Kate Charters - Principal, Organisational Management and Executive Services

Tony Charters has over 25 years' experience in nature based recreation and sustainable tourism planning, development and management across the public, private and non government sectors. Over the past 15 years he has contributed significantly to the development of more sustainable practices and professionalism within the tourism industry, both nationally and internationally. Tony has a history of innovation and success conceiving and contributing to leading edge projects that have pushed the boundaries of protected area management and sustainable recreation and tourism. These include:

• developing benchmark ecotourism initiatives;
• providing leadership in industry development;
• driving strategic and destination planning for sustainable tourism and;
• initiating stakeholder engagement and partnership development.

He also undertakes industry conferences driven by policy agendas and relevant current industry issues. He initiated the Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia national conference, now in its twelfth year, and continues to successfully convene the Tourism Futures Conference, now in its eight year. He has also convened many national and international conferences for Ecotourism Australia and is currently the convenor of the organisation’s Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference. Tony serves on the Board of Ecotourism Australia and of The International Ecotourism Society.

Tony is the principal of Tony Charters and Associates which retains specialists in tourism research; planning and development; nature and ecotourism; sustainability; climate change and certification. We assist leading tourism operators; protected area managers, tourism commissions and industry bodies with: destination development and marketing; strategic planning; sustainability; bridging the public and private sectors; eco-lodge design; climate change response; media commentary and advocacy.

Elizabeth Saxon holds a doctorate in sustainability assessment in tourism and has 8 years experience in sustainable tourism projects.

She has worked:

• with ecotourism operators to develop sustainability assessment indicators and frameworks;
• in the tertiary education sector developing and delivering undergraduate and masters level courses in environmental management and ecotourism;
• at senior levels in environmental management in local government and
• in sustainable tourism planning and policy at the state government level.

Elizabeth is currently Director of Tony Charters and Associates’ Consulting Division, where she plays a key role in proposal development, project management and  team coordination.

As Principal Tourism Analyst (Projects) she also provides specific expertise and input where required into:

• sustainable tourism planning and policy,
• environmental planning and policy,
• developing triple bottom line reporting frameworks and sustainability indicators for tourism,
• resource and environmental economics,
• stakeholder engagement, advocacy and partnership development,
• social research and impact assessment,
• facilitation and mediation, and
• environmental education, training and interpretation.

Stephen Taylor, Managing Director of Tourism Potential, has over twenty years experience in feasibility studies, tourism industry operations and consulting to the private and public sector in Australia and the United States.   His hands-on experience in developing and operating theme attractions and consulting to the wider industry covers business planning, economic impact assessment, strategy development, feasibility studies, operations reviews and market research. Prior to establishing Tourism Potential in 1994, Stephen was General Manager of a national tourism research and consulting organisation for several years.  He has also served on the advisory boards of several national tourism research organisations.

Stephen’s major skills and areas of expertise include:

• Feasibility studies and financial analysis
• Strategy development and planning
• Industry analysis
• Market research
• Theme attraction development & operation

Peter Waterman is an environmental planner with over 37 years professional experience working for governmental and private sector clients. Professional work has encompassed:

• strategic and statutory planning
• intergovernmental relations
• environmental research (physical, biological, social, economic and cultural); public and environmental health, and
• natural resource and environmental management

Peter’s formal professional qualifications are in geography, social science, urban planning and environmental management.

Commencing work as an environmental planning consultant in 1970, Peter has carried out a large number of land use planning and environmental impact and risk assessments in all Australian States and Territories as well as overseas. Through this work Peter has become an acknowledged leader in developing integrated and holistic approaches to the environmental management of natural systems, industrial facilities and built infrastructure with a geographic focus on the coastal zone.

Assoc Prof Geoff Cockfield has a long involvement in rural industry and with regional economic development issues. He has written on agricultural and rural industry restructuring issues, natural resources management and presented many papers on regional development.

Geoff's most recent published work is, 2003, 'Reporting the drought: A study of news cycles', Australian Journalism Review, 25 (1), pp. 171-186, and his most recent research projects, conducted with other researchers, include 2003, A Pilot Study of Methods to Assess the 'Vital Signs' of Rural Communities and 2002, Pittsworth Shire Council and Department of Transport and Regional Services, Development in the Pittsworth Shire.

Geoff’s particular research interests include rural policy, agri-environment policy and land use change.

Associate Professor Jeremy Buultjens is the Director of the Regional Futures Institute, located in the School of Commerce and Management at Southern Cross University. He is also the Managing Editor of the Journal of Economic and Social Policy. He has taught in a number of units ranging from Economics and Industrial Relations through to Tourism Planning and Indigenous Tourism.

Jeremy’s research interests include Indigenous entrepreneurship, regional development and tourism, tourism in protected areas, and employment relations. His publications have appeared in Tourism Management, Journal of Industrial Relations, International Journal of Employment Studies, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Labour and Industry and the Australasian Journal of Business and Social Enquiry. He has also presented widely at national and international conferences.

Jeremy has conducted numerous consultancies. His clients have included the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the NSW Crown Solicitors Office, W.A. Department of Conservation and Land Management, and the Northern Rivers Area Consultative Committee.

Cassandra has lived and worked in Cranbrook for the past 3 ½ years as the Manager of business development for the Shire.  She has a diverse background, coming from industry into local government.  She is passionate about the growth of rural communities and their regional centres and is on the state committee of Economic Development Australia, the national SEGRA steering committee and the board of the Tambellup Cranbrook Community Bank.

Peter teaches in the marketing area. He has published extensively and presented at national and international conferences in areas covering marketing management and public policy, customer satisfaction, media and time use, services and direct marketing, tourism and business education. His articles have been published in the International Journal of Public Sector Management, Journal of Economic and Social Policy, Contemporary Issues in Business and Government, Review of International Comparative Management, Australasian Journal of Business and Social Enquiry and the Journal of Management and Organization. His research interests include marketing and public policy, community and economic development, social marketing, supply chain management and the mobile skilled workforce.

His PhD topic was "Factors affecting media time use" which looked at how people spend time with media and how this is affected by demographic, situational and psychographic factors. He also holds a Masters of Business (Research) in which he investigated perceived risk across the goods-service continuum. His undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales where he majored in Marketing.

Prior to joining the University, Peter worked in Sydney and London in a number of marketing management positions for local and international companies. He has extensive experience in market research and he has been actively involved in research consultancies for both local and national organisations. Peter is on the editorial advisory board of the Australasian Journal of Business and Social Enquiry. He is also on the board of directors of the Northern Rivers Business Enterprise Centre and serves on the Queensland committee of the Australian Market and Social Research Society.