Protecting Australia’s Nature

Melanie Audrey leads Pew’s work to secure protections for Australia’s sub-Antarctic marine areas, including the waters surrounding Macquarie, McDonald and Heard islands. Before joining Pew, Audrey had worked as a campaign manager, organiser and political advisor to several Members of Parliament, and as engagement program manager for Engineers Without Borders Australia. Audrey holds a Bachelor of International Development and a Master of Environment from Melbourne University. She lives in regional Victoria.

Monique Barker leads Pew’s marine and freshwater conservation campaigns in Western Australia, including the Kimberley – Like Nowhere Else alliance and key partnerships with Indigenous communities to protect oceans, coastal waters and river systems. Barker’s work has contributed towards the creation of the Great Kimberley Marine Park, increased protections for the Martuwarra Fitzroy River, and the Western Australian Plan for our Parks expansion of the state’s national park network. Barker holds a Bachelor of Science in conservation and wildlife biology, and biological science from Murdoch University. She lives in Perth.

Mitch Hart is the manager for Pew’s work in the Northern Territory, an area with landscapes and rivers at risk from growing pressures such as development and industry. Working with the broader NT community, tourism operators, recreational fishers and Indigenous groups, Hart is implementing Pew’s goals to ensure these areas remain healthy. Before joining Pew, Hart worked on several election campaigns, including Australia’s GetUp drive to change how political campaigns are run, and for which he was responsible for training, recruiting and developing volunteers in Brisbane. Before that, Hart was a key member of the Together Queensland campaign, organising and building grassroots turnout. Hart lives in Darwin and holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Griffith University.

Dr Bill Kruse leads Pew’s work to secure large-scale protections for land across Western Australia. Before joining Pew, Kruse worked as an advisor to governments, organisations and Indigenous communities, with specialties in social impact assessment, land management, native title and heritage analyses. Kruse continues to provide assistance to Indigenous land management projects, particularly in Western Australia. Kruse holds a Bachelor of Anthropology from the University of Sydney, a Graduate Diploma of Language (Indonesian) from Deakin University, and a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the Australian National University. He lives in Broome.

Jason Lyddieth leads Pew’s national work to secure large-scale protected areas throughout Australia. He works with Pew’s partner organisations on programs designed to ensure Australia meets the goal of protecting 30% of Australia’s land mass by 2030 in high quality protected areas. Before joining Pew, Lyddieth worked on climate and energy policy for the Australian Conservation Foundation, and coordinated campaigns on renewable energy projects for Solar Citizens. Lyddieth holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Western Sydney. He lives in Brisbane.

Fiona Maxwell manages Pew’s marine conservation work in Australia, working with local partners, Traditional Owners, scientists and communities on securing enduring outcomes for marine environments and people. Her work has contributed to the creation of two of Australia’s largest marine protected areas in the waters surrounding Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Macquarie Island. Maxwell previously led Pew’s work in Queensland to secure large-scale conservation land management in Outback Queensland. Before joining Pew, Maxwell was the marine parks campaign manager for the Australian Marine Conservation Society, served as advisor to the Queensland Environment Minister and was the Great Barrier Reef campaigner for GetUp in Queensland. Maxwell holds a Bachelor of Science in marine and wildlife biology, and environmental science from Griffith University, and first class honours in marine conservation with Murdoch University. She lives in New South Wales.

Andrew Picone manages Pew’s work in Australia’s most biodiverse state, Queensland. This involves partnering with community members and interest groups to expand and support land management opportunities in Queensland, and secure long-term protection for the Channel Country’s natural river flows, wetlands and flood plains. Before joining Pew, Picone worked as a Northern Australia policy specialist for the Australian Conservation Foundation, and Protected Areas Manager for the Queensland Conservation Council. Picone lives in Brisbane and holds a Bachelor of Social Science from RMIT University, and a Master of Science (Ecology) from James Cook University.

Riley Rocco manages Pew’s work to secure large-scale protections for land and river systems across Queensland, particularly on the floodplains of the Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre basin. Their work focuses on developing and maintaining high-quality relationships with land managers and stakeholders including Traditional Owners and Indigenous Ranger teams, pastoralists, peak industry bodies, regional groups and local government. Before joining Pew, Rocco managed community and stakeholder engagement for natural resource management projects for organisations such as North Queensland Dry Tropics. Rocco holds a Bachelor of Social Science in geography and environmental science from the Queensland University of Technology. They live in Brisbane.