VBB’s webinar with NSW NPWS

Peta Norris has worked in conservation and land management with the
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) since graduating
with an honours degree in environmental science from The University
of Newcastle in the 1990s. She is now leading the NSW government’s
$1 million bushfire relief for wildlife rehabilitators program, having
recently led conservation and wildlife recovery programs across NPWS
reserves in the Hunter and Central Coast following the catastrophic
bushfires of 2019-20. Peta has worked in park operations as a ranger
and area manager for over two decades and has qualifications in
environmental science, ecology, environmental law, government
management, bushfire and incident management, and workplace
training and assessment. She has extensive experience planning and
delivering bushfire management programs in conservation reserves,
as well as leading bushfire suppression operations, particularly remote
area firefighting in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
Peta is one of a handful of NPWS officers qualified as a major incident
controller with the NSW Rural Fire Service and has contributed to the
design and delivery of multi-agency fire and incident management
training in NSW and interstate.

When she’s not at work, she can be found pottering in the vegie
garden or racing yachts.

Tim Johnson has worked in natural resources management for fifteen
years across the public and private sectors. Since graduating from his
environmental science degree at the University of Western Sydney in
2004, Tim completed further studies in river restoration, conservation
land management, native vegetation and wildlife management. Tim is
now supporting Peta Norris to deliver the $1 million bushfire relief for
wildlife rehabilitators program. Tim has been with National Parks and
Wildlife Service as a planner for two years, working on the Strategic
plan for the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and
evaluation of the national parks programs. Prior to joining NPWS, Tim
was the Natural Resources Team Leader at Fairfield City Council for
seven years; coordinating a team of three, a community nursery and a
NRM program with a budget of approximately $1 million a year. During
his time at council Tim worked with community groups and wildlife
carers to manage the Cabramatta Creek flying fox colony, including the
development of protocols to reduce flying fox mortality during heat
stress events. Tim worked his first fire season as a remote area
firefighter during over the 2019/20 period on the Gospers Mountain,
Ruined Castle and Erskine Creek fires.

During his time away from work, Tim loves to wander the bushland in
the Blue Mountains, camera in hand.