Gerald William Leach
Self employed (Australia)
Joint Manager, Family Farm
Chair, Victorian Rabbit Action Network
Chair, National Farmers Federation (Australia), Climate and Energy Taskforce
Biographical Abstracts
Gerald Leach was raised on an irrigated horticulture property, but since age 17 has worked and operated a rain fed livestock and grain farm in a semi-arid environment. His formal educational experience was modest. After completing primary and secondary school, his tertiary education has been conducted at the "University of Adversity" from which he has not yet graduated. A large part of his life has been spent developing policy and advocating on behalf of farmers in the area of natural resource management. This has included protecting farmers’ rights in relation to food and fiber production and advocating a co-operative approach rather than an adversarial approach to achieving positive natural resource management outcomes.
As chair of the Victorian Rabbit Action Network, Leach has had the privilege of working collaboratively with public servants and the community in enhancing the principle of community engagement in decision making, on the basis that those who have ownership of a problem are not only more likely to resolve the issue but that the outcome is far more likely to be sustainable. He thanks you for the privilege of ACES membership and looks forward to contributing in any way he can.
Areas of Expertise
- Environmental and production sustainability
- Policy development
- Advocacy
- Collaboration
- Resilience