AABR continues to grow and to get involved in more and more activities across more and more of Australia.

AABR’s Annual General Meeting will be held online  Saturday 8 November, from 10am to 12pm (AEDT) via Zoom. It’s a great opportunity to hear updates on AABR’s activities, connect with fellow members, and help shape the direction of the organisation.

Our special presentation will be on Understanding vegetation shifts, Part 1- Managing vegetation change under current and future conditions. The presenters are Steve Hopper and Mark Schuster, the facilitator is Tein McDonald.

Steve Hopper*, Professor of Biodiversity, University of Western Australia Albany Centre and School of Biological Sciences will be giving a presentation titled Managing vegetation change under current and future conditions – a perspective from old, climatically buffered, infertile landscapes (OCBILs) in Western Australia.

OCBILs are found in half the world’s Global Biodiversity Hotspots, including Australia’s two (The Southwest Australian Floristic Region and Forests of East Australia). They are places rich in endemic species under threat. Unlike the wetter changes on the east coast, climate change in southern Western Australia has involved extensive drying since the 1970s, and is forecast to get worse. This focusses attention on wetlands in OCBILs in the southwest, especially Empodisma peat swamps in the southern forests, which have become dry for months at a time and markedly fire-prone as a result. At the same time OCBILs have proved resilient to changing environments. Great caution is urged in human interventions on OCBILs, in comparison to YODFELs (young, often disturbed, fertile landscapes) associated with lowland wetlands. Research with Aboriginal Elders highlights that minimising human disturbance of OCBILs, including the application of fire, has been effective through two major cycles of climate change.

*Stephen D. Hopper AC has worked over 50 years as a conservation biologist and academic. He also led as Director Perth’s Kings Park and Botanic Garden (1992-2004), and London’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2006-2012). Today, Steve’s research focuses on sustainable living with biodiversity. He collaborates especially with Aboriginal Elders. He is author/coauthor of more than 300 scientific papers and several books, including Eucalyptus, Soul of the Desert, Life on the Rocks and Kangaroo paws and Catspaws.

Mark Schuster’s** presentation is titles Sandstone Ecosystems, Deep Time & Fire Management – Current and Future  Issues for Maintaining Ku-ring-gai’s Biodiversity.

The unique nutrient-poor sandstone landscapes of the Hawkesbury Sandstone (Ku-ring-gai Local Government Area) contain many evolutionary ancient floral and faunal elements. ‘Deep time’ fire regimes have ‘shaped’ these sandstone-based Proteaceae-rich communities since the Miocene. This presentation focuses on just a few of the drivers that must be considered when both planning and implementing our planned burn program, particularly climatic shifts, species loss and ecosystem resilience.

Specific elements of the fire regime will be noted and discussed in how varying fire patterns have shaped – and will continue to shape these ancient communities and landscapes. These findings will prove beneficial in current and future fire management – both at the planning and operational stages – providing a firm ecological basis to maintain the high biodiversity values and ecosystem functioning of these sandstone-based ecosystems, particularly those still extant in the northern Sydney Basin, where human pressures add extra stress to their long-term persistence of our green treasures in the landscape.

**Mark Schuster has lived, breathed (and often dreamt) fire planning, fire regime research and fire ecology for quite a few decades – first researching fire regimes and lizard populations at Bauple State Forest, Queensland in 1977. He has worked in Queensland and NSW local governments, conservation and national park agencies as a fire ecologist, planner and technical fire ranger for much of this time. His deep appreciation and knowledge of landscapes, fire behaviour and the ecological aspects of fire regimes allow him to develop and implement fire management frameworks, strategies and management plans for both long-term ecological resilience of natural values and minimisation of risks to people and property. Mark incorporates the latest in fire research into the planning sphere and then translating this to on-ground fire operations. He now applies his knowledge to his beloved ‘Southern Sandstone’ – working for Ku-ring-gai Council.

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We are encouraging members from across Australia to consider bringing their skills and passion into AABR to drive our continued growth and influence. Apart from our own projects and activities, we are working collaboratively with community organisations, councils, environmental NGOs and State and Territory agencies on improving the management and restoration of our precious ecosystems. Here are some of AABR’s projects.

This year there are eight positions available to fill on our National Board, including the role of AABR Secretary. We also have a number of working groups driving specific technical and practice agendas. Location, age, whether you are a volunteer or a professional regenerator or a supporter of what we do doesn’t matter… the more diversity we have among our decision makers, the better!

We would love to see nominations for the available Board positions. Commitment is usually around 2 hours a week for most roles (though a bit more for the Secretary role). If you are interested, please call Peter Dixon (President) on 0478 741 111.

This year, we have undertaken a review of AABR’s Constitution to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

• Here’s our current Constitution (2021) for your consideration
• Here’s the proposed revised Constitution (2025) that will be considered at the AGM
• Here’s a report to members outlining the changes

Please send your comments or questions for inclusion in the AGM to Suzanne by Friday 30 October

 Register to attend the online meeting here.

Annual General Meeting of
The Australian Association of Bush Regenerators

Saturday 8/11/25, 10-12pm
Online- via Zoom Registration link

AGENDA

10am

Acknowledgement of Country and welcome by Peter Dixon – AABR President

10:10-11:00

Guest Presentation: Understanding  – MANAGING VEGETATION CHANGE UNDER CURRENT AND FUTURE CONDITIONS
Presenters are Stephen Hopper and Mark Schuster. Facilitator Tein McDonald

11:00 -12:00

Annual General Meeting of AABR

1. Attendance & Apologies
   1. Confirmation of quorum
2. Minutes of previous AGM held 3/11/24
   1. Motion: That the minutes of the previous AGM held 3 November 2024 are a true and accurate record
      Moved [Name]  2nd[Name]
3. Business Arising from previous minutes
   1. Accreditation Progress Report
4. Reports
   1. President’s Report -Peter Dixon
   2. Treasurer’s report – Matthew Pearson
   3. Executive Officer Report – Suzanne Pritchard
   4. Achievements Report – Branches and Working groups
      Motion: That the 2024-25 Annual reports and financial statements be accepted
      Moved [Name]  2nd [Name]
5. Special Resolution – Adoption of Revised Constitution (Ver 4.0, NOVEMBER 2025)
   Background: The Board has undertaken a review of the AABR Constitution to ensure compliance with the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW), ACNC requirements, and AABR’s operational structure as outlined in the Policy & Procedures Manual. The rationale for changes is outlined in the document “Report for Members AGM Constitutional changes.pdf”

Special Resolution 1 : Constitution-General

MOTION: That the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators (AABR) adopt the revised Constitution (Version 4.0, November 2025) as circulated to members, replacing the existing Constitution (Version 3.3, adopted 27 February 2021).

That the AABR Membership:

• Note the comparison and analysis of changes between the 2021 and 2025 versions of the AABR Constitution.
• Endorse the updated 2025 Constitution as the governing document for AABR.
• Approve the retention of Bush Regeneration Practitioner Accreditation criteria within the Constitution as the core professional standard.
• Approve the development of a Policy and Procedures Manual and Delegations Framework to operationalise governance provisions introduced in the new Constitution by February 2026.
• Endorse the member-facing summary (“Report for Members AGM Constitutional changes.pdf”) noting key changes for transparency.

This adoption is subject to endorsement by NSW Fair Trading and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), including any minor, non-substantive amendments required by these bodies.
Moved: [Name] Seconded: [Name]

Special Resolution 2 : Constitution- Accreditation for noting and endorsement by members with AABR Accreditation

MOTION: That the AABR Membership with Accreditation:

• Note the constitutional consolidation of the Accreditation section (Clauses 5.1–5.2) and removal of procedural content to the Policy and Procedures Manual;
• Endorse the principle that Accreditation Subcommittees design procedures and competencies, subject to Board approval; and
• Confirm that the Bush Regeneration Practitioner accreditation criteria, as revised, continue to form the constitutional framework for professional accreditation under AABR.

This adoption is subject to endorsement by NSW Fair Trading and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), including any minor, non-substantive amendments required by these bodies.
Moved: [Name] Seconded: [Name]

6.    Nomination of Returning Officer- Suzanne Pritchard
7.    Election of Board Members – Election of Board Members – Nominations for 2 Year term (to AGM 2027).

There are up to 8 positions to be filled at this AGM for the Nov 2025 – AGM 2027 term. *

Nominations Received: (Proposed/Seconded)- Two year term to November 2027

Nominations from the floor called for Board members

8.    Election of Office Bearers
Nominations for the Office Bearers elected from Board Members

• President
• Vice President
• Treasurer
• Secretary

9.    Confirmations of Authorised representatives  

• Authorised Signatories- AABR Office Bearers and Executive Officer
• Account signatories- Peter Dixon, Sally Alldis, Matthew Pearson, Suzanne Pritchard

10. Thanks – President
11. Meeting Close
_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

* From the Constitution and additional information

4.2.3 – The minimum number of Board members is to be 5 and the maximum is to be 15

4.3 Board Members will be elected on rotation for a two-year term, so that the appointment of half of the Board expires each year.

Board Status

There are up to 8 positions to be filled at this AGM for the Nov 2025-AGM 2027 term.

There are five Board positions being vacated from expiring members Peter Dixon, Matthew Pearson, Rob Scott, Andrew Scott and Jane Gye

Board members retained till AGM 2026, i.e not up for election are

• Tein McDonald
• Sally Alldis
• Scott Meier
• Agata Mitchell
• Peta Lilley
• Nina Koutts
• Gerard Proust