MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR AND CEO
We are proud of the way in which our organisation faced up to unprecedented challenges during a quite extraordinary year .
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing the cancellation of all face-to face events between March and July – and the almost total closure of our offices – our staff did a remarkable job maintaining business continuity while helping to ensure the health and wellbeing of each other and the wider community .
Our COVID-19 response story on pages 8 and 9 highlights how we adapted our work to continue delivering on milestones and maintaining the confidence of our funders . A huge thanks to our staff for their outstanding effort and can-do attitude . And thanks also to our funding partners from the Australian and Queensland governments for their support and flexibility throughout .
Back in October last year – which seems a lifetime ago – a vote by members of Southern Gulf NRM put an end to almost two years of merger talks . We would like to thank all who worked hard to progress the proposed merger .
Despite some major disruptions , we continued delivering on all five priority areas outlined in our Corporate Strategic Plan . This report is structured around these five priorities , which focus on improving landscapes , developing our people , strengthening governance and leadership , supporting resilient communities , and securing reliable resources .
On the subject of resourcing , we were pleased to strengthen our relationship with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation , under which we secured several new water quality projects that further cement our reputation for high-quality delivery .
Chair Les Tyrell OAM ( left ) with CEO Dr Scott Crawford
We also further developed partnerships with a range of organisations whose expertise complement our work . For example our continued partnership with respected advocacy group The Mulloon Institute helped us roll out an increasing number of landscape rehydration activities that supported graziers to improve pasture cover and increase drought resilience .
We look forward to building on last year ' s achievements , and continuing to deliver great outcomes for landscapes , livelihoods and communities in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region .
Wishing you all the best of health during these uncertain times ,
Chair Les Tyrell OAM
CEO Dr Scott Crawford
3