NRPG Executive Committee 2025

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Position	Name	Phone/Email
Chairperson	Mick Davis	0402 175 770
Vice Chairperson	Steve Shearing	0417 181 344
Secretary	Steve Gates	0400 870 887
Treasurer	John Greenwood	[email protected]

Committee Members:	Co-optees:
Phil Dowson & Sue Dowson	Marion Cahill
Clive Stubbington	Alan Malcolm
Maryanne Hancock
Alan Hill

AGM minutes

Committee Bio’s

Semi-retired Mechanical Engineer. Lived in Kalamunda for 32 years, and raised two children here. Loves the hills and surrounds, and wants to keep it the special place it is.

Has been involved with the Nature Reserves Preservation Group (NRPG) since 1997 and served as President and other positions on the Executive Committee over that time. His other volunteering activities include:

Technology for the Aged and Disabled WA (TADWA), including developing the BeachTrekker wheelchair which was awarded in The New Inventors show on ABC TV.
Co-founded Sustainable Energy Now (SEN) to advocate for renewable energy in W Australia.
Involved with the Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) and converted his car to electric, and been driving it for 15 years, effectively with solar and wind energy.

Steve Shearing Vice Chairperson

Steve currently holds the position of State Manager for Hitachi Energy in Western Australia. In this role, he provides strategic leadership to a dynamic team of sales professionals. Sustainability is integral to Hitachi Energy’s business strategy, influencing our approach to environmental stewardship, societal impact, and governance as we support a just energy transition. This commitment is essential to the company’s Purpose: to inspire the next era of sustainable energy.

With a wealth of experience in the industry, Steve has previously held executive roles at the Electrical Energy Society of Australia and as a Trustee at CEDA. He is also pursuing the Australian Institute of Company Directors qualification.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Steve brings over 40 years of volunteer experience. He is actively involved in the local Hills community, coaching soccer, Australian Rules football, and cricket. Additionally, he serves as Vice President at NRPG, where he is passionately dedicated to environmental advocacy, particularly focusing on the flora and fauna in the region that require greater representation.

Clive Stubbington Committee Member

Attracted by the then, Shire of kalamunda, “Home in the Forest”, have lived in Lesmurdie since 1987 and then Forrestfield from 1991. I’m doing my best to keep the trees! Since retiring in 2019, after 22 years at Perth Airport working as an Aircon Tech, I have volunteered my time to environmental causes in City of Kalamunda. Mostly Friends of Jorgensen Park, Woodlupine Brook and Juniper Way Reserves. I’m a Keen bush walker and a maintenance volunteer on the Bibb Track section, Northern Terminus to Fern Road. My End to End took 10 years 2013 to 2023. Joined NRPG in 2020 and help out where I can.

Sue Dowson profile for NRPG May 2025

Semi-retired IT Lecturer. I have lived in Kalamunda since 2008, and grew up in the Perth Hills, near John Forrest National Park. I love our hills environment and want to help protect and nurture it. I have been involved with “Friends” groups since 2003, originally in the Guildford area, as part of the City of Swan, so it was a natural progression to become involved in Friends Groups when I moved up here. Completing an end-2-end on the Bibbulmun Track in 2024 reinforced what a wonderfully diverse environment we in WA are fortunate enough to enjoy – but also how proximity to human settlements increases environmental damage. I believe advocating for our local Reserves is a key part of protecting our hills environment in the City of Kalamunda.

Phil Dowson Committee Member

Originally a farmer on a mixed farm in the UK. Cash crops, sheep, beef cattle and Bulls for Hire! After moving to Perth, there was a desire to live ‘In green space’ therefore the Perth Hills was the best choice. I am therefore a hands on practical guy, loves all things nature and natural. Spending time working around our block and immediate area is really satisfying. Relative to the farm scale required to be successful in WA, I stayed in the City and pursued a Sales related career mostly in machinery dealerships, still part time working at Westrac, Caterpillar dealer. We (Sue & I) have for many years been volunteers on our local Spring road north reserve and the larger verge opposite our home which is under Dept of Environment. When able Bush Walking and longer hikes are our special time out.

Maryanne Hancock Committee Member

I have been a resident of Kalamunda for 17 years, as I was drawn to the natural environment, having spent time during childhood holidays exploring the Perth Hills and regional WA. I am interested in learning about local history and apply curiosity to new concepts and situations. One of my all-time favourite books and motivators is ‘The Lorax’, by Dr Seuss.

An active member of the community, as a volunteer, I have been heavily involved with various community groups since 2013. I have stepped up to create positive change in educational outdoor environments and been proactive in driving on-going public advocacy projects.

My volunteer work has included being a member of an independent public school board since 2019 and current secretary of an independent public school parent committee, and am a repeat volunteer at different community events.

I have held a long-term interest in permaculture, rewilding, sustainability and environmental protection and conservation, particularly in the preservation and regeneration of key wildlife habitat – for the benefit current and future generations.

Alan Hill Committee Member
Given how beautiful Kalamunda’s foothills and escarpment and wildlife was in the 1960’s and 1970’s,
also recognised by the Shire in the Kalamunda in its 1980’s year books under the title of, why people
chose to live in Kalamunda, it shouldn’t have been a surprise for anyone when the community asked
then, for the Shire to improve outcomes in protecting its remaining bushland reserves, canopy and
understory, as natural treasures better, but it was.
I joined the Shire’s Bushland Reserves Advisory Committee and the Shire’s District Conservation Strategy
Steering Committee in 1991. I also joined the Nature Reserves Preservation Group Kalamunda and its
Committee then. I acted belonged and did commit to helping improve things then, and we did, and I
think for a further two and a half decades.
Supported in the 1990’s by approximately 100 remarkably talented residents a cutting edge district
conservation strategy was adopted as policy and a Shire wildlife corridor strategy was also prepared and
adopted as policiy, and then a commitment to implement the Darling Range Regional Park was also
approved by Council. Kalamunda won a well deserved John Tonkin Greening Award for Local
Government in 1995.
The success or failure of changing behaviour in organisations culture can also be seen bt tracking its
decisions and outcomes.
I have worked for decades in my career in environmental policy, water planning, biodiversity
management, research and planning, and environmental education and land management.
Getting our leading environmental policies passed and implemented in the 1990’s was and should have
remained as the hard part of needed local skills development. Other Local Governments succeeded.
I grew up and went to school in High Wycombe and Gooseberry Hill and was delighted to see wildlife
return in the 1990’s and 2000’s when community was advocating strongly and the Shire was for a while
committed to implementing its own strategies.
I have returned to the committee in 2025 to see if I can help for a short time the Shire’s once leading
policies to be used again in town planning and reserve management to protect the district’s parks and
wildlife in the identified Shire’s Wildlife corridors and the State’s Darling Range Regional Park for future
generations.

John Greenwood Treasurer [email protected]

Retired Software Developer. Lived in Lesmurdie for 20 years since our young family arrived from the UK. Always loved all things natural, insects and pond life especially.

Has volunteered at Kanyana and are have been of member of Friends of Upper Lesmurdie Falls for 8 years and the Nature Reserves Preservation Group (NRPG) for 2.
Currently Treasurer of both.