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After a lengthy process which included consultation with industry stakeholders, the Sapphire Coast Tourism (SCT) Board was inducted on 20 June 2008 at Bega Valley Shire Council Chambers. The Board comprises a broad range of skills, from hands on tourism industry experience and knowledge of government systems and processes, to promotional and marketing expertise.
We are particularly fortunate to have Mr Bruce Leaver as our Chairman. Bruce has an incredible depth of knowledge and experience in the tourism industry and his leadership will play a vital role in ensuring that Sapphire Coast and the tourism industry takes full advantage of every opportunity.
It should be remembered that all Board members are unpaid volunteers who give up an inordinate amount of their own time to contribute to the future development of the local tourism industry, which is the backbone of our economy.
Many of you will be familiar with the new SCT Board members, but for those who are not, here is a brief biography for each of them:
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Bruce Leaver - Chairman
Bruce Leaver lives near Cobargo and works with the Commonwealth Government's Parks Australia section. He is currently working on major tourism planning projects for Kakadu and Uluru National Parks.
Mr Leaver has vast experience in natural resource management, nature based tourism and liaison with both government and private sectors. He is also co-convener (with Tourism Australia) of the National Landscapes Reference Committee. The National Landscapes project recently gained national media exposure as iconic landscapes around the nation, including the Wilderness Coast that runs from Bermagui to Lakes Entrance, and are identified to be promoted internationally by Tourism Australia.
Mr Leaver is a member of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Tourism Advisory Committee and has worked in protected area management in NSW, South Australia and Tasmania.
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Gordon Beattie - Deputy Chairman
Gordon Beattie is the director of Arrow Solutions, a consultancy with the theme ‘Making Things Happen by Design', working in the areas of events, conferences and festivals, cultural planning and policy, research, community consultation and cultural mapping, facilitation and change management.
Before settling at Brogo in 2001, he was senior lecturer in Theatre, Head of Performance and Chair of the Courses Management Committee in Design and Contemporary Arts at the University of Western Sydney.
Mr Beattie has more than 35 years' experience as a teacher, researcher, consultant and practicing artist working and leading major arts projects in Sydney and other areas of Australia.
He is chair of the Bega Valley Regional Gallery Advisory Committee, sits on the board of Fling Physical Theatre and is working with the Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre on strategic planning and the design for its first exhibition space.
He is also a member of the Bega Valley Shire Arts Network, an informal group of professional artists, gallery owners and managers, events organisers and cultural workers, representing a significant number of small businesses working in the Shire's creative and cultural industries.
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Tony Allen - BVSC Representative
The Mayor, Cr Tony Allen, is the council representative on the Board. He has lived in the Bega Valley all his life and has an extensive history of community service.
This includes12 years as Chair of the Cobargo Co-operative Society; Chair of the Southern Area Hospital Board; President of the Bega High School and Cobargo Public School P & C Associations as well as leadership in a variety of sporting and agriculture organisations.
He was elected to the Bega Valley Shire Council in 2002 and has been Mayor since 2005.
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Barry Harrison
For the past six years Barry Harrison and his wife Diane have managed Waterview Luxury Apartments in Merimbula.
Mr Harrison is past president of the Australian Resident Accommodation Mangers Association (ARAMA) - South Coast Division and in his spare time he is a member of the Merimbula Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol and annually attends the Cowra Wine Show in his position as Deputy Chief Steward.
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Janette Neilson
Ms Neilson has been a resident of the Bega Valley for 40 years and is owner of commercial Murray Grey property at Wallaga Lake, owning and running the MItreo10 hardware in Bermagui since 1994.
Formerly involved in the tourism industry for 30 years as a caravan park operator and represented the industry on various bodies, Ms Neilson was elected to Bega Shire Council in 1995 and finalized involvement as a Councillor and Deputy Mayor responsibilities in September 2008 when she decided not to re-nominate.
Ms Neilson is presently Secretary and a founding member of the Bega Valley Shire Business Forum; Vice President of Bermagui Chamber of Commerce; Board member of Bermagui Preschool; Board member of Sapphire Coast Tourism; Committee member of Bega Valley Fireweed Committee.
Over the years she has also held a variety of positions on residents associations and has been a member of the Batemans Marine Park Advisory Committee, National Parks Advisory Committee, Catchment Management Committee, and the Montreals Goldfields Committee among others.
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Tim Shepherd
Tim Shepherd has been the regional manager for National Parks for the Far South Coast, based in Merimbula, since 2000. His region extends from the border to Batemans Bay and inland to Braidwood and Bombala and includes 30 National Parks and other reserves that cover an area of about 450,000ha.
Before taking on that role he worked in a range of jobs with National Parks based in Sydney and Queanbeyan. He also spent a number of years working in National Parks ski resort management, based near Jindabyne. That involved the environmental management of major tourism developments and planning for the future of the ski fields.
Mr Shepherd sees National Parks as being really important now and in the future for tourism on the Sapphire Coast and looks forward to working with the tourism industry.
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Grant Webster
Grant Webster is manager of the Merimbula News Weekly and has lived in the Bega Valley Shire since March 2006.
He came from a small business background and gravitated to a career in advertising and journalism with Riverina Media Group in western NSW before establishing a communications consultancy in 2002 based mainly around the irrigation industry.
Mr Webster's experience extends to all aspects of communications and public relations, from copy writing and graphic design to event co-ordination, communications and media strategy development. He played a pivotal role in the 2004 United Nations International Year of Rice, including the co-ordination of displays and media liaison for the IYR launch at Parliament House, Canberra. Mr Webster has been successful in initiating and facilitating national media exposure for a number of his communications clients and has developed relationships with numerous media representatives throughout Australia.
He has also maintained a long-standing relationship with Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre, publishing the centre's newsletter for some time before moving to the area.
He brings to the board his insight into the media and communications fields and a desire to contribute fresh ideas to assist the Bega Valley take full advantage of its immense natural resources and tourism potential.
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Robert White
Robert White is presently the On-Site Manager and owner of the Tathra Beach Apartment business at Tathra and have been since 1990, which has 26 4˝ stars units.
He has around 30 years experience in establishing and operating hospitality business, both in Tathra and in the NSW Snowfields, including accommodation, restaurants and retails businesses.
He has experience as a developer of accommodation properties both in Tathra and Snowfields.
He has an involvement in the Tathra Chamber in a number of executive positions.
Robert is also a member of the 2007 Steering Committee established to advise on the "privatization" of SCT.
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