Chair
John Tate
Mr Tate is the proprietor of a local automotive industry company and has extensive experience in small business. John served as a Councillor for the City of Newcastle from 1980 and was popularly elected as Lord Mayor of Newcastle in 1999, to his retirement in 2012. John served as Chair of the Hunter Economic Development Corporation, and as the Deputy Chair of Regional Development Australia - Hunter. He has been a Director of the Regional Land Management Corporation, the Newcastle Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, Honeysuckle Development Corporation and Hunter Development Corporation.
Community representatives
Thomas Green
Mr Green is a member of a number of stakeholder groups in the Upper Hunter region and has volunteered through number of community projects.
John Krey
Mr Krey has served as a community representative on the committee since 2014. John is president of the Bulga Milbrodale Progress Association
Diane Gee
Ms Gee is a community advocate and is passionate about improving air quality in the Upper hunter especially for families with young children.
Industry representatives
John Watson
Mr Watson is the Environment and Climate Change Manager for Glencore Coal Assets Australia and has been in this role since 2009. John is responsible for liaison with Glencore's NSW operations and driving improvement in the areas of compliance and assurance, air, water and noise management, as well as energy and greenhouse data management across Glencore's Australian coal assets. John has represented the coal industry on the committee since its inception in 2011.
Matthew Parkinson
Mr Parkinson manages the air quality monitoring network for Bayswater and Liddell power Stations as an Environmental Advisor with AGL Macquarie. He is a member on a number of Committees and Working Groups in relation to the environment.
Dr Catherine Chicken
Dr Chicken holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Microbiology. Catherine is a consultant to the Scone Equine Hospital on pathology and infectious disease, a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in medicine of horses, a former member of Equine Veterinarians Australia Executive, a previous Scientific Editor of the Australian Equine Veterinarian and a former Superintendent of Scone Equine Hospital Clovelly ICU. Catherine heads the Scone Equine Group Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. Catherine has worked in mixed and equine practice in Australia and England and in stud practice at Newmarket Equine Hospital. Catherine is based at the Scone Equine Hospital Laboratory and consults to various farms in the investigation of specific disease outbreaks. Catherine has served on the committee since 2013.
Minister’s Community representatives
Geoffrey Sharrock
Mr Sharrock joined the committee as a community representative in 2013. Geoff has lived the Hunter Valley since 1985. Geoff served as a councillor on the Singleton Shire Council from 2004 to 2008. Geoff is Chair of the Broke-Fordwich Private Irrigation District. He was the inaugural Chair of The Alliance, a community liaison group for the communities of Broke, Fordwich, Bulga and Milbrodale.
Muswellbrook Council representative
Mark Scandrett
Mr Scandrett is currently employed as a Sustainability Coordinator for Muswellbrook Shire Council responsible for managing air quality in the shire and communicating air quality information to the community.
Singleton Council representative
Cr Danny Thompson
Cr Thompson was elected to Singleton Council in September 2013. He was born in Singleton and has lived and worked there most of his life
Upper Hunter Council representative
Cr Wayne Bedggood
Mayor Bedggood represents Upper Hunter Shire on the committee. Wayne is an Upper Hunter Shire councillor and has been Mayor since 2015. Wayne is General Manager of a large thoroughbred horse stud outside of Scone. Wayne is a committee member of the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (Past President), a director of the Muswellbrook Race Club, Vice-chairman of the Scone Volunteer Support Group for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service and Chairman of the Transcare Board. Wayne is committed to environmental conservation and protection and played a major role in the development of the Hunter Great Eastern Ranges Initiative. Wayne represented the equine industry on the Committee from its inception to 2013.
NSW Health representative
Dr Craig Dalton
Dr Dalton is a public health physician at Hunter New England Health and Conjoint Senior Lecturer, in the School Medical Practice and Public Health at the University of Newcastle. Craig has been involved in human health risk assessment and communication related to a wide range of environmental health issues in the Hunter since 1997.
NSW Planning representative
Leah Cook
Ms Cook represents the Department of Planning and Environment on the Committee.
