2024/25 President’s Report
GBSAN 2025 AGM 23rd of November
2025 has been another very successful year for GBSAN in terms of the activities of the Teams, our recognition and standing in the community and a marked increase in community engagement which has resulted in an increase in membership and supporters. As a result, we are in really great shape to embark on the next phase of the organisation’s evolution.
For these reasons I think this AGM should be a celebration. This AGM also marks a milestone in terms of governance with the seamless transition to a new President who will be supported by an energetic and committed management committee and our Teams which continue deliver on our goals and objectives.
This is extremely pleasing as we celebrate our 6th anniversary as the community’s voice advocating for ecologically sustainable development on the Granite Belt. We can be very satisfied that we have now achieved a level of legitimacy that sees us participating on an equal basis with the Chamber, Granite Belt Wine and Tourism and the Growers Association. GBSAN is a member of the SDRC’s Granite Belt Alliance, the Ag Plastics Pilot Working Group, the Stanthorpe Community Reference Panel, the Nature-based Tourism Working Group and the Renewable Energy Community Benefits Working Group.
What is really pleasing to see this year, however, is the consolidation of the great work of the Community Engagement Team which is seeing our community reach at the grass roots level which will underpin and grow our influence at the strategic level as well as the on-going work of our Teams.
Now onto some highlights.
1. Our Strategic Plan
Of note is the further evolution of our strategic plan that will guide us in 2026 and beyond. The Management Committee has overseen the first full review of the plan which will be presented to you for adoption after the AGM. The process of a rolling annual review driven by the Teams is essential to keep us focused on the most relevant issues given our limited capacity and the temptation to get involved in too many issues given the breadth of the challenge facing us because of humanity’s ecological overshoot. The strategic plan represents our collective view on priority issues. It is, however, an evolving document which gives us the capacity to adapt to changing situations.
2. Our Teams
All our Teams are fully functional and focused on delivering the Strategic Plan’s goals. The breadth of activities for a relatively small group of active volunteers is quite amazing. I could spend a long time going into the details, but you’ll be pleased to know I’ll stick to the highlights:
Climate and Energy: The Team has been collaborating with one of our partner organisations the Darling Downs Environment Council and as a result is about to launch a very impressive and comprehensive website and an information pack focusing on challenging and debunking the dis and misinformation related to renewable energy particularly wind with a local focus on the Pikedale Windfarm proposal. This is a great example of the fruits of collaboration, including with organisations outside our region. The Team has also developed a comprehensive policy position and has been invited to sit on the newly established working group that will drive the community benefits agreement between wind farm developers and our community. For more information, please contact Chris Story.
Biodiversity: The interest in GBSAN’s landscape linkages initiative continues to grow with over 60 landholders expressing their interest in the project. The first linkages meeting was held with landholders along a section of Accommodation Creek and has resulted in the emergence of a major project focused on the endangered Bell’s Turtle. Stakeholders include landholders, the Ballandean Primary School, UNE, Traditional Owners and range of others with specialist ecological and media skills that will develop a pilot project. This includes a substantial grant application that will turbo-charge the linkages programme should it land. The Team remains committed to working with Council and other stakeholders to secure funding for a Bushcare Officer that will assist landholders manage their country for biodiversity conservation. There are so many other elements to the Linkages initiative and too little time here to explain. For more information, please get in contact with Geraldine Hollingsworth.
Resource Recovery: The Team has been focused on the diversion of green waste from landfill for several years and despite their dogged determination, Council continues to ignore what other Councils do as a matter of course – convert this material to a valuable resource by separating it from the non-recyclable waste stream. Faced with this inertia, the Team has now decided to invest in a “Wormpod” and establish the Granite Belt’s first community composting programme to demonstrate to Council in a practical way that green waste diversion can be achieved in an effective and economic way. The first phase of “Wormpod” initiative will be launched in the first half of 2026 and will be housed in the Artworks Precinct garden near the Saturday Farmers Market. This is another example of GBSAN working with local organisations to reach their goal. It will also compliment the Team’s decision to take over the Terracycle recycling programme which is housed Whistle Stop community garden. For more information, please contact Philippa Hambleton.
Water Security: Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt more broadly remains completely exposed to the next, inevitable drought. The Regional Water Assessment process initiated by the previous Labor State Government and disowned by the new LNP Government delivered nothing to mitigate our vulnerability. GBSAN participates in the Stanthorpe Community Reference Panel, the forum that is focused on water issues locally. In the post RWA era, the SCRP is struggling to re-invent and re-focus on the question of water security. GBSAN remains committed to its membership of the SCRP and our attempts to refocus that organisations attention on water security versus its historical focus on water for irrigation and associated infrastructure. Water remains a challenging area to work in. In the face of climate change, the lack of water security for our region remains, if not an existential threat, certainly a huge environmental, social and economic risk. For these reasons GBSAN will continue to engage in the SCRP and other processes to work with other stakeholders to design and deliver a water strategy for the Granite Belt as soon as is possible. For more information on water security, please contact Ken Waldron.
Community Engagement: Over the last several years the Community Engagement Team has driven a dramatic increase in GBSAN’s profile, community support and membership which now stands at 186 – larger that the Chamber, the Growers Association and Granite Belt Wine and Tourism. But more than just the numbers the Team has given GBSAN members a range of opportunities to participate in activities that deliver on many people’s desires to do something practical. This involves not only events such as movie nights and public information stands such as the set up at Gardenfest, but the establishment of the Bushcare Team, which assists landholders manage their land to protect biodiversity. This has been a huge success. As a landholder that has benefitted for the work of the Bushcare team – 420 trees and shrubs in the ground 3 weeks ago just before the wonderful recent rain – this initiative helps fill the landcare void in our region. With grants from the RSL the team now has the equipment to complete a range of groundwork including weed control and revegetation.
Also to note that GBSAN maintains an excellent, informative website – this is in the process to being reviewed and refreshed - and our monthly newsletter continues to attract compliments.
3. The Ever-Present Challenge
The CET through its community engagement activities has, as I said, increased our reach into the community substantially. This has resulted in a significant increase in membership and a boost in the membership of our teams. However, we have taken on a big job, and it remains the case that we need more active participation from our members and supporters in our Teams which are GBSAN’s engine room.
So, if there are any members here today who are interested, please grab a drink and have a chat to any of the Team leaders and members about their work and the opportunity to participate and contribute to our collective effort. And please spread the word.
On that note, I’d like to thank all the Teams and Team Leaders for your outstanding efforts during the course of the year and other the last 6 years.
Also, the Management Committee. It’s been a pleasure working with you all and we’ve had a very productive year from a governance perspective. I think we’ve streamlined the meeting process to ensure the meetings are not too onerous and that the MC is there to support the Teams and not to dominate the organization.
It’s been a pleasure to be the President for the last six years and be involved in truly establishing and sustaining GBSAN as a significant player in our local community. I’d like to acknowledge my partner in various crimes Mary Findlay’s role in this journey, including her rock-solid support and sage advice on many occasions. From its start over a long lunch of like-minded folk in our front yard back in 2019 I think it’s OK to say that GBSAN has become an important fixture in our community.
GBSAN was born out of frustration at the lack of and a need to take action. This has been achieved, and we look forward to a continuing focus on practical, constructive and positive changes towards a sustainable future for the Granite Belt community.
It is definitely time to pass the baton onto Geraldine who will inject her amazing energy into the role and bring with it a continued emphasis on developing our grass roots support and membership growth as well as maintaining those all-important strategic relationships.
So, thank you all for your support and in some instances tolerance over the last 6 years. Have a great festive season and a stellar 2026.
Rick Humphries
Outgoing President
23rd of November 2025