About Us
Clarence Landcare Incorporated (CLInc.) has been working with the community in the field of natural resource management since 1996. Our organisation consists of all the Landcare & Dunecare groups and individual members in the mid-lower Clarence Catchment. We are part of a wider network of Landcare in the Northern Rivers Region.
Our Mission Statement
Our social, cultural and environmental mission is to promote sustainable land, agricultural, water, vegetation, and biodiversity management practices and principles to the wider community to develop their capacity to manage the local natural resources.
Clarence Landcare Inc. was formed in 1996 and is made up of member Landcare groups and their members, and individual Clarence Landcare members. Our organisation is a member of the North Coast Regional Landcare Network and Landcare NSW.
Clarence Landcare is run and managed by a volunteer community management committee, and staff employed on a project/program basis. The organisation is mostly funded via competitive project grant applications and contract tenders through regional, state, and commonwealth Government grant rounds, and philanthropic trusts.
The types of issues we address include riverbank and gully erosion, coastal dune erosion, riparian vegetation rehabilitation, weeds, habitat degradation, acid sulfate soils, poor water quality, and the decline of coastal wetlands, threatened species and biodiversity.
Clarence Landcare supports Landcare Farming, which involves the adoption of sustainable farming practices for the good of the land, land managers and catchment health.
We can provide access to training opportunities, funding advice, and NRM technical support. Become a member and receive regular newsletters.
Contact our office to discuss how we can assist you.
Our local Landcare groups
Landcare groups are well represented in the Clarence Valley and have a strong volunteer and membership base. Find out more about their work and achievements on ‘Our Local Groups‘ page.
Governance
Clarence Landcare Inc. is an incorporated not-for-profit organisation that strives for continued excellence. We are governed by our volunteer committee, who oversee and steer the strategic direction of our Landcare network.
Learn more about how our volunteer committee works and view our documents here, and meet our committee below.
Our Team
Debbie Repschlager
Program Manager
Debbie’s professional career in Natural Resource Management began over 30 years ago, working in community development, environmental education, and interpretation. In May 1996, she became Clarence Landcare’s first employee and has worked continuously and tirelessly in the role of Landcare Coordinator since.
In 2020 Debbie formally took on the role of Program Manager for Clarence Landcare, which now employs a core team of six casual Project Officers including a Finance/Administration Officer.
Debbie’s broad knowledge base, gained through tertiary studies, and formal industry-specific and project management training has enabled the development of projects that successfully gain competitive government and philanthropic grants. Managing projects’ implementation, she sees them through to their successful completion and acquittal. Projects have ranged from sustainable agriculture, Aboriginal land management, and community engagement to large integrated riparian restoration and management projects.
Debbie has a passion for exploring and immersing herself in wild remote places, and lives with her husband on a small property on the Nymboida River where they raised their two children. She was an active member of Nymboida Landcare Group from 1997 until her kids’ sports took over their Saturdays.
Her vision for the future is to continue to improve the capability of Clarence Landcare, to assist in the development of community skills and knowledge, and to continue to learn from the amazing passionate individuals that make up the Landcare community. Debbie would like to acknowledge all of the current and past volunteer management committee members over the last 26 years with Clarence Landcare. The success of the organisation and projects would not have been possible without that.
Roslyn Woodward
Admin and Finance
Roslyn has been working for Clarence Landcare Inc since 2019 as our Administration and Finance Officer. She is also hands-on with some project work, including joining our hard-working cane toad control team.
For the past 33 years, Ros has been working and raising her children in the Lower Clarence, where her finance background has supported many local businesses and volunteer community groups during this time. The strength of volunteers in our communities is well recognised by Ros, who works closely with many volunteer organisations in the Lower Clarence. She helps raise awareness through teamwork, supporting educational programs, fundraising, connecting to community and government agencies through various environmental groups, committees, and local markets. She has volunteered with Wooloweyah Landcare and Angourie Community Coastcare, Yamba Chamber of Commerce, Valley Watch Inc, Clarence Valley Council’s Climate Change Advisory Committee and Coastal Estuary Committee, plus various sporting committees.
Working with Clarence Landcare Inc allows Ros to connect her finance background with the natural environment. She recently took her skills up the line, volunteering for North Coast Regional Landcare Network as their Treasurer. She hopes this experience will help support the important environmental, remediation & educational work that Landcare Networks do throughout the region.
Kelly McRae
Education Project Officer
Kelly is an inspiring community engagement officer and project manager. Her background in education means her presentations are always enthusiastic and informative. She has co-ordinated numerous community and school events.
An adaptable member of staff, having worked in a number of different project areas, Kelly always bringing her organisational skill, engagement experience, and attention to detail with her.
Kelly splits her non-working time between her bush property and a live-aboard yacht where there is no brushcutting required. Her sense of humour and generous spirit make her an asset to Clarence Landcare and the community we serve. Kelly wishes the team meetings were conducted with cocktails and nibbles in hand.
Deanna Fernance
Project officer/Landcare Coordinator
Deanna Fernance joined Clarence Landcare as a Project Officer in 2021 years. Her vision is for well-managed farmland to be contributing to improvements in nature and water quality and a thriving agricultural economy.
Her recent projects include founding the Clarence Landcare Ag Network (CLAN), habitat restoration for hollow-dependent fauna, holding the line on Cane Toad incursion, and public engagement in nature conservation and land management.
Deanna has over 25 years professional experience in natural resource and project management, having worked for consultancies, governments, and NGOs, locally and in the UK.
As a mother, farmer, scientist, passionate naturalist, and outdoor sports enthusiast she wants to help more people value and regenerate the natural environment of the Clarence Valley.
Annette Cook
Project officer
Annette started with Clarence Landcare in 2019 when she joined our first Cane Toad Control Team. Having worked at the front of the cane toad invasion in the Northern Territory, where she witnessed first-hand their impact on native wildlife, she is keen to contribute to the control effort here in the Clarence Valley.
With work experience ranging from publishing to guiding ecological tours, to wildlife research, Annette brings a variety of skills and experience to her current role as a project officer on our team. Her work across a number of our projects includes public education and engagement, desktop publishing, and environmental management and conservation.
As an ecologist and wildlife carer, Annette is passionate about the plight of native animals and their habitats. She hopes the work and projects that Clarence Landcare delivers will affect change and inspire the public to contribute to the conservation effort.
Daniel McCawley
Project officer
Daniel has been working in the Clarence Valley as a contract bush regenerator and ecologist since 2020. Working with non-profit groups, national parks, and private ecological consultancy firms across the state, he has surveyed and monitored threatened species including Kroombit tinker frogs, Western NSW rusty hood orchids, and threatened flora in the Clarence.
Always looking to assist with different and interesting projects, Daniel joined Clarence Landcare to broaden his understanding of our local ecosystems and their management, and through his project work promote and increase biodiversity. In 2020, he started working seasonally with us as a Cane Toad Control field officer and was the lead project officer on our Great Eastern Ranges project. He plans and manages habitat restoration and bush regeneration work, collects seeds, and organises and delivers educational workshops. He is excited about getting like-minded people involved with regenerative projects and sharing his knowledge of the things he is passionate about with landholders and members of the public.
Matt Morris
Field Team Leader
Matt joined Clarence Landcare in 2021, taking on the challenging role of coordinating our cane toad control program. He works tirelessly to meet this challenge, leading a team of casual field officers in our fight to slow the advancement of this invasive pest species into new areas in our region.
The time and people management skills that Matt brought to this role have kept the team mobilised, achieving great and effective results in slowing the spread of toads in the mid-lower Clarence Valley.
Although cane toads take up the majority of Matt’s Landcare hours, he is a great allrounder and always ready to offer assistance and apply his skills to other projects when needed.
Matt is passionate about our unique wildlife and is determined to protect our biodiversity through management of invasive pest species. In his limited spare time, he is a wildlife rescuer and carer, and a mad keen dog lover.
Our Committee
Our volunteer management committee is elected each year to represent all Clarence Landcare’s members.
Henry Sheehan
Chairperson
Henry has over 30 years of experience working with livestock and regenerating landscapes. He has been a certified organic beef producer for over 15 years, with formal qualifications in farm management and training in holistic management principles.
By creating sustainable grazing landscapes, Henry hopes to achieve a long-term future by improving biodiversity while running a profitable business.
He joined Clarence Landcare as a committee member in 2014 and became chair in 2017. Henry aims to share his experiences with others, enabling them to look after and improve their landscape through careful grazing management by applying holistic management principles.
Before joining our committee, Henry was an active member of Rumbling Mountain Landcare (1998 – 2004), CVCIA, Soil Care, and Bundarra Lions Club.
Henry’s work and interests also include habitat restoration, nature conservation, land management, public engagement/education, and presentations. He is passionate about working with animals, outdoor sports, running, and triathlons.
Rhonda Tetley
Treasurer
Rhonda joined Clarence Landcare as Treasurer in 2018 with the hope of stopping/minimising the destruction that is being done to our unique environment.
With many years of experience in corporate environments, both in Australia and overseas, Rhonda’s experience in accounting, sales, and marketing brings a more corporate approach, giving Clarence Landcare an advantage as we become more reliant on grants and more competitive with other volunteer organisations.
Rhonda has been involved in Landcare and environmental issues for a number of years. She was a member of the 355 Committee for the Brooms Head Reserve until it was dissolved. Brooms Head Landcare was formed some years later to address community concerns over what was happening to their Reserve and beach. She sits on the steering committee currently updating the Plan of Management for Brooms Head Reserve.
“I am passionate about our environment and our critters; I want them to be around for future generations. I want for everyone to respect our world and treat it as it should be treated.” – Rhonda Tetley
Ella Mazoudier
Secretary
Ella joined the Clarence Landcare committee 2024. She currently resides in Grafton with her partner, four dogs, and eight chickens. Fuelled by a deep passion for regenerative agriculture, she plans to move to a larger piece of land soon.
Ella began her academic journey studying Agricultural Science at UNE but switched to Environmental Science after realising that the conventional approach to soil health did not align with her values. A pivotal moment during a soil lecture, where the depletion of rock phosphate reserves was met with the suggestion to apply more phosphorus, underscored the unsustainable nature of such practices and the lack of focus on soil biology.
Ella has always been fascinated by the divide between environmental and agricultural studies. Transitioning from agriculture to environmental studies was a stark shift, exposing her to diverse perspectives.
Discovering the regenerative agriculture movement after completing her studies was a significant turning point, bridging her dual interests in environmental and agricultural sustainability.
Continuing her commitment to soil health, Ella is currently enrolled in Elaine Ingham’s Soil Food Web online course, furthering her education and dedication to regenerative practices. She believes regenerative agriculture is the hopeful path forward for the planet, agricultural systems, and the health of both people and the environment.
Aunty Elizabeth Smith
Committee Member
Born and raised in Maclean, Aunty Elizabeth is a strong, proud Yaegl woman. She joined our committee in 2023 when she was approached by Craig Little, who was then the Landcare NSW Aboriginal Engagement Manager.
As a committee member, Elizabeth wants to help foster meaningful connections with the local Aboriginal community. She sees this as an opportunity for collaboration and to develop mutually beneficial relationships between First Nations stakeholders and organisations—relationships based on mutual respect that honour the past, present, and future.
Aunty Elizabeth is passionate about looking after the country, protecting the natural environment, restoring bushland to provide habitat for our wildlife, and running wildlife education programs within schools and the wider community. She considers public engagement and education key to community awareness.
Elizabeth always reflects on her childhood’s happiness and feels gifted and blessed to come from a loving family that fed, sheltered, and nurtured her. “That’s what carries me on my journey.” Her compassionate and caring nature led her to a 40-year career as a nurse. For 30 of those years Elizabeth lived in Sydney, where she met her husband and raised their three children.
Elizabeth is also passionate about the world, and being part of a community that recognizes and celebrates First Nations people, culture and identities, with strong leadership and values. She sees knowledge, empowerment, creativity, best practice as key. “My role is to look after country. My vision for the future is my well-being, spending time with my family and walking gently on the land…. working together, gaining new skills and creating lasting memories.”
Susan Brophy
Committee Member
Susan joined Clarence Landcare/Dune Care in the early 2000s and has been the Diggers Camp Dune Care coordinator for the last five years. She joined the Clarence Valley Landcare Committee in 2021.
Her initial motivation for joining was a general enthusiasm for the values of Landcare and the importance of understanding and supporting its work across the Clarence Valley, particularly in the coastal communities from Minnie Water to Wooli.
Susan has over twenty years of experience in Landcare, initially in the 1990s restoring a property in northeast Victoria. Through that process of restoration, and surveying the surrounding bush and roadside plant communities, she developed a particular interest in native grasses. Susan moved permanently to the north coast of NSW in 2014, when the flora of the coastal dunes and heathlands became the new focus of interest, including the fauna they support. Trying to manage the many threats to maintaining and restoring the local reserves, connected as they are to the surrounding National Park, is an ongoing motivation for the work of the Diggers Camp Dune Care group.
Susan’s working life has been as a tertiary Art teacher, and as a practicing artist, the work of the last thirty years has been directly inspired by investigating and researching the surrounding natural environment. She has qualifications in Horticulture, Conservation and Land Management, and is currently working towards a Diploma of Conservation and Environmental Management.
Laura Noble
Committee Member
Laura rejoined our committee in November 2024. For over 13 years Laura dedicated much of her time to the Clarence Valley Conservation in Action (CVCIA) Indian Myna Control Program. With the closure of the CVCIA Landcare group on 30th June 2024, Laura thought she could find some time to commit.
As a result, she rejoined the Clarence Landcare committee “to support the organisation where I can—for numbers at meetings and perhaps bring a different view with hopefully helpful comments and contributions”.
Since she was a teenager Laura has been interested in the natural environment, fauna and flora. Managing their 167-acre property is a constant job, with many environmental weeds being spread in flood waters, and by wind and fauna, particularly birds. Laura is a member of Clarence Native Bees and is also the secretary for two other volunteer groups. “Unfortunately, I do not attend many gatherings due to time restraints. Spare time – what’s that?”