PaddleNSW

Accounts Officer (one day per week)

Email: accounts@paddleNSW.org.au

Events Coordinator (part time)

Email: events@paddleNSW.org.au

NSW Minister for Sport and Helen BROWNLEE AM

Vice Chair (Re-elected by the Board 18/09/2023) (Term 2022-2024)

Laura’s involvement with canoeing began aged 10 in Victoria in both Sprint & Marathon. She began volunteering at local events as a teenager and organised the VIC State Sprint Championships at 13 & 14 as well as being the Victorian Sprint race secretary for national events throughout her high school years.

Laura was a volunteer at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the finish tower. Over the years, Laura’s education led her to undertake a Master of Business in Event Management, resulting in working for the Melbourne 2002 World Masters Games, ahead of taking up a placement at Australian Canoeing (now Paddle Australia) to manage the Australian Youth Olympic Festivals. Additionally, Laura held concurrent roles as Education Coordinator and High-Performance Coordinator for Sprint & Slalom; and helped any non-Olympic disciplines where she could.

Returning to her love of officiating, Laura has progressed to qualify as an International Technical Official, adjudicating at World Cups, Junior World Championships, Senior World Championships and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

Laura stood for a role on the NSW Sprint Committee in 2012 and was quickly supported by the committee to become the Chair, a role she held until 2020, successfully leading the PaddleSport and helping establish NSW as the lead state in Sprint athletes. Laura has also sat on the Paddle Australia Sprint Racing Technical Committee since 2013, being named as co-Vice Chair in 2022. She has re-established the national framework and education & support of Sprint officials.

Laura is well established in the paddling world from grassroots to international and is very excited at the opportunity to contribute to the continued development of paddling in NSW for all PaddleNSW members & clubs.

Elected Director (Term 2023-2025)

Mark became involved in paddling in 2010 after sponsoring a friend in the Hawkesbury Classic. The idea of raising money for a charity and setting a physical challenge appealed to him and the rest is history.

His love of marathon paddling and wanting to help people led to becoming Secretary of the Hunter Valley Paddlesports Club in 2013 and then being the Co-founder of Newy Paddlers in 2016. He is the current Secretary and member registrar which he has held since inception and has been on the Harbour Series Committee and the Club Exec Working Group since 2022.

Mark has a variety of accounting experience with large mining organisations, 14 years’ experience in the financial planning industry and been self-employed for the last 10 years delivering financial literacy programs and auditing government projects.

He considers his key skillsets to be his attention to detail, being well organised, interpretating legislation and a willingness to make a difference by creating change where change is needed.

Elected Director (Term 2022-2024)

Kate has been paddling her whole life. She has been a member of the Australian Canoe Slalom Team since 2013, and when she’s not in a slalom boat you will often find her in a creek boat on rivers.

She recently became a World Champion in the ICF 2023 Canoe Slalom World Championships in the WK1 Teams event with Noemi Fox and Jessica Fox OAM.

Kate is passionate about giving back to the paddling community because over the years she herself has been the recipient of a lot of generous support.

She wants to help the address the barriers faced by women in the sport as well as increase awareness around river safety in the community.

Kate is looking forward to working with the PNSW board and represent the paddling communities she is apart of.

Elected Director (Term 2022-2024)

Tom started paddling in 1994. Originally in Sea Kayaks, and then progressed to Ocean Skis.

He’s competed and and completed all of the main long distance events: Hawkesbury CC, Marathon Series and Twenty Beaches.

By competing in these events, Tom realised that you need a great support crew and he’s thankful that his wife Bernadette has been there to support him, making it a truly great partnership.

Tom is also the current Treasurer of Shark Island Paddlers Inc. and is on the Organising Committee for the Tingira Challenge.

He’s always lived close to water and currently resides in Maroubra.

To power his paddling passions, Tom is as a Registered Company Auditor by day; makes sense why he’s a club treasurer rigt!

As well as paddling, Tom also rides road bikes and through his involvement in both sports sees that cycling and paddling face similar issues.

Tom is keen to advocate for close to water access and storage.

Elected Director (Term 2023-2025)

Andrew grew up in a small coastal town just out of Hobart, where fishing scuba diving, sailing, surfing and other water activities where part of normal life.

He has lived and worked across Australia, the Middle East and New Zealand in the Construction industry, and is a qualified Master Builder.

As a past member of the Master Builders Association, Andrew held positions as MBA President for Inner West Sydney and chairmen of MBA training committee for 5 years.

Andrew was involved in a highly successful training program in SA (circa 1977 to 1981) for indigenous youths, which extended to training them to be qualified carpenters/ builders.

He’s also established a highly successful Design/Drafting office in Dubai for a major Australian Subcontractor undertaking works on the Dubai Airport and Dubai projects.

A member of the Newcastle Cruising Yacht club, and until recently a regular sailor with the Sydney Yacht Squadron and Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in off shore and harbor races. Really is a keen water baby!

Andrew has been a member of Lane Cover River kayak Club since 2016 and has been paddling since 2008. He’s a keen participant in the Marathon Series across NSW.

Currently working full time in a senior/executive management position for a major specialist subcontractor in the construction industry, with responsibilities for Business and Design Mevelopment on major projects across NSW, QLD, SA, VIC and the ACT.

Can bring a proactive and constructive approach, with an ingrained attitude to speak out and actively participate/contribute.

2024 Board Meetings

• 29 January (Monday)
• 25 March (Monday)
• 27 May (Monday)
• 22 July (Monday)
• 30 September (Monday)
• 25 November (Monday)
• Annual General Meeting: 26 September (Thursday)

Craig HUTCHINSON (Chair)
Richard ANDREWS, Richard BARNES, Bob KENDERES, Cathy MILLER, Nathan ROSAGUTI, Louie WU

Eileen CALLAGHAN (Chair)
Richard CASS, Kim KAAR, Cindy MANN

Annette Mathews (Chair)

• Murray Dell (Brisbane Waters)
• Darren Forbes (Newy Paddlers)
• Mark Bretag (Newy Paddlers)
• Nicola Frowen (Pacific Dragons)
• Bruce Sinclair (CSKC)
• Damo Staunton (Makai)
• James Stuart (SSCC)

Bob TURNER (Chair)

• Jason ADAMS (Penrith)
• John Denyer (Sutherland)
• Darren Forbes (Newy)
• Richard Fox (BGCC)
• Geoff Horsnell (MWKC)
• Don Johnston (LCRK)
• Gil Kaltenbach (Brisbane Waters)
• Kevin Nettle (Cronulla)
• Jill Parker (Windsor)
• Judy Greenidge (Windsor)
• Jason Redlich (WBCC)
• Sally Verhuel (Hunter Valley)
• James Harrington (PNSW Team Leader)
• James Pralija (PNSW Delegate to National Technical Committee)

Bob TURNER, Rob MERCER

Brian CORK (Chair)

• Emmie Barratt
• Julie Curtin
• Craig Elliott
• Ros Lawrence
• Chris Thompson

Canoe Slalom in NSW is directed by the PaddleNSW Slalom Committee. The committee encourages and supports paddlers from the grass roots and club level to international competitors and runs the annual State Championships.

The slalom committee can be contacted at slalom@paddlensw.org.au

Sally Simons (Chair)

• Jeff Beere
• Scott Cunningham
• Simone Elliott
• Turia Mako
• Graham Matts
• Wendy Taurins

Kiaran LOMAS (Chair)

Johannes Hendriks (Chair)

• Will Stone

Peter McINTYRE (Chair)
Scott LAWSON, Carole LUNTUNGAN, Alex McINTYRE, Rob McINTYRE

Bron POWELL (Chair)
Robyn BINGLE, Bridget CLEAVER, Jeff COTTRELL, Carmen FU, Alison MRKONJA, Stephanie SCALIA, John STEFAS, Sally VERHEUL, Lisa WRILEY

The PaddleNSW Environment Committee was established in 2020 in recognition of our members increasingly caring about our environment and wanting to do more.

Building on existing activities and creating new ones, the Environment Committee now coordinates two state-wide clean up paddles per year (Clean Up Australia Day and SUPtember); as well as promoting bushcare kayaking and wildlife monitoring; holding webinars and designing environmental guidelines for paddle clubs and paddle events.

Meetings of the committee are an opportunity for members to share ideas on alternatives to single use plastics, what initiatives are working in their clubs or networks, stay up to date with the latest environmental policies and campaigns, and showcase the most random piece of rubbish they have picked up out of their waterway!

The committee welcomes new volunteers – email bron@paddlensw.org.au

Lynn PARKER (Education Coordinator), Margi BOHM (Coaching Coordinator)
Adrian CLAYTON, Ian ROYDS, Lee WRIGHT