Chairperson

Tas Rainbow

Tas has recently sold a sand mine he and wife Viv had owned and operated at Kamona near Scottsdale for 22 years. He has lived in the North East all his life and is keen to see Dorset Municipality developed to its full potential.

He is an active member of the community through the Rotary Club of Scottsdale and is Chairman of the Board of the Northbourne Park Aged Care Facility. Tas was elected to the Chair of Dorset EDG in October 2008 for his second stint as Chairman.

Tas has a no nonsense approach to business and believes strongly in the "KISS" (keep it simple stupid) principle. Tas's strong links with the greater business community give Dorset EDG a valuable asset when assessing business and employment proposals.

Vice Chairman

Stephen Love

Stephen has owned and operated Galloway's Pharmacy in Scottsdale since 1985.

He has an active interest in Aged Care, and is a past Chairman, current vice Chairman, and longest serving current Board member of the Aminya Hostel aged care facility in Scottsdale.

He is an active member in a number of local community organisations, including Rotary at club and state level.

For many years Stephen has been an advocate for the community in promoting the establishment of improved mobile phone and other communication services for the northeast of Tasmania. He worked with Telstra MobileNet management  to co-ordinate the business plan which saw Scottsdsale become the first rural location in Australia to have a GSM service introduced where there had been no previous analogue mobile phone coverage.

Treasurer

John Martin

John is the General Manager of Dorset Council and has been in Local Government managerial roles for the past 28 years.

He has specialized in the financial sustainability and human resources of Council and is currently engaged with Council in pursing a number of economic development projects in Dorset.

John has actively encouraged and pursued the strategic improvements of Council and regional infrastructure projects such as roads and community facilities and services for beneficial economic and social outcomes.

Tertiary qualified in Business John is an advocate for productive partnerships between all tiers of Government, private enterprise and other agencies for the future sustainable growth of the North Eastern Region of Tasmania.

Public Officer

Robin Thompson

Robin is the Manager Extensive Agriculture for the Department of Primary Industries and Water (DPIW). He is based mostly at DPIW Prospect offices, and sometimes in his Scottsdale office.

Robin has a mixed farming operation at West Scottsdale. He has considerable experience in the agriculture industry, both at a practical level and also from a strategic research and administrative perspective.

Robin brings a strategic focus to Dorset EDG, and also an energetic and outcome-driven approach. He is a strong advocate for the North East community having a more active involvement in economic development, and sees great potential for further growth and diversification in the agriculture sector.

John Williams

John and his family live at Legerwood operating a very successful dairy farm and potato harvesting contract business. He also does a lot of development work and grows potatoes. John has strong links to the sporting community through the activities of his children. John's experience is of great assistance to Dorset EDG when assessing agricultural projects.

Peter Bird

Peter is the Forest Manager (Bass District) for Forestry Tasmania. His area of responsibility comprises 400,000 hectares of State forest in northeastern Tasmania. These forests are managed for multiple uses including wood production, tourism, conservation and recreation. Peter also manages the Forest EcoCentre in Scottsdale which is one of Tasmania’s icon tourist attractions.

Peter has worked in the forest industry since 1981 and moved to the Dorset municipality in 1995.

Production forestry is a major industry for the Dorset Municipality and Peter’s participation in the group is well founded. Dorset EDG assesses forestry and land management related projects with Peter's valuable assistance.

Jeremy Carins

Jeremy Carins is a dairy farmer at Legerwood. He has been involved with many community organisations in Dorset over the last 30 years.

Jeremy is currently Chairman of the Dorset Natural Resource Management (NRM) Committee, President of the North-Eastern Football Union and a member of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) Water Standing Committee.

Ian Farquhar

Ian has recently retired from commercial farming in the North East. Ian's farm had a production history in vegetables, herbage, parsley oil, meat, wool and farm timber. Ian retains a commercial interest in a business that provides a distillation service to essential oil growers in the North East. Also, Ian is involved with the on going development of a Wasabi based business in Tasmania.

Ian has extensive experience serving on many community boards based in the North East. This experience has allowed Dorset EDG to look more closely at proposals involving training and development of young people in the Dorset Municipality.

Wayne Cuthbertson

Wayne operates his own business, Good Earth Tasmania Consultancy. His skills are in the areas of marketing and public relations, economic and tourism development opportunities and the facilitation of projects. His work involves the co-ordination of cultural, heritage, environment and landscape values; comprehensive consultation and liaison with the community and the three tiers of government, as well as with forestry and environmental groups; and implementation of project packages incorporating town planners, surveyors, architects and builders. Wayne is also Chairman of the North East Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the North East Tasmania Tourism Board.

Tom Ransom

Tom is a former General Manager of Dorset Council, a current Dorset Councillor, and has extensive expertise and experience as a consultant to Local Government at State level.

In 2008 Dorest EDG amended it's rules to include one nominated board seat for a Dorset Council nominee. Tom joined the Board of Dorset EDG in this capacity at our 2008 AGM.

Roger Bignell

After gaining a diploma in farm management at Glenorminston College, Victoria in 1978, Roger moved to Waterhouse and began operating a large grazing enterprise known as "Kananga". He has continued to do this for the past 30 years. Over the years he has witnessed the diminishing viability of dry land grazing and has seen many young families leave the district. Roger is passionate about seeing this trend reversed through developments such as the North East Irrigation Scheme, which will create a future for the next generation.

Roger is secretary of the Waterhouse Landcare Group and was fire captain for the local fire brigade for 17 years.

Recently elected Board Members, details to be added later:
 

Steven Creese, Bowood farmer