My background in soil science includes a long career working in agricultural extension with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development since 1992. This work has given me a broad range of experience in areas relating to soils that I am sharing with my region, including salinity, rangelands, cropping, pastures, group extension and herbicides.
I am passionate about translating good science into practical solutions for agricultural land management. To that end, for the past 8 years I have facilitated a monthly national soils webinar—the Soils Network of Knowledge (SNoK)—growing it to an audience of 897 subscribers in 2025. I have also worked closely with agricultural scientists to help them convey the relevance of their work to farmers and advisers.
I have had the privilege of working with many others from all corners of the industry while I led several large extension projects, including The NSW Sustainable Grazing from Saline Lands extension project and the NSW Rangelands Bestprac project.
My interest in soil has been inspired by its fundamental importance to both agriculture and the environment, as well as by the many inspiring soil experts I have met; experts whose work, if more landholders understood how to apply their findings, could significantly benefit Australian soils.
In my role as Regional Soil Coordinator, I am working to strengthen Australia’s future soil workforce in two main ways:
First, by harnessing the ideas and recommendations of our current soil superstars. These individuals have travelled the long journey and done the hard yards it takes to reach expert status. Soil management is sufficiently complex that everyone is hungry for the advice from these people, but they are few and far between.
And secondly, by improving the quality of soil advice delivered by on-farm private advisers, particularly agronomists working for agricultural merchandise companies, who are now among the most relied-upon sources of on-farm guidance.
You can subscribe to receive the invitation to the monthly SNoK webinars here.
The network of Regional Soils Coordinators are members of the Smart Soils National Community of Practice convened by Soil Science Australia.
The Regional Soils Coordinators and the Smart Soils National Community of Practice are supported by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.
Soil Science Australia is the national soil science body and a not-for-profit professional incorporated association for soil scientists and people interested in the responsible management of Australia’s soil resources.
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Soil Science Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future.
