Director, Healthy Parks Healthy People Strategy, Parks Victoria (Chair of Judges)

Stuart has been Director of Healthy Parks Healthy People Strategy for Parks Victoria since late 2009.  Stuart was previously a Regional Manager for Parks Victoria in various parts of Victoria, initially managing the parks system in the east of the State, and more recently the more more urban terrestrial and marine parks in the Melbourne metropolitan area.  This has exposed him to the many issues and complexities associated with balancing the needs of tourism related activities in both regional and urban environments.

A forester by training, Stuart spent five years in commercial forestry in the Otway Ranges prior to joining Melbourne Water in the management of water supply catchments and metropolitan recreational parks. He has been with Parks Victoria since its inception in 1996. He was awarded a Churchill Travelling Fellowship in 1998 giving him the opportunity to study National and Regional Park management and tourism services in Canada and in the USA.

Stuart is a previous judge and mentor with the Victorian Tourism Awards and has been a National Tourism Awards judge for the past three years.