Helen Mahar is a primary producer from Western Eyre Peninsula, on a property owned by the family for over 100 years. Having a high native vegetation to arable ratio, the farm has to deal with most of the management issues of a national park, including public access. So when the youngest of the children went to boarding school, Helen began external studies with Orange Agricultural College, completing Associate Diplomas in Rural Business Administration and in Land Management.
The administration of Native Vegetation laws prompted Helen into agri-politics, where she served on two South Australian Farmers Federation Policy Committees, Natural Resources and Commerce, at State level, for a number of years. Helen also served locally and regionally on a Soil Conservation Board (10 years), National Parks Consultative Committee (3 years) and the EP Water Resources Policy Committee (5 years). For family reasons Helen resigned from all of these a few years ago, but remained involved in two community organizations as secretary and treasurer. Helen has also worked off-farm for a total of 5 years, in two nearby aboriginal communities, in an administrative capacity.
Helen joined the AEF in 2006 as she considered its aim, that conservation policy be based on sound science, made it a natural fit for primary producers.
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