EXPERIENCED manager and long-time Cape resident Sally Gray was officially elected as chair of the board at Cape York Natural Resource Management’s recent AGM in Coen.
Ms Gray has been a CYNRM board member for the past four years, including six months as interim chair, and has a wealth of experience from previous board and advisory roles.
Ms Gray joins re-elected member Marilyn Morris and vice-chair Hurriyet Babacan, and welcomed new members Jim Turnour, Pip Schroor and Cliff Harrigan.
Ms Schroor is the regional resilience coordinator for Torres and Cape Indigenous Councils Alliance, Mr Harrigan is a Balnggarrawarra Ranger with South Cape York Catchments and a Director of Normanby Aboriginal Corporation, while Mr Turnour is general manager of Wuthathi Aboriginal Corporation.
“The board is really very diverse in skills and connections and community affiliations,” said Ms Gray, who manages Piccaninny Plains Wildlife Sanctuary for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
“It’s really excellent from that aspect and everyone on the board is very passionate and totally committed to the Cape York community and managing land and country.”
The Cape York NRM annual report was also released at the meeting, highlighting the group’s key projects across the 2021-22 financial year, including discovering cassowaries on Gudang Yadhaykenu country in northern Cape York, an all-female Indigenous heavy machinery training course, and the Smart Farms Soil Solutions project in the Endeavour Valley near Cooktown.
Ms Gray congratulated the new board appointees, and said the team was looking forward to a productive year.
“I am looking forward to working with our stakeholders across the Cape to continue the great work the organisation has under way,” she said.
