Regional Engagement Officers
Agriculture Victoria’s Engagement Officers provide advice to help community and stakeholders coordinate efforts to manage established weeds and pest animals.
Agriculture Victoria’s Engagement Officers for established invasives and vertebrate pests are facilitating stakeholder relationships to support the delivery of community-led established weed and pest animal management at regional and local levels.
The Partnerships Against Pests program is supported by engagement staff across the state.
The Engagement Officers can promote grant funding opportunities and provide guidance on grant funding proposals to community groups interested in the Partnerships Against Pests grants program.
Your regional Engagement Officer can connect your group to contacts or programs within the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action focused on established invasive species management. Engagement Officers can also connect landowners and community with Agriculture Victoria services and staff.
Engagement Officer - Established Invasives (EOEI)
Agriculture Victoria’s has an Engagement Officer - Established Invasives (EOEI) in the North, South West and South East regions. Each EOEI is dedicated to supporting the delivery of community programs and progress a shared responsibility between community and government in managing established weeds and pest animals.
Officers will work in partnership with communities and industry to define the problem and identify the species that are a priority for their region and communities.
Contact your local EOEI for:
- advice on how to work with your community to manage established weed and pests.
- assistance connecting community to relevant stakeholders, subject matter experts and relevant government organisations. This includes organisations who can provide additional support for managing established weeds and pest animals.
- supporting community groups in the development of community led programs, projects and partnerships.
- advice, where applicable, on best practice management of priority established invasive species.
Engagement officers by region
- Northern region: Alastair Campbell alastair.campbell@agriculture.vic.gov.au
- South west region: David Blythe david.blythe@agriculture.vic.gov.au
- Metro and south east region: Katie Robinson katie.robinson@agriculture.vic.gov.au
The regions are divided by local government areas. You can find your local government area at Know Your Council.
The northern region includes these local government areas: Alpine, Benalla, Buloke, Campaspe, Central Goldfields, Gannawarra, Greater Bendigo, Greater Shepparton, Indigo, Loddon, Macedon Ranges, Mansfield, Mildura, Mitchell, Moira, Mount Alexander, Murrindindi, Strathbogie, Swan Hill, Towong, Wangaratta and Wodonga.
The south east region includes these local government areas: Banyule, Bass Coast, Baw Baw, Bayside, Boroondara, Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, East Gippsland, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Kingston, Knox, Latrobe, Manningham, Maribyrnong, Maroondah, Melbourne, Melton, Merri-Bek, Monash, Moonee Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Nillumbik, Port Phillip, South Gippsland, Stonnington, Wellington, Whitehorse, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Yarra, Yarra Ranges.
The south West region includes these local government areas: Ararat, Ballarat, Colac Otway, Corangamite, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Geelong, Hepburn, Hindmarsh, Horsham, Moorabool, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Queenscliffe, Southern Grampians, Surf Coast, Warrnambool, West Wimmera, Yarriambiack.
Engagement Officer - Vertebrate Pests (EOVP)
Agriculture Victoria’s Engagement Officers – Vertebrate Pests (EOVP) are technical specialists in vertebrate pest management and monitoring. Their priority is to support communities, industry and agencies in the management of priority pest animals across all land tenures through extension, engagement and educational activities. Our EOVP’s also link researchers with on-ground practitioners to improve research outcomes for Biosecurity and Emergency Animal Disease preparedness and collate valuable intel on distribution of priority pest animals to inform management actions.
The EOVP’s are based in Victoria’s East and West and are facilitating the establishment of important partnerships between key stakeholders interested in vertebrate pest management. The aim of these partnerships is to align pest animal management activities on public and private land for broadscale and longer-lasting outcomes in terms of damage mitigation for foxes, feral pigs, rabbits, and feral goats.
Contact your local EOVP for:
- Support in the development of cross tenure community-led vertebrate pest management programs.
- Technical expertise in the best practice management of vertebrate pests.
Biosecurity Officers
Agriculture Victoria’s Biosecurity Officers are also available to provide advice to landowners on the identification and best practice management of established weeds and pest animals on their land.