Meet the Executive
Chief Executive
Geoff Knight
Executive Directors
Don Plowman: Agriculture, Food and Wine
Heather Montgomerie: Aquaculture
Steve Archer: Corporate
Leon Byass: Commercial Projects
Will Zacharin: Fisheries
Stuart West: Forestry
Roger Hartley: Commercial Investment
Paul Heithersay: Minerals and Energy Resources
Locky McLaren: Rural Solutions SA
Dr Pauline Mooney: South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)
PIRSA Organisational Structure (.PDF) 69KB
Link to the Structure Chart showing the reporting relationships of PIRSA key operational units.
Geoff Knight
Chief Executive
Phone: +61 8 8226 0168
Fax: +61 8 8226 0320
Email: knight.geoff@saugov.sa.gov.au
Geoff Knight was appointed Chief Executive of Primary Industries and Resources SA (PIRSA) - one of the most diverse State Government agencies - in October 2007.
Acting Chief Executive from May 2006 and prior to that Deputy Chief Executive, Geoff was recruited to PIRSA in 1999 to head up strategy and finance after careers in the Department of Treasury and Finance, and Premier and Cabinet.
Geoff has been leading the State Government’s drought response and policy reform such as efforts to reduce red tape across government and realignment of the department’s strategic focus as an economic development agency since he was first appointed Acting Chief Executive 18 months ago.
PIRSA covers many of the States key economic sectors – mining as well as food, wine, fisheries, aquaculture sectors, Planning SA, State/Local Government relations, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and Forestry policy.
While PIRSA’s efforts are driving growth, particularly in mining through the PACE initiative as well as aquaculture, Geoff believes there are challenges for the department as the State’s agricultural and horticultural sectors grapple with one of our most serious droughts in history.
As Chief Executive, Geoff chairs the Department’s Corporate Executive, is a member of the Government’s newly formed Project Coordination Board, chairs the Chief Executive’s Planning and Development Forum and represents South Australia on numerous national policy bodies.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (University of Adelaide), a Bachelor of Social Administration (Flinders University), a Graduate Certificate in Change Management (Australian Graduate School of Management, AGSM) and a Master of Business Administration (Australian Graduate School of Management, AGSM).
back to topDon Plowman
Executive Director, Agriculture, Food and Wine
Phone: +61 8 8226 0204Fax: +61 8 8463 3363
Email: plowman.don@saugov.sa.gov.au
Dr Don Plowman became Executive Director, Agriculture and Wine in 2004. In July 2007 Food SA was incorporated within the division, with Don as the Executive Director for the Agriculture, Food and Wine division.
In this role, Don has responsibility for the major agricultural industry sectors of grape and wine, grains, horticulture, and livestock industries. Don also leads the government oversight and disease management for plant health, animal health, meat hygiene, rural chemical usage and natural resources management. The division also provides services to rural communities.
Don joined the former Department of Agriculture in 1978. Since then he has held senior policy and researh positions in the Agency's research division, South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI). Don was formerly a lecturer in Pedology at Sydney University and Environmental Scientist with Monarto Development Commission.
Don Plowman has served in a number of board positions, Director of Grains Research and Development Corporation Board, Director of Dried Fruits Research and Development Council, Director of Horticultural Research and Development Corporation, member of a number of Cooperative Research Centres, Soil and Land Management, Viticulture, Plant Based Management of Dryland Salinity and a founding Director of Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) Pty Ltd.
Don was awarded a degree in Agricultural Science (Sydney University) and a PhD for research into trace element chemistry in soils.
Don Plowman has considerable international experience including project development in Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Gulf Countries and China. In 2004 he prepared an agricultural redevelopment program for Iraq. His experience was extended with attendance at Bio 2001 and Bio 2002 in San Diego and Toronto and assisting the International Biosaline Agricultural Centre in Dubai.
Heather Montgomerie
Acting Executive Director, Aquaculture
Email: Montgomerie.Heather@saugov.sa.gov.au
Heather Montgomerie is the Acting Executive Director for the Aquaculture Division, which is responsible for the sustainable development of the State’s aquaculture industry and the efficient management, administration and regulation of the industry, consistent with the objectives of the Aquaculture Act 2001.
Heather has been part of the Aquaculture Division since 2001, and has been instrumental in the implementation of the Aquaculture Act, which is now recognised nationally and internationally as an innovative approach to aquaculture legislation, having particular regard to the principles of ecologically sustainable development including environmental, economic and social outcomes.
Heather was raised on farming properties on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula and has maintained strong links to regional areas throughout her career. In early 2001, Heather joined PIRSA’s Office of Regional Development, building on the experience she gained as a member of the South Australian Regional Development Council and employment with the Eyre Regional Development Board (ERDB).
During her time at the ERDB, Heather was responsible for managing projects for the provision of mobile phone and internet access across Eyre Peninsula, as well as employment initiatives, market development and branding, tourism product development and investment attraction. Heather was a member of the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resource Management Board, the Eyre Peninsula Tourism Association and provided support to the Board’s Fishing and Aquaculture Target Team and Agriculture and Mining Target Team.
Heather served as a Councillor for the City of Port Lincoln in the early 1990’s, prior to relocating to Adelaide.
Heather’s early career was in insurance, which led to her appointment as an Area Manager for Wesfarmers Federation Insurance in Wangaratta.
Heather was awarded a Master of Business Administration (Executive) by the Australian Graduate School of Management in 2007.
Steve Archer
Executive Director, Corporate
Phone: +61 8 8226 0466
Fax: +61 8 8226 0320
Email: archer.steve@saugov.sa.gov.au
Steve Archer has been leading the Corporate Division of PIRSA since May 2006.
Under his leadership, PIRSA has continued to be an early adopter of the principles of shared services for the key areas of information technology management, human resources, communications and marketing, risk management, finance and business services as well as legal services.
Steve was initially appointed as Acting Executive Director and confirmed in the role in October 2007.
With the transition to whole-of-government shared services, Steve aims to steer the Corporate Division into a more streamlined, client focused support service. The PIRSA Corporate Division has a reputation as a leader in its field within the SA public sector.
Corporate values its people and their wellbeing. The Occupational Health and Safety team in Corporate received national recognition in 2007 by taking out a Safe Work Australia Award, winning the inaugural Public Sector Leadership Award for Injury Prevention and Management.
Steve is a strong supporter of performance management to ensure on-going staff development and believes that managing workforce diversity – including gender, cultural and generational diversity – is a key to an effective, productive workforce.
Previously in PIRSA Steve was the Director of Finance and Shared Business Services, being recruited from the Department for Water Resources, where he managed the financial and accounting services to the then newly-created department. Steve also has extensive experience in the Department of Treasury and Finance.
Steve holds a Bachelor of Business.
Leon Byass
Executive Director, Commercial Projects
Phone: +61 8 8226 0004
Fax: +61 8 8226 0060
Email: leon.byass@state.sa.gov.au
Leon Byass was appointed Executive Director of Commercial Projects Division in January 2004.
Prior to this Leon held the position of Executive Director of ReInvest SA (South Australia) in the Department of Business, Manufacturing and Trade.
Leon has managed government teams working with the private sector to boost exports. This has been achieved by working with industry drivers on such issues as expanding value adding, improving industry efficiencies, implementing industry restructuring, facilitating public infrastructure provision, improving logistics, export facilities, industry partnering and waste management.
Leon holds a Bachelor of Architecture (Hons) degree (University of Adelaide) and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (Elton Mayo School of Business).
Leon and his team have assisted with facilitation of abattoir industry restructuring (T&R Pastoral Murray Bridge, Big River Pork Murray Bridge, Teys Bros Naracoorte, Primo Pt Wakefield etc.), Supplier Park adjacent to GMH Elizabeth, the Bioscience Precinct at Thebarton (subdivision and research facilities for GrowPep, MedVet, Bionomics and Bresagen), Onion and Potato plants, the Amcor Bottle Plant Gawler, Big W Distribution Centre Monarto, a Pet bottle plant, a wine export facility and major agricultural investments.
Will Zacharin
Executive Director, Fisheries
Phone: +61 8 8226 2316
Fax: +61 8 8226 0434
Email: zacharin.will@saugov.sa.gov.au
Will Zacharin was appointed Executive Director, Fisheries in April 2000.
His role is the management of commercial and recreational fishing, indigenous fishing, charter fishing and other living marine and freshwater resources.
Prior to this position, Will Zacharin served as a Senior Fisheries Manager in the Agency and with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries in Tasmania.
He has been a member of various State and Commonwealth fishery management advisory committees (MAC) including the Bass Strait Scallop Fishery MAC, Southern Shark Fishery MAC, South East Non-trawl Fishery MAC, Great Australian Bight Trawl MAC and is the current State Government member for the Commonwealth Southern Bluefin Tuna MAC.
Will Zacharin was awarded a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree and a Master of Science degree in marine biology by the University of Tasmania, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Business Management from Deakin University. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a guest lecturer for the Fisheries MBA program at the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania.
Will Zacharin was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2002 and investigated alternative allocation and access mechanisms in fisheries between commercial, recreational and indigenous fishers. He has published a number of scientific and management papers on fisheries in Australia.
Stuart West 
Executive Director, Forestry
Phone: +61 8 8735 1221
Fax: +61 8 8723 1941
Email: west.stuart@saugov.sa.gov.au
Stuart West was appointed Executive Director of Forestry on 1 July 2006.
Stuart leads the Forestry Division which is responsible for policy advice in relation to forestry, forest industries and associated environmental matters. The Forestry Division develops programs to support forestry, farm forestry development and pest, disease and fire protection for the State’s forestry industries. The Division also facilitates community benefits from forestry activities including public activities and biodiversity management within the State’s forest reserves.
Stuart previously held the position of Manager, Forestry Development with Forestry SA. He developed the South East Resource Information Centre (SERIC) and was Executive Manager SERIC from 2001 to 2004, Chairman of the Board from 2004 to 2006.
Stuart was the inaugural government appointment to the South East Natural Resource Management Board since 2005 and Chairman of the Logging Investigation and Training Association (LITA) from 1999 to 2001. LITA is funded and managed from the South East Regional industry to improve efficiency, productivity and safety of operations within the regional industry.
Stuart became a Fellow of the Gottstein Trust in 2001 and the Governors Leadership Foundation in 2003.
He is currently a member of the Ministerial Council Sub committee - Forest and Forest Products Committee and Chair of Sustainable Forest Management Committee.
Stuart West was awarded a Bachelors Degree in Science (Forestry) from the Australian National University in 1990.
Roger Hartley
Executive Director, Commercial Investment
Phone: +61 8 8226 0025
Fax: +61 8 8226 0060
Email: hartley.roger@saugov.sa.gov.au
Roger Hartley was appointed Executive Director, Commercial Investment Division in 2008.
His role is to lead the Division, which undertakes a range of state significant projects principally in primary industries and resources.
Prior to this role, Roger Hartley was Executive Director of Industry Development and Ministerial Liaison from 2004-2008 and he has held a number of other senior positions in the public service in South Australia and Western Australia. Over his career he has contributed to the initiation of the Landcare movement, focusing agriculture onto food and fibre marketing issues, to the development of cost recovery for the SA public service, and construction of the Adelaide–Darwin Railway.
During his career, Roger has privately consulted in natural resource management and economic development areas and worked extensively in the Middle East and Asia regions.
Roger Hartley holds a Bachelor of Agriculture Science (University of Adelaide), Master of Engineering Science (University of New South Wales), Master of Business Administration (International Business and Financial Management) (University of New England) and Diploma of Company Directorship (University of New England). In 2004 Roger Hartley was awarded the Queen’s Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal for contribution to the reconstruction of Iraq.
Paul Heithersay
Executive Director, Minerals and Energy Resources
Phone: +61 8 8463 4153
Fax: +61 8 8463 4155
Email: heithersay.paul@saugov.sa.gov.au
Dr Paul Heithersay was appointed Executive Director Minerals and Energy in July 2004.
Paul Heithersay leads the division of Minerals and Energy Resources. The division manages the state's mineral, gas and petroleum resources on behalf of the people of South Australia.
Prior to joining the public service in South Australia in 2002, Paul Heithersay spent over 20 years in the mining industry in Australia and Southeast Asia for North Limited and its predecessor Geopeko. As Exploration Manager for Australasia, Europe and Africa, his responsibilites covered all aspects of exploration and mine development.
Paul Heithersay is a Board Member of Cooperative Research Centre Landscape Evolution and Mineral Exploration (CRC LEME) and member of the Research Committee of predicitve mineral discovery* CRC.
He is also on the Industry Advisory panels for Geochemical Evolution and Metallogeny of
Continents (GEMOC) at Macquarie University, Centre for Ore Deposit Research (CODES SRC) at University of Tasmania and the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Adelaide. Paul Heithersay holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) (University of Adelaide) and a PhD (Australian National University) for his research on the Northparkes porphyry copper and gold deposits.
Locky McLaren
Executive Director, Rural Solutions SA
Phone: +61 8 8226 0285
Fax: +61 8 8463 3336
Email: mclaren.locky@saugov.sa.gov.au
Locky McLaren has been Executive Director of Rural Solutions SA since its launch in July 1998.
With Locky’s influence, Rural Solutions SA has undergone a transformation from the Department’s regional advisory network into a South Australian Government owned consultancy business. It has a mix of expertise in a wide range of disciplines, associated with the environment and natural resources management as well as regional, community and industry development. Projects and services are provided for government agencies, natural resources management bodies, agricultural industry development organisations, food, wine, forestry and resources companies, regional bodies, primary producers and community groups.
Locky provides leadership for Rural Solutions SA, emphasising values that influence how the business is run and mapping its strategic direction. The focus is always on achieving results through the people that constitute Rural Solutions SA.
Locky joined the former Department of Agriculture on a 3 year farming systems project in 1975 after managing grazing and stud cattle properties. He has stayed with the organisation through its many changes since then. His roles have included extension, policy, strategic planning, regional management, ministerial liaison, industry development and organisational change. This experience provides Locky with a unique perspective on primary industries and the public and private sector.
Locky graduated with Agriculture and Agricultural Technology qualifications from Roseworthy Agricultural College, now amalgamated with the University of Adelaide. He is the current President of the Roseworthy Old Collegians Association, a member of the Rural Solutions SA Board, the PIRSA Executive and the Directors Group of the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation.
Dr Pauline Mooney
Acting Executive Director, South Australian Research and Development Institute
Phone: +61 8 8303 9398Fax: +61 8 8303 9403
Email: mooney.pauline@saugov.sa.gov.au
Dr Pauline Mooney is the Acting Executive Director of the South Australian Research and Development Institute, the South Australian Government’s principal research organisation in primary industries.
SARDI exists to deliver robust scientific solutions creating opportunities for market growth within food, fibre and bioscience industries, ensuring they remain internationally competitive and ecologically sustainable.
Dr Mooney joined SARDI in 2005 as its Director of Research, and since April 2008 she has stepped into the Acting Executive Director position for the duration of Professor Rob Lewis’ secondment to the Office of Water Security as its Interim Commissioner.
At SARDI she is credited for infusing new vigour, drive and direction into the organisation. Her focus will include continuing to build strong relationships with industry; her mission is for SARDI to be exceptional in its core competencies and to make a significant difference to the economy, environment and societal well-being.
Previously Dr Mooney was the Acting General Manager of Science Operations, from HortResearch in New Zealand, where she was responsible for overseeing science across all aspects of horticulture and food related science. She has held a number of science leadership positions across a diverse range of disciplines from plant breeding and pre and post harvest physiology through to gene technologies and bioengineering.
Dr Mooney’s science background includes a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Masters of Science spanning the fields of botany, genetics, microbiology, plant pathology and phycology at the University of Natal in South Africa, and a PhD majoring in molecular biology at Sydney University.
- Page URL: http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/pirsa/about_pirsa/meet_the_executive
- Page Last Modified: November 24, 2008