Mulloon Consulting end of year roundup

Photo by Lance Mudgway on his trip to Kachana Station in the Kimberly

It’s been an exciting few months since our last update. Our team have been busy with design work, construction projects and delivery of our Learning Programs, and we’ve also been notified of our success with a couple of Australian Government Climate Smart Agriculture grants and a partnership with WaterNSW for work in the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment. We welcome three new members to the team, Mitch Lennon, Sharni Pike and Brooke Cunningham. We’re also delighted to have Penny Cooper increasing to a part-time role working in the consulting team. Sophie Drew is another welcome addition who will assist with administrative support.

While Peter Hazell’s focus has been on the Mulloon Rehydration Initiative and a report for WaterNSW, he’s also delivered some of our Learning Programs with Erin Healy for the Minyumai landholders near Evans Head, and for landholders in the Coolumbooka River district at Cathcart. Tony Wells has been up in Emerald, Queensland, with Sam Skeat for our Boots on Ground Day under the Communities of Practice Program (CoPP) and has continued mentoring work with landholders in the region. Peter also joined Jack Smart for some construction work in the Hovells Creek catchment (Central West NSW). Erin and Annabel Manning have been very busy with CoPP mentoring (wrapping up NSW and getting Victoria underway), as well as a number of other consulting design visits. Henry Burt has been finding his feet and working under Jack’s guidance. Max Brunswick recently travelled to Townsville in Northern Queensland to complete some maintenance work on a project in the region with NQ Dry Tropics.  Nolani McColl and GM Jono Forrest have been busy with the coordination of all of this, speaking with new clients, etc., as has Tam Connor managing all the Learning Programs.

In the West, Lance Mudgway has been busy delivering a number of Learning Programs, as well as finalising a project with Wheatbelt NRM for multiple landholders in the Gabby Quoi Quoi catchment, and finishing off the activities associated with the WA State NRM Community Stewardship Grant.  He also had a trip to Kachana Station in the Kimberley with Rangelands NRM.

At the start of December, we will be commencing construction work on a project along the Molonglo River.  This has taken a while to come to fruition; the project is related to the NSW Saving our Species program and involves interventions to help with the habitat of the last known Southern Tablelands population of the Green and Golden Bell Frog.  We’ll be sure to keep you updated as to the progress of construction work. Jack has worked tirelessly over the last few years to get to this point and will be joined by Max throughout the construction phase.

We recently had a wonderful staff training event at Mulloon’s Home Farm that was coordinated and led by Dr Laura Fisher. We were joined by a number of artists and First Nations partners to address different approaches to systems thinking and design, creative ways to deliver components of our Learning Programs and share experiences and knowledge.

As the year comes to a rapid close, we wish all of our clients a wonderful festive season and, hopefully, some time to relax and enjoy their natural surroundings. Thanks to Carolyn and the Board for your ongoing support and the wonderful team I work with – I’m excited for what we can deliver in 2025.

Jono Forrest
General Manager
Mulloon Consulting