The Hon Madeleine King MP

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Parliament of Australia

The Hon. Madeleine King was sworn in as Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia on 1 June 2022 following election of the Albanese Government.

She was first elected to Parliament in 2016, representing the seat of Brand on the outskirts of Perth, where she was born and grew up.

The seat includes some of Perth’s heavy industries, including the HMAS Stirling naval base on Garden Island and the Kwinana Industrial Area. Her father worked at the BP oil refinery in Kwinana and her mother and grandmother ran a drapery store in Rockingham.

She was promoted to the shadow ministry in 2018 and has served as Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs and Small Business, Shadow Minister for Trade and Shadow Minister for Resources.

Before entering parliament, Minister King worked as an adviser to former minister Gary Gray, who had responsibility for Northern Australia and Resources. She also held senior executive roles at The University of Western Australia and served as the inaugural Chief Operating Officer at the Perth USAsia Centre.

As a shadow minister, a former political adviser and through Parliamentary committee work, she was a regular visitor to Northern Australia and has been deeply engaged in issues surrounding development in the north.

Minister King has a strong interest in ensuring the benefits of economic development are shared fairly and create opportunities for all segments of Australian society.

Minister King has a law degree from the University of Western Australia in Perth.

She is also a keen hockey enthusiast, and was a member of the WA Women’s Masters Hockey Team from 2012 to 2015.

The Hon Murray Watt

Senator for Queensland Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Minister

Senator Susan McDonald

Shadow Minister for Northern Australia, Special Envoy for Northern Australia, Parliament of Australia

Bio coming soon.

The Hon Nicole Manison

Deputy Chief Minister, Northern Territory Government

• Deputy Chief Minister
• Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services
• Minister for Mining and Industry
• Minister for Northern Australia and Trade
• Minister for Defence Industries
• Minister for Agribusiness and Aquaculture
• Minister for International Education

Nicole is a born and bred Territorian, passionate about making a positive difference in her community.

She has been the Member for Wanguri since 2013 and is also Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Minister for Mining and Industry, Minister for Northern Australia and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Agribusiness and Aquaculture and Minister for International Education.

Nicole’s driving passion is to create more jobs across the Northern Territory and grow the economy. She believes that will create better opportunities for all Territorians and strengthen our schools, health system, housing and community safety.

Nicole is a proud local and grew up in the Wanguri electorate. She went to local schools including Holy Spirit School, Dripstone Middle School and Casuarina Senior College before attending Curtin University and studying Journalism and Public Relations. She has worked in the NT public sector and in the WA private sector in communications and human resources. She has also worked as a media adviser and a senior government adviser.

Nicole has always loved sport and fitness. She played and coached for the Waratah Netball Club for many years and has won two premierships with the Waratah Football Club. Nicole still enjoys running to keep herself fit and active. She has completed a marathon and hopes to run another one day.
Nicole lives in the Wanguri electorate with her husband Scott and their children Aiden, Grace and Chloe.

The Hon Glenn Butcher

Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water, Queensland Government

Bio coming soon.

Darren Godwell

Chief Executive Officer, I2I Global

“Godwell is one of Australia’s most well credentialed Indigenous executives with several Board appointments and executive responsibility for his own company i2i Global. i2i Global is an Indigenous advisory firm providing support to Clients on matters of economics, enterprise and business development, business strategy and investment, trade and Indigenous interests in exports.

In 2022, Minister Ken Wyatt appointed Darren Co-Chair of his National Indigenous Reference Group. He is also a co-founder of Indigenous led, industry association the Australian Indigenous Network for Investment, Trade and Export (IGNITE).

Darren has completed executive education at INSEAD Business School (France) and MIT’s Sloan Management School and is a proud descendent of the Kokoberren peoples of Queensland.”

Colin Saltmere

Managing Director of the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu Aboriginal Corporation, the Myuma and Rainbow Gateway companies

Mr Colin Saltmere is the Managing Director of the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu Aboriginal Corporation, the Myuma and Rainbow Gateway companies, and is an Adjunct Professor with the university of Queensland’s Aboriginal Environments Research Centre. Colin is an Indjalandji-Dhidhanu Man and is based in Camooweal, Queensland. Colin brings over 45 years of experience to the Indigenous Reference Group and has been successful in developing and expanding a suite of Indigenous civil construction, hospitality, catering, labour hire and training businesses.

Kim Mahood

Centrefarm Associate

Kim is a writer, visual artist and consultant. She has worked as a writer and consultant on national Indigenous art exhibitions, including the Songlines exhibition for the National Museum of Australia, and has developed cross-cultural mapping projects with Aboriginal groups in Perth, the Kimberley, Central Australia and western NSW. Her mapping work is designed to foster communication and understanding between traditional custodians of country and the non-Indigenous stakeholders with an interest in the same country.

Joe Clarke

Group General Manager, Centrefarm

Joe is an Arrernte man from Central Australia. He has extensive experience in the community sector with the Central Land Council, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress and the Centrecorp Foundation. Joe is known across Central Australia for his role as a long-standing radio sports anchor and football commentator. Joe is the Group General Manager of Centrefarm and plays a key role in managing the Alekarenge horticultural Work Experience Pathway Project.

Tony Renehan

Business Strategy Officer, Centrefarm

Tony has significant experience working with Aboriginal organisations in Central Australia, holding a strong understanding of remote Aboriginal cultures and practices, a strong understanding of the Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act 1976 and substantial knowledge of good governance structures in the Northern Territory. He has expertise in logistics management, training and staff development, and with planning and organisational aspects of strategic meetings.

Vincent Lange

CEO, Centrefarm

Vin comes from a strong agribusiness and business development background. He has successfully created and run small, medium and large businesses in Australia and Europe. Vin has a strong understanding of the economic development space with particular focus in remote area development. With an ability to clearly and quickly identify opportunities and challenges, and to develop robust and workable responses, Vin’s innovative approach and business acumen underpins Centrefarm’s success.

Narelle Pearse

Vice-President, Students & Corporate Services, CQUniversity

Narelle is the Vice President (Students & Corporate Services) at CQUniversity. CQUniversity has 27 locations across Australia, strongly based in the regions, and Narelle’s portfolio includes Strategic Planning & Risk, Business Intelligence & Analytics, Finance, Commercialisation, and Student services.
Narelle holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Masters of Commerce, Executive MBA, Graduate Diploma in Economic Development, and a Graduate Diploma in Psychology. She has over 20 years of experience in the private sector and prior to joining CQU in 2014, she was the CEO of the Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday Regional Economic Development Corporation (REDC). Narelle is currently undertaking a PhD exploring the role of regional universities in the development of future workforces.

Daniel Kimberley

Founding Director, Monsoon Aquatics

Daniel Kimberley is a visionary and leader within the ornamental marine industry and Founding Director of Monsoon Aquatics, Australia’s largest marine collector and wholesaler, and Australian Exporter of the Year 2021. With facilities in Darwin, Cairns and Bundaberg, and collection capability stretching from Gladstone to Exmouth, Monsoon Aquatics ship to over 20 countries all around the world.

Dan is passionate, driven and has obsession level knowledge and qualifications in all aspects of the industry. He and the Monsoon team are focussed on a sustainable future, receiving a federal Accelerating Commercialisation grant for their current work on coral spawning and grow out, with the ultimate goal of reef restoration.

Heidi Lee

Chief Executive Officer, Beyond Zero Emissions

Heidi Lee is Chief Executive Officer of Beyond Zero Emissions, a leading Australian think tank demonstrating how the country can prosper in a zero-emissions economy. She led the organisation's recent Million Jobs Plan, which showed how in just five years, renewables and zero-emissions projects can deliver 1.8 million new jobs in the regions and communities that these are needed most.
BZE's current work is focused on Renewable Energy Industrial Precincts: demonstrating how Australia's manufacturing sector can be powered by renewable energy, deliver regional jobs, secure domestic supply chains, and export zero-emissions products to global markets.

Claire Martin

National President, AILA

Claire Martin is a Fellow and President of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, and Associate Director of OCULUS where she has led the delivery of a range of education, health, cultural, and infrastructural projects. She is passionate about design advocacy and education, and is the Asia-Pacific Region Chair of the International Federation of Landscape Architects’ Climate Change Working Group, a contributing editor of Landscape Architecture Australia, and a member of the Office of the Victorian Government Architect’s Victorian Design Review Panel and RMIT University’s Landscape Architecture Industry Advisory Committee, where she has taught, and is an invited critic.

Kylie Porter

Chief Executive Officer Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) Kylie Porter is the Chief Executive Officer of Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3). GW3 is the peak independent, economic development organisation for the Mackay, Isaac, Whitsunday region. The organisation is a strategic and coordinated point of contact for local, national and international networks and advocates for, and promotes prosperity across the Greater Whitsunday region. GW3’s focus is not centred on one specific industry and has a remit to deliver across all key driving industries in the region including mining and METS, agriculture, tourism, bio-futures and others. Kylie more than 25 years professional marketing and corporate communications experience, and is well versed on all the big issues the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday region today. She also is a Director of C-Res, a company which delivers the Local Buying Program across Australia in partnership with BHP.

The Hon Darren West MLC

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Regional Development; Agriculture and Food; Hydrogen Industry, and Member for Agricultural Region

Darren was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Council in 2013 and represents the Agricultural Region which spans from Northampton to Esperance covering around 260 000 square km.

The Agricultural Region contains the electorates of Geraldton, Moore, Central Wheatbelt and Roe along with 61 Local Governments and over 150 schools.

Darren is Parliamentary Secretary to Minister Alannah MacTiernan who holds the portfolios of Agriculture and Food, Regional Development and Hydrogen Industry. Darren is the only working farmer in the WA Parliament.

Before entering Parliament, Darren ran the family farm at Jennacubbine near Northam in Western Australia and spent six years as Chair of WA’s Wheatbelt Development Commission.

Belinda Drew

CEO, Community Services Industry Alliance (CSIA)

Belinda Drew is CEO of Community Services Industry Alliance (CSIA), where she has been the driving force behind CSIA since its inception. Under her leadership, CSIA has become a collaborative, innovative organisation, building strong relationships across Industry and Government to advance the community services industry through doing business better. Her passion for social investment, innovation and transformation helped launch CSIA’s developmental and collaborative agenda.

Belinda has extensive experience on Boards. She is the Chair of Social Enterprise Finance Australia (SEFA), a Director of the National Affordable Housing Consortium and of the Community Services Industry Portable Long Service Leave Authority Board.

Dr John Coyne

Head of the Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre and Head of Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement at ASPI

Dr John Coyne is Head of the Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre and Head of Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement at ASPI. John has conducted field research on northern Australia, biosecurity, regional coastguards, border security, people smuggling, illicit drugs, corruption and foreign bribery, regional intelligence sharing and ASEAN economic integration. He has authored numerous research publications and provided expert commentary to media.

John has worked in intelligence and national security for over 25 years. He has been an intelligence professional at tactical, operational, and strategic levels across a range of military, regulatory, national security, and law enforcement organisations.

Linda Lee

Keynote Panel
ONA

Linda was appointed as the General Manager of the Office of Northern Australia in 2020, leading the Australian Government’s area of expertise for Northern Australia development.

An experienced executive with a strong track record, Linda combines both policy and program expertise with a passion for regional development to coordinate sustainable development initiatives across Northern Australia. Now based in Darwin, she has held senior government positions across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, as well as in private and not-for-profit sector roles. Linda is outcomes focused and brings contemporary leadership to collaborate with government, First Nations, economic groups, industry and other key stakeholders vital to developing Northern Australia.

Linda has qualifications in science, is an Australian Institute of Company Directors graduate and a 2019 National Farmers' Federation Diversity in Agricultural Leadership Program alumni. She received the 2017 Northern Territory Chief Ministers Award for Excellence in the Public Sector in recognition of her efforts and commitment to cooperative trade relationships.

Anne Stünzner

Keynote Panel
CRCNA

Anne has more than 20 years’ experience working and leading teams in agriculture, research and development and strategic economic and policy development.

Anne has previously worked as the Executive Officer for Growing Central Queensland, CEO for the Central Queensland Forest Association and Senior Advisor for the Minister of Northern Australia and Resources. Anne has worked as a strategy, advocacy and economic advisor for local governments and regional economic development organisations in central-western and far north Queensland.

As a north Queenslander, Anne understands the challenges of doing business in the north but is also passionate about the vast opportunities which exist across the region and how using good science can overcome impediments to the development and underpin sound decision-making processes and governance frameworks.

Craig Doyle

Keynote Panel
NAIF

Across multiple industries in northern Australia, Craig Doyle has extensive executive, operational, and project funding experience.

He served as CEO of Gladstone Ports Corporation between 2013 and 2016 and as Executive General Manager of Australia's largest sugar producer, Wilmar. Craig was also the Global Technical Head for Wilmar’s international sugar operations.

Former CEO of Mackay Regional Council for nearly five years, Craig understands the needs of regional communities and key infrastructure requirements.

Based in Cairns, Craig commenced in the role in June 2022.