About Us

Since 2007, we have collaborated with Gippsland communities, businesses, and governments around climate change awareness and solutions.

Our Mission

Build partnerships, connect people with information and opportunities, support and deliver climate-positive initiatives with social, economic, and environmental benefits.

Our Principles

Gippsland’s Culture and Country

We acknowledge the various Traditional Owners across Gippsland’s six local government areas; the Gunaikurnai, Monero, Bidhawel, Bunurong, Boon Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri peoples, as well as all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in our communities today. We recognise their continuing connection to land and the role they play in managing our shared resources.

Our Environment

We celebrate our diverse landscapes and share a sense of urgency for action to ensure that people and nature can both thrive. We need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, drawdown atmospheric carbon levels, and support the regeneration and sustainable management of all Gippsland’s natural resources.

Inclusive Community

We believe that we are stronger together and that everyone can, and should, be a part of the solution. This means working with people and organisations with levels of commitment to climate change and finding the ways in which we can learn together.

The Need for Leadership

The climate challenges we all face are significant, so we aim to support our community and industry partners to increase climate literacy, build connections, and create stronger partnerships. In doing so, we can facilitate and deliver progressive initiatives across Gippsland and beyond.

Agile Organisation

We work in a space that is rapidly changing. Through our partnerships and connections, we can adapt to take advantage of opportunities that will enable us to have the biggest impact with the resources available to us.

Independent and Non-partisan Voice

We are a not-for-profit Incorporated Association powered by a dynamic group of committed volunteers supported by an experienced and enthusiastic team. We work with all levels of government but maintain our independence. We hold all political parties to the same standards: protecting our environment and building a better future for our communities.

Our Project Partners

Latrobe Valley Authority
Latrobe City
Bank-Australia
wellington shire council
sustainability victoria
DEECA
Federation University
AGL
TAFE Gippsland

Our CEO

Darren McCubbin

Darren McCubbin
Chief Executive Officer

With a BSc from Monash University Darren worked for CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology before arriving in Gippsland as a teacher in 1983. Darren is a graduate of the Gippsland Community Leadership Program and was a Wellington Shire Councillor from 2003 – 2020 including three terms as Mayor.

GCCN Organisational Chart 2023

Our Volunteer Board

Carolyn Crossley
Carolyn Crossley

Chair

Tony Wolfe
Tony Wolfe

Vice Chair

Rosemary Cousin
Rosemary Cousin

Secretary

Alison Edgar
Alison Edgar

Treasurer

Stephen Angus
Stephen Angus

General Member

Alex Arbuthnot
Alex Arbuthnot

General Member

Chris Barfoot
Chris Barfoot

General Member

Daryl Brooke
Daryl Brooke

General Member

Lorraine Bull
Lorraine Bull

General Member

Rob Dimsey
Rob Dimsey

General Member

Dr Jo McCubbin
Dr Jo McCubbin

General Member

Jess Reeves
Dr Jess Reeves

General Member

Avatar
Bernard Rowley

General Member

Alison Taylor
Alison Taylor

General Member

Adam Tyson
Adam Tyson

General Member

Our Project Team

Esther Lloyd
Esther Lloyd

Smart Specialisation
Community Energy

Michelle Isles

Michelle Isles
Senior Advisor
New Energy Development

Tiffany Harrison

Tiffany Harrison
Gippsland Alliance for Climate Action

Sherryn Vardy
Sherryn Vardy

Communications Officer

Chris Barfoot
Chris Barfoot

Project Officer
Energise Gippsland

Dan Caffrey

Dan Caffrey
RED Trailer Team

Ian Southall

Ian Southall
RED Trailer Team

Our History

The Gippsland Climate Change Network was founded in 2007 and was facilitated by the Victorian State Labor Government to affiliate local communities to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The Victorian State Labor Government was keen to mobilise stakeholders at the time the nation was in the midst of the millennium drought, and discussions on climate change were in their infancy.

Each region was facilitated to set up a body to become part of a Greenhouse Alliance that would coordinate climate change policy between state and local government and the community.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment outreach worker David Willington helped to facilitate these allegiances in Gippsland.

This included representatives from local governments, the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, Catchment Management Authority, Gippsland Waste Management, environment groups including the Australian Conservation Foundation, energy consultants, education and training providers and grass roots community members.

These groups drafted a constitution and appointed the then Agriculture Minister Keith Hamilton as the first board chair, with the aim of being the focal point for environmental action in Gippsland.