About Queensland Conservation

Queensland Conservation is...

• The state's peak non-government environment group. We have been working to protect, conserve and sustain Queensland's environment for forty years.
• Queensland's leading advocate for environmental protection and sustainability.
• A network of member groups working across the spectrum of environment issues from the far north to the south east corner.
• Here to help your voice be heard where it matters most: government industry and the community.

Our Executive Committee

Samantha Morris  - Chair 

Samantha is an Australian South Sea Islander, living and working on the Gold Coast. She has more than 17 years experience in the community sector, having worked in landcare, environmental education, youth suicide, homelessness, state government, conservation, counselling, disability, sporting and student representative organisations.

In 2001, Samantha was recognised with Queensland’s Young Australian of the Year Award for the Environment for her work in engagement with rural landholders throughout Southeast Queensland and the Burnett Mary region. In 2002 she was a national finalist for the Young Australian of the Year Awards.

Sam is passionate about conservation and has been Manager for Landcare Queensland; Landcare Facilitator for the Queensland Government; and Community Liaison Coordinator for Greening Australia Queensland. She now manages her own company, Wombat Creative, and a small team of consultants who specialise in helping communities achieve sustainability goals.

In her spare time, Sam is a volunteer surf life saver and loves long distance ocean swimming. She is Deputy Chair of Landcare Queensland and enjoys live music and reading. A lot.

Simon Baltais - Secretary

Simon has been with the executive since 1995. He has worked extensively on coastal, wildlife and waterway issues and has been involved in numerous campaigns. Most notably the Nathan Dam campiagn and, more recently, the successful Moreton Bay Fish Farm campaign. Simon is the President, Sustainable Population Australia, SEQ Branch; ministerial appointee to the Regional Coastal Management Plan for SEQ; member of the Moreton Bay waterways and Catchments Partnership - Moreton Bay Implementation Group; Project Manager for Moreton Bay Community Seagrass Watch; Secretary for the WPSQ Bayside Branch; Vice President for Friends of Peel Island Association; NRMSEQ – WPSQ representative; CARP management committee, Brisbane City Council - Bayside Regional Parklands Committee; Port of Brisbane Community Consultative Committee and has provided assistance on the Grey Nurse Shark Recovery Program. He has extensive networks throughout the community, government and media and a broad understanding of the issues facing many areas of Queensland 

David Keogh - Treasurer

David has lived in Logan since 1982, and has resided at his current property at Cornubia for the past 20 years. His heavily bushed four hectares is a Land for Wildlife property encouraging wallabies, koalas and other wildlife to prosper despite the threat of urban encroachment. David’s interest in the environment was initially sparked by the Goss Government’s ill-fated South Coast Motorway, which initially would have passed directly through his Cornubia property. Springing into action with this proposal, understanding the environmental impact of the proposed road on the entire Logan-Redlands region, David played a major role in preventing this road proposal in marginalizing hundreds of hectares of bushland. Subsequently joining the local branch of the Wildlife Preservation Society, David has been its President for the past three years, after being Treasurer for a number of years. David has been heavily involved in attempting to retain Bushland, and a strong critic of inappropriate development in Logan and S E Queensland generally. David is also a founding member and Treasurer of the Logan and Albert Rivers Catchment Association. David is a Chartered Management Accountant and a CPA. Having spent much of his working career in property-related activities as an accountant, executive manager and project director, David’s interest is in creating sustainable living environments for all creatures who inhabit the earth and those who come after us. 

Andy Grodecki 

Andy lives on Mulunjali country on Land for Wildlife property at Gleneagle near Beaudesert. He is President of: the Logan and Albert Conservation Association (LACA); Logan and Albert Rivers Catchment Association (LARC); and The Beaudesert and District Community Arts Project (BADCAP). He is also a member of the: Logan & Albert Area Committee; Friends of South East Queensland; Wild Mountains Trust; Jimboomba Community Care Association and the Australian Association of Environmental Education.

 Jerry Coleby-Williams

Jerry is a botanical horticulturist, writer, director of the Seed Saver’s Foundation, and ABC Gardening Australia presenter. Trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the world’s foremost botanic garden, he is qualified in management, horticultural estate management, soft landscape design, horticultural and botanical sciences. For over eleven years, Jerry managed the botanical estate at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia’s oldest scientific organisation. In late 2003 Jerry moved to Brisbane to create a sustainable house and garden 'Bellis '.

Ryan Dillon

Ryan holds a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Science with Honors. He is currently developing Queensland Conservations environmental youth development and leadership program. He is also a member of the Greater Brisbane Ministerial Regional Community Forum where he is involved in representing community views about environmental issues at ministerial level. Most recently he has been involved in Water Resource Planning and Policy with the Department of Natural Resources and Water.

Currently Ryan is the State Manager for Water Conservation Group www.watergroup.com.au. This group helps business become more water efficient by looking at everything from their corporate strategy to installing rainwater tanks and water efficient devices. In his spare time he enjoys break dancing, video production and mountain bike riding.

Kellie Williams

Kellie joined the Executive Committee in 2009. She has a Bachelor Degree in Environmental Science with Honours, majoring in ecology. Kellie has worked on a variety of conservation projects since graduating from university, particularly in the fisheries and coastal management area.

After learning the ropes of policy development working in the science and innovation area of the Queensland Government, Kellie took up the reigns of trialling the development of Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) for the Queensland seafood industry. This work was undertaken as an employee of the University of Queensland and resulted in Kellie presenting the findings to fisheries managers of the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome, Italy in 2004. Kellie’s conservation efforts were recognised in 2008 with the Moreton Bay EMS winning the prestigious Australian United Nations World Environment Day Excellence in Coastal Management Award for innovation, along with other Queensland Government Sustainability awards.

From 2006 – 2008 Kellie worked as CEO for a not-for-profit organisation - the Moreton Bay Seafood Industry Association, where she successfully managed several large conservation projects. She has casually lectured at the University of Queensland and other academic institutions in Environmental Management. Kellie has sat on several national and state boards, committees and panels over the years, is a graduate of the Federal Young Rural Leadership Course and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Company Directors Diploma Course. Kellie passionately believes that managing people is the key to conservation of our natural resources now and for future generations, and that cultural change and partnership-building will achieve this.

Kirsty O'Connell

Our Staff

Toby Hutcheon - Executive Director

 Toby Hutcheon has worked on environmental issues for over 20 years. He started at Greenpeace Australia in the mid 80’s as a campaigner on the Nuclear Free Seas campaign opposing nuclear powered and armed ship visits to Australia- dividing his time between the Greenpeace office and the bows of nuclear warships.

In 1989 he set up the Direct Action Unit becoming Greenpeace’s first Actions Coordinator and setting in train Greenpeace Australia’s high profile direct actions program. In 1992 Toby took on the role of coordinating Greenpeace Communications Division and was a member of the Greenpeace team which initiated the idea of the ‘green’ Sydney Olympics as a means of promoting green urban development.

In 1994-95 Toby managed both the Communications and Campaigns Division for Greenpeace before resigning at the end of 1995, following the successful campaign against the resumption of nuclear testing at Mururoa.

Toby moved to Europe in 1996 working on the Chernobyl Campaign for Greenpeace International in Moscow. He returned to Australia in 1997 to coordinate the successful campaign opposing a second Sydney airport at Holdsworthy.

In 1998-2002 Toby worked for the Western Sydney Waste Board, a NSW Government agency, as the Manager of Marketing and Communications.

Toby then uprooted his entire family and moved to Brisbane. Initially running a small consultancy-Eco Matters-advising government, business and individuals on waste to resource management, Toby realised that the best way he could make a difference was back in the environment movement.

Toby was appointed Coordinator of the Queensland Conservation Council in June 2004, becoming Executive Director in 2009, the position he holds today.

Wendy Dell - Organisation Manager

Nigel Parratt - River Project Officer

Jeff Poole -Communications Officer

Our Values

• We value the adherence by QCC to the highest ethical principles in its dealing with all parties, both within and without the organisation
• We value a commitment to the protection of the natural environment, which is not at the expense of communities.
• We value the spirit of collaboration with other environment groups and individuals to attain positive environmental outcomes.
• We value respect of people, because it is essential for good working relationships, and the environment, because respect is the basis of QCC's existence.
• We value passion because it is a driving force for the work we do.
• We value fun because it creates an enjoyable workplace and stimulates creativity and good vibes.