BIOSIS - Key Persons
Memberships
Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)
Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ)
Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association (VPELA)
Aaron is the Chief Executive Officer and a Senior Consultant Botanist with over 15 years of experience in terrestrial ecology.
He began his career working closely with land managers in montane, sub-alpine and alpine environments within his specialist consultancy which was bought by Biosis in 2005. Aaron then took up a role with Biosis as Senior Consultant Botanist in Melbourne.
Aaron moved into a management position in 2008 as the Melbourne Resource Group Manager and this was followed by his appointment as Director - Consulting Services in 2011.
In this position, Aaron uses his networking and presentation skills to their full extent, playing an active role across our Victorian and New South Wales teams.
Over the past decade, Aaron has worked closely with the Victorian Planning Authority and the development industry as well as the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning on the Strategic Impact Assessment of Melbourne's urban expansion.
Aaron continues to provide high-level technical advice on a range of major projects throughout south-eastern Australia including the Runway Development Program at Melbourne Airport, the NBN rollout and Silverton Wind Farm.
Aaron has appeared as an expert witness before Planning Panels Victoria and the Victorian and Civil Administrative Appeals Tribunal (VCAT).
Aaron has specialist skills in negotiation which are particularly well regarded by clients and regulators. His success as a Project Director on large, multidisciplinary projects demonstrates Biosis' ability to bring together ecology and heritage project teams that can work closely with clients and Commonwealth, state, and local government.
Objective, competitive and motivated to contribute to the greater good, Aaron's role as Chief Executive Officer is to challenge our people to be their professional best and to deliver best practice consulting to our broad range of clients.
Job Titles:
- Senior Business Development Lead
Amy has 14 years' experience working as a consultant archaeologist in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria and specialises in large infrastructure projects and stakeholder liaisons. Since 2014, Amy has combined her role as an archaeologist with broader client relationship and sales activities for Biosis.
Amy has extensive experience in project management, stakeholder liaison, survey, site photography, salvage and test excavation, lithic analysis and recording, and is a registered heritage advisor under the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006. She is a skilled and confident public speaker, facilitator and negotiator, and her work as a heritage advisor has helped refine her skills in stakeholder and client engagement, information delivery, and conflict resolution regarding cultural concerns, project design obstacles, and project delays.
Job Titles:
- Archaeology & Anthropology Manager - Heritage ( Victoria )
- Manager - Heritage ( Victoria )
Ashley is an experienced archaeologist and cultural heritage specialist, with extensive experience in both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal heritage projects across a number of sectors throughout Victoria, NSW, QLD, the ACT, and internationally. He has gained this experience in cultural heritage management and archaeology since graduating from James Cook University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons - First Class) majoring in archaeology and anthropology.
He is recognised as a heritage Advisor under the Victorian Heritage Act 2006 and as an Excavation Director under the Heritage NSW Criteria for Assessing Excavation Directors. This experience has lead him to work with a wide variety of clients ranging from urban developers through to large service providers and infrastructure clients.
Ashley is highly skilled key stakeholder consultation, including Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs), Traditional Owners and relevant Government authorities. He has a sound understanding of Victorian, NSW, ACT and Commonwealth heritage legislation and can provide timely advice on the assessment and management of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal sites.
During his career, Ashley has gained significant archaeological field experience including project management and direction of large archaeological test and salvage excavations, with specialist skills in site survey and assessment and detailed site recording.
Job Titles:
- History Principal Archaeologist
Gary has worked as a consultant in heritage and archaeology for over 30 years. He has project managed and individually conducted archaeological field surveys for development projects and environmental impact studies, as well as historic site assessments, heritage studies, and archaeological and heritage mitigation works, excavations and conservation plans. Gary has specialist skills in archival research, oral history, site assessment and interpretation, industrial and historical archaeology, large-scale environmental management and conservation plans in Victoria.
Job Titles:
- Biol Principal Ecologist
- Principal Ecologist
Callan joined Biosis in 2016 and has over 12 years' ecological consulting experience. Key to his role is ensuring the technical quality and accuracy of assessments and advice relating to the NSW Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) and biodiversity offset delivery for a range of state and Commonwealth projects.
With more than seven years' experience in implementing the former BioBanking Assessment Methodology (BBAM) and more recently the BAM, Callan has acted as the Accredited BAM Assessor or technical lead on a number of major projects, as well as ensuring smaller scale development projects achieve the best results and most cost-effective offset arrangements.
Claire's diversity in experience provides her with a deep understanding of the relationship between communities, places and their ongoing development. She understands that stories and experiences can shape and influence who we are as people and communities, connecting people's lives and livelihoods to the places as they change through time. She is passionate about engaging with communities to reveal these layers. She has a background in government with proven success in the private sector delivering heritage advice, stakeholder engagement, project management and leadership.
Claire has a career that blends heritage management, materials conservation, government policy, strategic advice and regulation. She has experience in providing multifaceted heritage services on construction projects, leading diverse teams, managing complex projects and delivering challenging stakeholder engagement activities. She is interested in the ongoing connection between people and place and the role of heritage, policy and innovation in the environmental planning sector and how heritage places are managed with sustainability in mind. She is passionate about the recognition and active presence of heritage places.
Claire is currently on the Heritage Council of NSW Heritage Advisory Committee and the Australia ICOMOS Intangible Cultural Heritage Scientific Committee. Her experience in public service roles and commercial practice provides her with an exceptional understanding about conserving heritage places across NSW and Australia.
She has expertise in working with environment and planning legislation, including experience in heritage regulation and policy roles within the public service as an Assistant Director in the Commonwealth Department of Environment. She has also undertaken a secondment to Heritage NSW to assist their teams manage applications under the Heritage Act 1977 and has in depth knowledge of the heritage listings process in NSW.
Claire brings a positive and solutions focused approach to projects and provides evidence based advice to clients in order to create positive results.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Zoologist
Clare McCutcheon is a highly experienced zoologist with over 12 years of ecological consulting experience conducting fauna surveys and habitat assessments across south-eastern Australia. She has an extensive knowledge and understanding of environmental issues and conservation management, with a particular focus on vertebrate fauna identification, monitoring, and targeted survey for rare and threatened species.
Clare has designed and coordinated numerous large-scale surveys for threatened fauna species across a range of habitats, including targeted mammal surveys of the central Gippsland foothill forests, seabird and shorebird surveys of the central Gippsland coast and targeted surveys for threatened grassland fauna to the west of Melbourne.
She has also undertaken impact assessments for a range of large-scale infrastructure projects including onshore and offshore wind farms in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania and linear infrastructure projects including major roads and pipelines. Clare has an excellent working knowledge of policy and legislation relating to biodiversity, and has coordinated the environmental approvals for a number of projects including the Ravenhall Prison Project on former Commonwealth land at Ravenhall, Victoria.
During her time with Biosis, Clare has managed and participated in numerous projects for rare and threatened fauna including Growling Grass Frog, Striped Legless Lizard, Grassland Earless Dragon, Alpine Bog Skink, Plains-wanderer, Golden Sun Moth and Broad-toothed Rat.
Clare is also responsible for leading the training and technical development of the Victorian Ecology Team at Biosis.
Don brings to Biosis over twenty five years of practice looking after heritage places through conservation and heritage management. He's worked at both the most strategic of levels to one-to-one scale fine-grained solutions resolving how we use, look after and pass on our assets and places with economy, efficiency and sensitivity.
Trained in architecture, he provides clients with the full spectrum of heritage place services from guiding city shaping development and adaptive reuse, through to building fabric conservation and interpretation. He has been actively involved with Australia ICOMOS in convening events and mentoring emerging practitioners.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Victorian Country Fire Authority
- Senior Associate Ecologist
Beyond his professional achievements, Jeff is a member of the Victorian Country Fire Authority (CFA), the Invasive Species Council and the Ecological Consultants Association of Victoria. These affiliations not only reflect his dedication to community service but also highlight his ongoing commitment to staying abreast of the latest developments in ecological science and conservation land management practice.
Job Titles:
- Team Leader - Botany ( Victoria )
Ewan has over seven years experience working in native vegetation and is experienced in conducting flora and fauna surveys and habitat assessments throughout south eastern Australia. He has an extensive knowledge and understanding of environmental issues and conservation management with skills in vegetation survey, botanical ID, monitoring, VQA assessments and targeted survey for rare and threatened species.
Ewan has managed and worked on a number of large-scale projects, including assessments in the Victorian and NSW Alps, Western NSW semi-arid regions and infrastructure projects throughout North East Victoria and central-west NSW. He has also provided ecological advice for large scale infrastructure projects including proposed solar farms in NSW and Victoria and linear infrastructure projects including roads and pipelines.
Ewan has worked on several offset site registration projects across Victoria and is experienced with preparation of NVCR documentation and liaising with NVCR staff. Ewan was invited by DELWP in 2018 to test and provide feedback on the latest NVCR templates, gain calculator and registration process. He has a strong working knowledge of policy and legislation relating to biodiversity.
Prior to joining Biosis Ewan worked as a research assistant with La Trobe Universities Alpine Ecology lab and developed a sound knowledge of alpine flora and ecosystems.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Consultant
- Principal Archaeologist
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal Zoologist
Ian is a leading authority on fauna interactions with wind farms and has designed and implemented bird research programs for thirty three wind farm facilities across south-eastern Australia and in Fiji. For the past ten years he has taken a lead role in development and application of mathematical modelling to ascertain the risks of bird collisions with wind turbines. He has used the modelling to evaluate risks for input to the design and statutory approvals processes for twenty wind farm projects for numerous clients within the wind energy industry and for the Australian and Fijian Governments. Ian was the principal author of the Bird and Bat Section of the National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - Draft 2010. In 2011 he was an invited speaker at the international Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impacts held in Trondheim, Norway and he was a member of the organising committee for the first Wind and Wildlife Conference held in Australia in 2012.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal GIS Consultant
James is a Principal GIS Consultant working with Biosis since February 2011, with over fifteen years' professional experience in the use and application of GIS to various disciplines, particularly within the environmental and heritage consulting sectors.
James is experienced in map production, spatial analysis and spatial data management and has worked with numerous clients across Australia from a range of business sectors. James is a qualified esri trainer in a number of official esri ArcGIS Desktop courses from beginner to advanced level.
James has contributed to reports for both the Ecological and Cultural Heritage teams in the form of figure production, field data preparation and management, spatial analysis, landscape interpretation, LiDAR data analysis and management, and quantitative impact analysis (e.g. vegetation impacts calculations).
James has been integral to the migration to digital data collection methods from paper recording forms using Field Maps and Survey123 for ArcGIS and the creation of web mapping applications for Biosis staff and clients.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Team Leader - Heritage ( Victoria )
Jane is a senior heritage advisor and archaeologist with over 20 years' experience in Australia and overseas. She is recognised as a heritage Advisor under the Victorian Heritage Act 2006, a qualified archaeologist under First Peoples- States Relations guidelines and a full member of the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists Incorporated (AACAI).
Prior to locating to Australia, Jane spent six years in Ireland as a site supervisor, lead planner and artefact illustrator for multiple archaeological companies. Since arriving in 2007 she has managed Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal heritage projects in NSW, Tasmania and across Victoria and completed a post-grad cert in Cultural Heritage Management (2012) at Flinders University, SA.
Jane has significant experience in stakeholder consultation and project management and has a keen understanding of Victorian heritage processes and legislation. She has authored over 100 CHMPs, PAHTs and Due Diligence reports providing sound advice on heritage matters.
Job Titles:
- Senior Project Manager
- Technical Assistant
- Manager - Ecology ( Victoria )
- Manager of the Victorian Ecology Team
Katrina is the Manager of the Victorian ecology team and a senior zoologist/project manager with over 12 years of consulting experience.
Katrina has long held a passion for Australian wildlife and the environment and kick-started her career path by completing a Bachelor of Science with a major in Zoology from The University of Melbourne. To gain further knowledge in conservation biology and threatened species management, she later gained a Master of Environment degree, also from Melbourne University.
In 2004, Katrina joined Biosis as a technical assistant and quickly progressed her field and technical skills by assisting the team on a broad range of projects to move into the role of ecology research assistant and, shortly after as a zoologist. As the breadth of her project management experience increased, Katrina moved into senior positions, becoming the team leader - ecology in 2017 and the manager of the Victorian ecology team in 2019. Katrina leads the ecology team with her strong organisational capabilities and excellent knowledge of our processes and procedures.
Katrina is experienced in fauna habitat assessments, targeted fauna surveys, and the preparation of biodiversity reports and management plans. Katrina has worked on projects throughout south-eastern Australia, applying her zoological knowledge and providing ecological advice for a diversity of large infrastructure projects, including wind farms, major roads, rail lines, and water/power pipelines. For projects within Melbourne's growth corridors, Katrina is well placed to advise clients on the complexities of biodiversity regulation within the Melbourne Strategic Assessment area.
Katrina is a proficient senior project manager who has overseen large, complex and often multidisciplinary projects, including the Victorian Regional Energy Project, Growth Areas Biodiversity Mapping Project, and the Regional Rail Link Salvage and Translocation Project. With a Diploma of Project Management, Katrina has the necessary skills and experience to manage and deliver high quality, comprehensive projects for a range of clients.
Job Titles:
- Team Leader
- Team Leader - GIS ( NSW )
Lauren is the Team Leader - GIS (NSW) and has been working with Biosis since May 2015. Lauren has over nine years' professional experience in the field of GIS and has worked within both the private and public sectors.
Since joining Biosis, Lauren has worked with a large range of clients and provided support and contributions for numerous Ecological and Cultural Heritage reports. Lauren has strong analytical and problem solving skills and is experienced in ArcGIS model builder, map production, spatial analysis, data conversion, digitisation and spatial data management. Recently, Lauren has been involved in assisting staff in the migration to digital data collection by providing Collector and Survey123 for ArcGIS support, field data preparation and management and the creation of web mapping projects and applications for staff.
Prior to joining Biosis in 2015, Lauren worked within local government as a GIS Officer in the Land and Property Services Branch at Hornsby Council. In this role, Lauren was responsible for developing and maintaining Council's GIS and Property Management Systems, training staff in the use of GIS systems and providing advice on a wide range of land and property information matters. Major projects undertaken at Council included the development and compilation of metadata for all of Council's GIS datasets and an organisation-wide GIS file audit and introduction of GIS best practice procedures for staff.
Job Titles:
- Archaeology Team Leader - Heritage ( NSW )
- Team Leader - Heritage ( NSW )
Maggie has over eight years' archaeological consultancy experience, as well as extensive volunteering experience on archaeological research projects both in Australia and overseas. Maggie is an approved excavation director under the Heritage Act 1977 and has extensive experience working as an archaeologist on Historical and Aboriginal heritage projects across New South Wales. She is skilled in report preparation, project management excavations and field recording.
Her areas of expertise include archaeological and heritage management advice, archaeological excavation and survey, artefact analysis and technical report writing. Maggie has managed a range of different projects for a diverse client base including Local and State Government, architectural firms, engineering firms, private developers and Defence. These include projects which require Historical Heritage Assessments, Statement of Heritage Impacts, Aboriginal Due Diligence Assessments, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessments, Conservation Management Plans, Heritage Interpretation Plans, Constraints Analysis, Heritage Impact Assessments and permits for both Aboriginal and European archaeology. She has extensive experience working on major State significance projects as well as locally significant sites.
Maggie has both managed her own projects and served as a key team member on of projects throughout NSW. This has seen her take part in project management of complex projects involving both European and Aboriginal heritage, community consultation, excavation, planning, site recording, supervising subcontractors, assisting on open days and the subsequent analysis of artefacts including written artefact analysis reports. Maggie is also accomplished in obtaining approvals under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and the Heritage Act 1977.
Job Titles:
- Ecol Principal
- Principal Zoologist
Job Titles:
- General Manager - Business and Technical Development
Job Titles:
- Team Leader - Zoology ( NSW )
As Team Leader - Zoology (NSW) Matthew provides leadership and support to Zoologists in our NSW office. He has six years' experience in the environmental sector working in both ecology and environmental management in NSW and WA. He has been involved in a large number of ecological studies, both as a field zoologist and project manager, and is particularly experienced in managing large transport upgrade construction projects for road and rail.
Matthew is an Accredited Assessor under the NSW Biodiversity Assessment Methodology (BAM) and has managed and undertaken numerous surveys to support the preparation of Biodiversity Development Assessment Reports (BDARs), Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment Reports (BSSARs), and Biodiversity Certification Assessment Reports (BCARs). His experience also extends to the preparation of these reports as well as the calculation of offset credits utilising the BAM Calculator (BAM-C).
Matthew has experience across a broad range of projects including residential developments and subdivisions, state significant road infrastructure and construction developments, mining projects, renewable energy developments, and water infrastructure projects. He is also skilled in the provision of project ecologist services having provided such services on a number of large state significant infrastructure (SSI) and state significant development (SSD) projects.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- DELWP Vegetation Quality Assessment Accreditation Senior Associate
- Senior Associate Botanist
Michael is a Senior Associate Botanist and Technical Lead who has been with Biosis since 2014.
He has conducted flora and fauna surveys and impact assessments in a range of ecosystems, from alpine and grassland environments to forests and woodlands, in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales.
He has experience in targeted searches for threatened species, mapping of threatened ecological communities as well as the development and implementation of ecological monitoring programs.
Michael is accredited by the Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action to assess vegetation quality with the habitat hectares methodology in accordance with Victoria's Biodiversity Assessment Guidelines. His legal background also gives him an excellent understanding of Australian environmental law and policy.
Prior to joining Biosis, Michael contributed to and led research projects focussed on the ecology of alpine, sub-alpine and forest ecosystems. He worked in the rainforests and heathlands of Tasmania, studying tree growth in order to model past climatic conditions.
Michael's research was conducted for various stakeholders who were seeking to better understand past climate and ecology to better prepare for the future, and he has presented this research at conferences in Australia and overseas.
Job Titles:
- Manager - Ecology and GIS ( NSW )
Mitch has over 10 years' ecological experience throughout the government and private sectors. He currently leads the Biosis New South Wales ecology team.
Mitch specialises in ecological legislation and the associated assessment requirements. He has key expertise in the identification of native flora, vegetation communities and avifauna throughout NSW and QLD, particularly in the Sydney, Hunter Valley, Central and New England Tablelands, Central West, North West Slopes and NSW North Coast regions.
Mitch is accredited under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2017 (BAAS17051). He has diverse project experience, including ecological constraints analyses, residential and infrastructure projects, Biobanking and Major Project assessments, Biodiversity Development and Stewardship Assessment Reports (BDAR and BSAR) in accordance with the NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS), Biodiversity Assessment Methodology (BAM) and EPBC Act-related matters. Mitch has worked on and delivered many major projects under the former Framework for Biodiversity Assessment (FBA) and the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) as well as feasibility studies for both private and government sector clients. Mitch also has vast experience with project management, the planning approval process and leading field logistics for large scale and complex renewable energy projects, particularly wind, solar and pumped hydro within NSW and QLD.
Mitch brings a unique skill set to Biosis. With high-level experience in regulatory roles and a successful track record managing complex projects with changing priorities, he is an innovative problem solver.
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- General Manager ( Victoria )
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal Botanist
With over 20 years' professional experience within the Horticultural and Conservation industries working in both the public and private sectors, Paul has obtained a vast of knowledge and experience throughout the Central NSW, Northern and Southern Tablelands, Sydney basin, Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands and the Illawarra, including the establishment of a seed bank and mass production nursery within the Northern Territory.
Paul joined Biosis in 2017 and has experience in Biodiversity assessment method (BAM) under the new legislation. His key tasks include:
Biodiversity stewardship site assessment, management plans and Total fund deposit calculations.
Biodiversity Development Assessment Report site assessments, application of Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM 2020), and offset calculations.
Vegetation Management Plans and the Project Management/assessment during implementation.
Flora and Fauna Assessment, Bushland Management Plans, Weed Management Plans.
Flora monitoring threatened species surveys and vegetation validation and mapping.
Upland swamp mapping monitoring and impact assessment.
Seed collection (over 20 years ‘experience) and seed bank creation and management.
Paul specialises in the restoration/rehabilitation of bushland in Sydney Basin, Southern Highlands, South Eastern Tablelands and the Illawarra, and has experience within the coastal dune systems and saltmarsh restoration.
Job Titles:
- Team Leader
- Team Leader - Botany ( NSW )
- Team Leader of the NSW Botany
Rebecca is the team leader of the NSW Botany team with over 12 years of on-ground experience in ecology.
Rebecca has highly developed skills in botany, flora and fauna habitat assessment, targeted surveys for rare and threatened species, vegetation mapping and natural heritage. These skills, complemented by her project management expertise and effective communication, allow her to provide clients with high quality advice and successful outcomes for their projects. She has been involved in a large number of ecological studies of varying scales throughout Australia.
Rebecca is well trained and experienced in environmental impact assessments and delivering complex projects in accordance with NSW and Commonwealth legislation.
Rebecca is Accredited under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2017 (BAAS17067) and has delivered a number of major projects under the former Framework for Biodiversity Assessment (FBA) and the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM). She has prepared several Biodiversity Development Assessment Reports (BDAR's), Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements, and feasibility studies for both private and government sectors.
Job Titles:
- Team Leader - GIS ( Victoria )
Sally has more than twenty years' experience as a GIS Officer with highly developed skills in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Aerial Photography Interpretation (API) and Global Satellite Navigation Systems (GNSS).
Sally has experience in collecting and bringing together data from a wide variety of sources including government data portals, aerial photographs, digitising, GNSS and the translation of CAD data into GIS compatible formats. She has an excellent knowledge of the spatial data standards required for submissions to DELWP for vegetation loss and gain reports and the mapping and data standards for submissions to the Native Vegetation Credit Register and the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register. She is responsible for the templates and quality assurance of mapping outputs from the Biosis GIS team.
Sally has played a major role in the preparation of many maps and figures for Biosis reports since July 1998, most involving the use of GIS and now, as Team Leader in Victoria, is involved in the management and mentoring of other members of the Biosis Victoria GIS team.
Job Titles:
- Manager - Heritage ( NSW )
- Manager of Our NSW Heritage Team
Samantha is Manager of our NSW heritage team and has been with the business since 2016.
Before joining Biosis, Samantha worked for 20 years as a professional graphic artist but always had a passion for archaeology. After completing her Bachelor of Arts majoring in Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology, and an honours thesis on ochre from the Kimberley, Samantha began her consulting career and soon developed a passion for Aboriginal archaeology. Joining Biosis in 2016, Samantha quickly gained extensive experience conducting Aboriginal archaeological surveys and large scale archaeological test excavation programs across NSW.
As a project manager, Samantha is accomplished in obtaining approvals under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and has authored numerous Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessments, Cultural Heritage Management Plans and Statement of Heritage Impact reports.
She is a highly experienced project manager and has conducted heritage projects associated with; water infrastructure, linear, residential development, renewable energy and telecommunications projects. As part of these, Samantha has interacted with a diverse client base including local government, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Primary Industry and Water, resource companies, architectural firms, engineering firms, and private developers.
Samantha took on the Manager role in late 2022, where she supports and mentors the NSW heritage team. She continues to provide guidance to clients and work closely with Traditional Owners and stakeholder groups to achieve the best outcomes for the conservation of cultural heritage in NSW.
Samantha has a particular focus on rock art assemblages and is currently undertaking a PhD looking at rock art and faunal assemblages from the Kimberley region of Western Australia.