Chairman
Andrew Cairns
BEng (Electrical)., Assoc Fellow AIM., MAICD.

Appointed as Chairman on 1 October 2011, Mr Cairns has been with the Board since 2007.

Mr Cairns has extensive experience in a variety of industries including manfacturing, pay television and telecommunications. Mr Cairns was formerly Chief Excutive Officer of Bendigo Community Telco. He is now the Head of Community Solutions and Partnering at the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. Mr Cairns current directorships include Bendigo Community Telco, iTEL Community Telco Limited and Loddon Mallee Housing Services Limited.

Mr Rigby joined Coliban Water as Managing Director on 21 December 2011 and has more than 27 years’ experience in the water industry. He was Managing Director at Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water from 2007 and has held leadership positions with Grampians Water and Central Highlands Water.

Mr Rigby’s qualifications include a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Engineering Science. He has extensive community involvement including holding Directorships with Grampians Regional Council for Adult, Community and Further Education, Karkana Support Services and Highlands Personnel.

Noel Harvey, OAM, MIPA, MAICD.

Appointed to the Board in October 2001, Mr Harvey has been involved in local government in Central Victoria since 1991. He was twice President of the Shire of Kyneton and served three terms as Mayor of the Shire of Macedon Ranges. Mr Harvey is a Board Member of Parks Victoria, a former Board Member of the North Central Catchment Management Authority and Chairman of the Victorian Mineral Water Committee. He has extensive experience in travel, transport and tourism industries and is currently involved in the natural resource management and carbon offset industry.

Deputy Chairman
David Beard, MAICD, FIEAust, CP Eng., MBus.

Mr Beard moved to Bendigo in 2000 and was appointed to the Board in October 2005. He is currently Group General Manager for Veolia Environmental Services and has over 20 years experience in engineering, transport and business. Mr Beard has previously worked in local Government as Infrastructure Director for both Murrindindi and Bendigo Councils.

Mr Beard has served on the MAV's Transport Advisory Committee, Goulburn Valley and Calder Regional Waste Management Groups, Calder Highway Improvement Committee, the Institute of Engineers Australia and the Victorian Waste Management Association. Mr Beard holds a Bachelor of Engineering, qualification in Water Engineering, Masters of Business and is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers and Member of ACID.

Andrew Skewes
BSc, Grad Dip Ed, MComm (Econ Hons).

Appointed to the Board on 1 July 2010, Mr Skewes has a background as an academic and as a senior executive in both the State and Federal Government developing policy for innovation, economic development and the governance of government enterprises.

He is the Executive Director of La Trobe University Bendigo, a Non-Executive Director of the Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation and the Principal of Canvass Consulting.

Russell A Walker
FCPA, MAICD, DipBus(Acc), GradDip(Govt Acc).

Appointed to the Board on 1 July 2010. Mr Walker has extensive experience in both the not-for-profit and public sectors. He was a former Assistant Auditor General for Victoria, a Commissioner on the Victorian Commission of Audit, and has undertaken a number of consultancies, including for the Victorian Parliament’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee.

He is President of Guide Dogs Victoria, Board member of Royal Guide Dogs Association of Australia, committee member of Macedon Ranges Health and former chair of a Western Bulldogs Football Club fundraising group. Mr Walker has a Diploma of Business Accounting, Graduate Diploma in Government Accounting, Member of AICD and Fellow of CPA Australia.

Jean Sutherland
FCPA, MAICD, Cert Businss Studies (Acc)

Appointed to the Board on 1 October 2011, Ms Sutherland is self-employed, operating an accounting practice in Cohuna (2000-current) and was previously a Director of the accounting firm May Partners Pty Ltd (1985-2000).

She is a member of the Cohuna Progress Association and is a former member of Goulburn-Murray Water (2001-2007), North Central Catchment Management Authoirty (2003-2009) and Ambulance Victoria (2008-2009).

Back to Board Home Page > click here