Board Member Profiles
Graeme Godden (Chairman)
Industry/Commerce Representative
Graeme joined the Board in July 1995 after thirteen years in Local Government, including five years as Chairman of the Lameroo District Council. Graeme has been a farmer in the Lameroo area for over forty five years, is a life member of Apex and has spent many years on various local community organisations. Graeme was Deputy Chairman of the Board in 1997 and 1998 and has held the position of Chairman since 1998. In 2007 Graeme built a retirement home in the Monteith area.
Allan Arbon (Executive Member)
Nominee of Rural City of Murray Bridge
Allan lives in Murray Bridge and joined the Board in June 2000. Allan is the current Mayor of the Rural City of Murray Bridge, a member of the Murray Bridge Friendship
Force, the Council delegate to the Southern and Hills Local Government Association and Murray and Mallee Local Government Association. He is also a member of the South Central Area Consultative Committee, and a representative for the Rural City of Murray Bridge with the Provincial Cities Association. Allan has served as an Elected Member in Local Government for 31 years and has been involved with many hospital
boards and school councils, and is the former Mayor of Karoonda East Murray. Allan had a change of duty from farming to full-time elected member.
Trevor Bennett (Ministerial Representative)
Trevor joined the Board in June 2007 as the Regional Manager for Murraylands-Mallee in an ex-officio capacity, providing support and input from a South Australian Government perspective. Prior to his appointment he was the Regional Migration Officer for the Murraylands and Riverland regions. Trevor’s background includes experience in broad acre agriculture, hospitality management, community service management and qualifications in Information Technology.
Chad Burbidge
Industry & Commerce Representative
Chad is a managing owner of his family’s farming enterprise that supports sheep and broad acre cereal cropping, north east of Murray Bridge. Chad joined the Board in 2005 as a youth member and is now a full member of the Board. His desire to become a Board Member originates after completing the Mallee Extreme Leadership course in 2004, the Young People in Rural Industries Export Development course in 2005, and nearly 10 years involvement in community organisations such as the CFS and Agriculture Bureau.
Kevin Burdett
Nominee of Karoonda East Murray District Council
Kevin joined the Board in 2006. He is a third generation farmer at Copeville where he has lived all his life except for a period of national service, this year Kevin moved into the Karoonda township. Kevin joined the Karoonda East Murray Council in 1996 and is currently Mayor. He has been active in the community and is currently on the Karoonda Hospital Local Advisory Board.
Dave Burgess
Nominee of Mid Murray Council
David and his wife reopened the Walker Flat General Store in 1985 and added a Liquor Store and fuel outlet to establish a service centre for locals and tourists. Over several years they restored an 1886 cottage on the property, the Lake Bywater Cottage, and now have it open for Bed and Breakfast accommodation. They recently sold the store after serving the community for 20 years. David has served since 2004 as a member of the Mid-Murray Council, and has been involved with the Mid-Murray Development Assessment Panel, Mannum Dock Museum, Mannum Caravan Park and his local Progress Association.
Ken Coventry FLGMA, Dip.LG, JP (Executive Member)
Industry/Commerce Representative
Ken joined the Board in February 1998 as an industry/commerce representative, having previously served as a proxy or delegate for the Rural City of Murray Bridge since the Board’s inception. He has over 38 years experience in Local Government and is a former City Manager of the Rural City of Murray Bridge. In 2008 Ken was awarded an Order
of Australia Medal for his services to the Community.
Brian Devey
Industry & Commerce Representative
Brian was appointed to the Board in 2007 and has been involved in General Management and Senior Executive Human Resource Management roles for more than 20 years. Also a former South Australian Police Officer, Brian is currently the Group Human Resource Manager for T&R Pastoral, the Murraylands largest employer. He
has previously served on a number of commercial and community Boards, played sport at an elite level and is a highly ranked martial arts instructor. Brian is married with
three adult sons.
Gordon Hancock
Nominee of Southern Mallee District Council
Gordon joined the Board in June 1998. He is a farmer at Parilla and has been a Councillor for over fifteen years. Gordon is very actively involved in the local community and is Group Chairman of the Murraylands Golf Association, Deputy Chairman of the Mallee Water Resources Committee, a member of the Murray Mallee
LAP Association and a member of the Natural Resource Management Mallee Coorong Group.
Richard Harkness
Nominee of Coorong District Council
Richard has resided in the Tintinara District all his life where he operates a farming enterprise with his wife and their four children. His interests include tennis, football and the children’s sporting activities. He is currently the Chairman of Tintinara & Regional Area Development Enterprise (TRADE) and has a desire to see small country towns
progress.
Michael Kenny (Executive Member)
Industry/Commerce representative
Michael lives on a small holding in the Murraylands where he has a boutique olive grove. Over many years he has been a small business owner and manager in retail, wholesale, real estate and the motor industry both in Australia and overseas. His experiences also include more than 10 years of employment in State Government, most recently as a business advisor. Michael currently works part time as a lecturer in business management and is also advising local irrigators on rehabilitating their swamp land. Michael’s other interests include family, computers, sport and church affairs.
Elizabeth Nicholls (Executive member)
Industry/Commerce representative
Elizabeth joined the Board in 1995. Elizabeth has been involved in farming at Jabuk for over thirty years and served on the Animal & Plant Control Commission before being
appointed to the SA Murray Darling-Basin Natural Resource Management Board. She is also the author of historical books on the Upper South East. In 2008 Elizabeth moved
to the Tailem Bend area.
Norm Paterson (Deputy Chairman)
Industry & Commerce Representative
Norm Paterson is the founder of Cooke Plains Gypsum and Paterson Bulk Transport. He has many other interests including past National President of the Australian Fertiliser
Services Association, having served 11 years on the Executive. Norm has been a Country Fire Service Member for 36 years and has contributed 15 years as a committee Member of S.A. Ambulance (currently serving on both). Norm is a Life Member of several community and sporting bodies.
Anna Swarbrick
Industry & Commerce Representative
Anna joined the Board in 2005 as a youth member and is now a full member of the Board. She is currently working in Adelaide. Anna has been a member of many local youth committees such as the Mannum and Districts Youth Advisory Committee, was a founding member of the Mannum Youth Clinic, and the convertible café youth drop in centre. She has worked on many festivals including Fringe, Port Adelaide Festival of the Waters, and the Leafy Sea Dragon Festival in Normanville. Anna has studied speech and drama under the auspice of Joan Kreiser and has received certificates from Trinity College London and the Australian Music Examinations Board for her studies in
those areas.
Steven Walker (Youth Board Member)
Youth Member
Steven is a Ngarrindjeri man who has grown up in the Murraylands region. He has had significant involvement in the Aboriginal community across the Murraylands through employment and as a volunteer on management and advisory committees and community events. He is a member of the River Murray Advisory Committee. Steven
is currently employed by the Ngopamuldi Aboriginal Corporation at Raukkan.
Jerry Wilson (Executive Member)
Nominee of Rural City of Murray Bridge
Jerry joined the Board in August 1999. He is a partner in Murray Computer & Office Shop and Murray Bridge Self Storage. He is also a member and a past president of the Rotary Club of Murray Bridge. Jerry is a member of the Irrigation Pathways Project Committee & Treasurer of the Riverglades Communitee Wetlands.
















