Biosphere Foundation entering new phase 

Geoff Brooks – Board Chair 

The board and staff extend gratitude to Mel Barker for her outstanding contribution and leadership

This year’s AGM will mark an inflection point for the Western Port Biosphere. After five years leading our team, Mel Barker will step down as CEO. Her decision offers us time to reflect on the considerable achievements over her tenure, as well as signal expectations for our next phase of advocacy and project delivery across the Biosphere Reserve. 

Under Mel’s leadership, the Biosphere Foundation’s influence and impact throughout the region has undoubtedly grown. Accordingly, so has its team, its capability, its reputation and community support and expectation. The latter is reflected in increasing demands on us to support the project proposals and advocacy of other organisations. 

 Achieving this has been attributable to Mel’s leadership in measured and evidence-based approach to pursuing our strategic goals – climate action, environmental protection and restoration, and sustainable development.  

Supporting Mel, I thank the Board for taking the necessary risks to progress the capacity and capability of the Foundation. In 2024-25, we committed funds to evolving our fund-raising effort. We considered this essential to reducing our considerable dependence on government funding that had historically been the primary pillar of the Foundation’s financial fortunes. 

In 2025-26, with a growing pipeline of blue carbon work, thanks to a substantial contribution by The Ian Potter Foundation, we agreed to invest in a new Operations and Projects management role that would ensure that we had the capacity to deliver on a promise to funders and the community. Catherine Connelly was appointed in December 2025 and has been an invaluable addition to the team, most recently agreeing to temporarily step up as Co-CEO supporting Mel, who had advised of her intention to step down. 

Each of these decisions has better positioned the Western Port Biosphere – Foundation and Reserve – for a sustainable future. Our 2026 Impact Report published just prior to the 26 November AGM will show the Foundation in perhaps the strongest financial position in its history and report on the completion and progress of a thick pipeline of present and future projects and ambitions. 

On behalf of the Board, our stakeholders and communities and our native flora and fauna, I thank Mel for her outstanding leadership over the past five years. 

 The next exciting phase 

It would be wrong to end the story without an unexpected twist. Mel’s steps down but not out. She is remaining with us in the new position of Head of Advocacy and Initiatives.  

 Again, this has been made possible by the generous philanthropic support of the Nature Impact Collective and the Rendere Environmental Trust. In her new role, Mel will collaborate with our new CEO to explore our vision for a regional-scale terrestrial Wildlife Corridor network. We have already commenced work with the Western Port Biosphere’s member councils and regional Landcare groups to evolve a consolidated plan for Wildlife Corridors across and adjacent to the Biosphere Reserve. 

 There are no guarantees that this regional-scale vision will become reality, but the ‘risk capital’ made available through these generous donors give us the headroom and potential to design and engineer a world-class, connected environment to assure a healthy and sustainable future for our wildlife and the amenity and health it contributes to our communities. 

 If successful, there is enormous potential for the multitude of volunteer organisations across the Biosphere Reserve to align and benefit from the plan. The rivers, creeks, wetlands and tracts of native bush and grassland that we strive to protect and maintain could all be beneficiaries of a plan attracting interest, excitement and investment into our region. 

Who will lead this next phase? 

 We have an excellent mix and strength in skills across the Board, which will remain unchanged into 2027.  

 Through an external agency, we have progressed the recruitment of a new CEO, with interviews taking place now. We anticipate offering the role before the end of 2026, with the new person in the chair no later than January 2027.  

 Whoever it is will inherit a committed and talented team, well connected with our local communities. The recent challenge and threat of avian bird flu’s arrival in Australia has been emotionally testing for our team with close affinity and connection with our native flora and fauna.  

 The new CEO will have demonstrated the shared values, culture and empathy around which our team is built. We are extremely confident that the Western Port Biosphere remains one of Australia’s most protected, secure and attractive places to live, work and play for current and future generations.