior to moving into full time farming.
Over the last fifty years I have been farming in the Bacchus Marsh region, mainly beef cattle production. During this time Serrated Tussock (ST) has become a significant problem. I have devoted a lot of time and money in the control of this weed. My main aim is to decrease the impact of ST across Victoria thereby participating in the STWP will assist with this goal.
TBC