The 2025/26 KKA Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on 27 November at the Blackburn Lake Sanctuary Visitor Centre. The usual agenda for an AGM includes receiving reports from the Office Bearers, confirming annual fees and electing a new committee for the coming year. Sometimes an interesting speaker is added (dare we say it – to encourage more members to turn up!).
However, people should never dismiss the KKA AGM as yet another going-through-the-motions set of mundane procedural affairs. In last meeting:
- Firstly, the KKA Annual General Meeting delivered some very welcome surprises.
- Secondly, the talk delivered by Dr White was as interesting as such a depressing subject could be.
The surprises
Our President Rex Dusting had to be “present” remotely from storm-riddled Queensland – so much so that his deputy, meeting chairman Frank Giorlando, presented Rex’s report on his behalf. Rex highlighted the shift to implementation of the Strategic Plan following its launch in July. He also noted our continuing success in attracting grant funding for projects, our mounting vounteer strength and engagement which he left Gillian and Graham to expand on. However, he warned that our long-term stability remains uncertain due to the continuing funding uncertainties. You can read his full report here.
Reports from Graham and Gillian as Creek Keeper and Treasurer respectively were made in the traditional manner.
- Gillian reported that the Alliance continues to be in the black after 5 years of operation with modest profits continuing. She did underscore our reliance on grants and the desirability of expanding our funding base towards longer term stability – the point Rex raised. The end-of-financial-year fundraising campaign was a success and she will run an end-of-year fundraising campaign as well. Her report is accessible here.
- Graham spoke of :
- The importance of advocacy and our strengthening relationships with groups like the Regional Collaboration, both the Urban Waterways and the regional Concerned Waterways Alliances and others.
- Our volunteering (37,000 hours and 70,000 plants last year).
- Strategic planning work about to commence on GIS mapping to guide our reveg work.
- His full report can be read here.
New Committee
When it came to the Committee for 2026/2027, the number of nominations for ordinary members of Committee exceeded the number of possible vacancies and the candidates were amazing ! This is confirmation that the organisation is vibrant and attractive – people are up for the challenge and want to add their skills and experience to help care for KooyongKoot. In short, they want to help and smell success!
A motion was therefore passed to expand the Committee to 9 members. That enabled all candidates to be elected without a vote being necessary. In addition, all existing Office Bearers renominated for their positions without opposition and so were duly elected.
We thank Anne Payne for “assuming the chair” while all positions were spilled and for her kind and encouraging words.
The resulting composition of the new committee seems to achieve a very good balance between the injection of new blood/capacity and continuity of experience to ensure stability, credibility with supporters and the retention of “corporate knowledge”.
The new members are:
- Callum Clarke who replaces Sam Russell as the Urban Guerillas’ representative on Committee. Callum is already well known to our members and groups through his environmental work in the field, leading regen work, bird walks and so forth. Nevertheless, we are very sorry to see Sam leave Committee because his contributions have been immense over our formative first five years. Callum is a very worthy successor. The KKA is very fortunate to have the Urban Guerillas as partners in our work.
- Rachael Thomson joined our Marketing & Communications subcommittee in December 2025 and stepped up to join the KKA Committee. She and has valuable marketing experience in one of the water agencies in roles associated with marketing, community education and engagement.
- Sheena Waddell has business savvy and is an excellent networker. She joined our Marketing & Communications subcommittee in April this year and has already made her mark with member groups as well as within the subcommittee. Sheena is leading the charge on our stalls group and is an active member of ACBC and Markham Forest Friends Groups.
Presentation to Ruthie
In special recognition of her major contributions to the KKA and to the Glen Iris community, a special presentation was made to Ruthie Scharley.
Ruthie and Wally have moved away from their beloved Nettleton Park. In her heartfelt and humorous speech in response to Graham’s presentation, Ruthie left no doubt she’s staying involved !
In particular, she intends to write some of the history of regeneration work in Nettleton Park – so the lessons learned and wisdom she gained are not lost to the future.
Photo credit: Barbara – who “captured the moment” very well in this photo.
Guest Speaker’s Talk
Professor John White, a wildlife ecologist at Deakin University, gave a very powerful and engaging talk on the impacts of poisons on wildlife – starting with vultures in Asia where Diclofenac (the active ingredient in Voltaren!) has caused an astonishing population crash in vultures in Asia and a consequential rise in attacks by rabid dogs !
In Australia, including locally in the KooyongKoot catchment, Powerful Owls, Tawny Frogmouths and Brush-tailed Possums have had high levels of dangerous second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) such as Brodifacoum detected in their livers. John described SGARs as our new “Silent Spring” – alluding to the seminal work on DDT and Dieldrin by Rachel Carson in the 1960s.
Hats off to Deakin Uni and Birdlife Australia for their research and for running an effective campaign to rein in use of these dangerous and wildlife-destructive chemicals.
If you get a chance to hear John talk, don’t miss it !
A super supper followed which provided the opportunity for people to catch up after the formal proceedings and the talk – while enjoying a cuppa and some delicious offerings.