Hotspot Fire Project

Staff profiles

Kate McShea
Kate McShea
Healthy Ecosystems Program Coordinator - Nature Conservation Council of NSW
Phone: 02 9516 0359
Email:

M.App.Sc Wildlife Health & Population Management, B.Sc Animal Behaviour, Ecology and Conservation.

Kate is the Coordinator of the Healthy Ecosystems Program and has been working at the Nature Conservation Council of NSW since 2008. Kate manages delivery of the on-ground programs, including coordination of the Hotspots Fire Project (Hotspots), and oversees delivery of the Bush Fire Program and the Large Forest Owls Project, and well as the broader and longer-term aspirations of the Healthy Ecosystems program.

With a background in conservation and experience working across Government and Not-for-profit organisations, Kate has developed a keen interest and experience in fire ecology and environmental management, conservation, community engagement and the practical implementation of programs for multiple outcomes.

Office location: Sydney, Nature Conservation Council of NSW

Zofie Lahodny-Gecso
Zofie Lahodny-Gecso
Acting Hotspots Co-Ordinator - NSW Rural Fire Service
Phone: 0407 204 323
Email:

Bachelor App. Sci. Parks & Wildlife, Cert. IV Front Line Management, Cert. IV Human Resource Management

Zofie has worked as a Rural Fire Service Fire Mitigation Officer, District Technical Officer, and District Assistant for the past 18 years. She is a a Hazard Reduction (Environmental) Certificate Issuing Officer, Prescribed Burn Planner and Supervisor, Community Liaison Officer and Mapper.

Zofie's previous role in the RFS was primarily to issue environmental approvals for hazard reduction works, handle hazard complaints and conduct community engagement. She has and continues to work closely with Aboriginal Communities in north eastern NSW. In 2009 Zofie, Jali Local Aboriginal Land Council, Simon Heemstra, Marcus Ferguson, Laurence McCoy, the late Julie Woodroffe, and others, worked to facilitate the first Indigenous Hotspots program run in NSW, which was carried out on Jali lands at Wardell.

Office location: Sydney, NSW Rural Fire Service Head Office

Phil Paterson
Phil Paterson
Environmental Officer (Hotspots) - NSW Rural Fire Service
Phone: 02 4472 0600
Email:

Adv Dip. Science (Horticultural Science)

Phil has over thirty years experience working in various Horticultural and Agricultural enterprises and consultancy and has managed both wholesale and retail nurseries and large rural properties. He has also worked extensively with the symbiotic relationships of vesicular-arbuscular mycorriza and native flora in the biological pest management of both horticultural and agricultural enterprises.

Phil is also an RFS volunteer with over thirty years experience having held many positions including Brigade Captain and Deputy Group Captain and has worked in Community Safety in the Shoalhaven, Tamworth and the Northern Tablelands. He has a long history in Community Engagement and Facilitation. Before Hotspots, Phil was the Community Safety Officer for the Northern Tablelands Team. Phil also has extensive operational experience and is qualified as an Incident Management Operations Officer and Planning Officer.    

Office location: Batemans Bay, NSW Rural Fire Service

Kevin Taylor
Kevin Taylor
Hotspots Fire Project Coordinator - Nature Conservation Council of NSW
Phone: 02 6655 6539
Email:

Bachelor of Applied Science (Coastal Management)

Kevin Taylor is a project ecologist with the NSW Hotspots Fire Project, a role he has held since 2011. He has been employed in the fields of conservation assessment, natural resource management and environmental protection planning in various roles since gaining a Bachelor of Applied Science (Coastal Management) degree in Lismore in 1991. Kevin has a passionate interest in the use of fire as a land management tool and how this might link to traditional and contemporary cultural practices and conservation and risk management actions.

Office location: Urunga, Nature Conservation Council of NSW

Belinda Kenny
Belinda Kenny
Hotspots Project Ecologist Central - Nature Conservation Council of NSW
Phone: 02 9516 0359
Email:

PhD (Fire Ecology), B. Sc. (Environmental Biology), Cert III Conservation and Land Management

Belinda has expertise in both fire ecology and fire behaviour and has recently joined the NCC as a Hotspots Ecologist. She has over 20 years experience working with both the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the NSW Rural Fire Service in fire ecology research, research utilisation, fire management, and park management planning. She has worked on the NSW Guidelines for ecologically sustainable fire management, the Bush Fire Environmental Assessment Code, and the Australian Fire Danger Rating System.

Belinda is a Fire Behaviour Analyst and has experience as a remote area firefighter. She is also a keen BushCare volunteer. Belinda is passionate about finding the best balance between conservation and risk in fire management planning.

Office location: Sydney, Nature Conservation Council of NSW

Neale Watson
Neale Watson
Hotspots Project Ecologist South - Nature Conservation Council of NSW
Phone: 02 9516 0359
Email:

B. Science (Forestry), Dip For (Creswick)

Neale is a project ecologist supporting delivery of the NSW Hotspots Fire Project in southern NSW. He has over 40 years working in natural resource management in NSW and Victoria, mainly in fire, pest and visitor management in National Parks and other conservation reserves. He has helped develop and implement fire management plans for NPWS, including planning and supervision of prescribed burns for hazard reduction and ecological management.

Operationally, Neale has wide experience in bushfire control over a range of environments, both on the fire line and in the performance of incident management roles. He is also a regular local Bushcare volunteer and keen bushwalker.

Office location: Narrawallee, Nature Conservation Council NSW

Jamie Bertram
Jamie Bertram
Hotspots Fire Project Coordinator - North - NSW Rural Fire Service
Phone: 0408 839 523
Email:

Jamie has over thirty years’ experience in the NSW Rural Fire Service in both volunteer & staff capacities. Jamie has applied his extensive experience through roles as district officer, Hotspots facilitator and operationally as Divisional Commander, Air Observer as well as within Incident Management Teams. Prior to the roles he has held as NSW RFS staff, Jamie spent a number of years with Forestry Corporation.

As a Wiradjuri descendant, Jamie has a close connection to country. In his current position Jamie combines his operational experience and community facilitation skills to develop community protection plans with a focus on Discrete Aboriginal Communities and has been active in delivering bush fire training programs to Aboriginal Ranger Groups and facilitating improved relationships between Aboriginal Communities, local brigades, Districts and Areas. Jamie continues to assist the Hotspots team with the planning and delivery of projects within the Northern part of the State.


Office location: Coffs Harbour, NSW Rural Fire Service

Jane Mansergh
Jane Mansergh
Hotspots Fire Project Coordinator -Central - NSW Rural Fire Service
Phone: 02 4472 0600
Email:

B. App. Sc. (Protected Area Management); Dip. App. Sc. (Wilderness Reserves and Wildlife)

Jane has over 23 years’ experience working in Bush Fire and Natural Resource Management Systems in diverse landscapes, from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Western Australia’s Department of Parks and Wildlife Services.

Jane has been involved with NSW RFS for over 11 years, focusing on bush fire risk management and environmental assessments, community resilience and more recently in development and planning assessments for Planning and Environmental Services (PES) - South.

All of Jane’s roles have a significant involvement in stakeholder engagement across all levels of government, agencies, volunteers and the community. Engagement activities include increasing preparedness in, at risk communities, hazard reduction measures, and brigade preparedness. Jane has been involved in incident management coordination in many bio-geographically regions both operationally, lead mapper and as planning officer.

Jane is passionate about ecological fire practices and engages community in her day-to-day work/life as a burn planner, prescribed burn practitioner and incident controller to create better landscape outcomes in line with First Nations people’s practices.

Office location: Batemans Bay at the NSW RFS, PES - South Office.

Lucy Tremain
Lucy Tremain
Healthy Ecosystems Program Officer - Nature Conservation Council of NSW
Phone: 02 9516 0359
Email:

B.Sc Biology and Ecology, CertIII Conservation and Land Management

Lucy is the Healthy Ecosystems Program Officer and provides support to all of Nature Conservation Council’s Healthy Ecosystem programs including the Hotspots Fire Project, the Bushfire Program and the Large Forest Owls Project. After completing a science undergraduate degree at UNSW, Lucy volunteered with NCC for 12 months before accepting her current position in 2019.

Lucy is passionate about land management and is keen to make a difference in this space. Lucy also worked at The Australian Newspaper for three and a half years, with her digital and communication skills now an asset to all the Healthy Ecosystem Programs.

Office location: Sydney, Nature Conservation Council of NSW