Indigo Interview: A bubbly desire for conservation

NATASHA Killeen was born at Corowa Hospital in 1988. Her late father’s side of the family have been in Rutherglen since the 1860s and her mother’s side from the Barjarg/Lima area since the 1880s. “I lived in Canberra with my husband for a decade which we loved, but mostly I’ve been a North East local my whole life,” she said. What do you do workwise? I’m the general manager of our family business, Stanton & Killeen Wines. My mother Wendy Killeen is the managing director. What brought you to your role/career? It’s a team effort running a busy and complex business. Wendy does the domestic and international travel, promoting the brand and developing new markets. Greg and I have two little boys, so I stay close to home and do the day-to-day management. What do you love about your work? I love the variety of being a general manager, especially in an agribusiness with many moving parts – among them vineyard, winery, cellar door, events and export. What do you do in the community? Currently, I’m involved with Friends of Lake Moodemere Incorporated, a local organisation fighting to save the Lake Moodemere Reserve from a nearby proposed service station development. We’re heading to VCAT in March to argue why it shouldn’t be approved. Visit savelakemoodemere.com.au to learn more. I’m also the chair of Muscat of Rutherglen, a volunteer committee promoting one of Australia’s most unique wines. Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing? I believe strongly in economic development that is a benefit to the community and the environment. For example, the main street of Rutherglen is the best it has ever been which is testament to entrepreneurs and a supportive Indigo Shire. A challenge for councils and planning departments is how to promote growth and development without throwing away the values of sustainability and thoughtful design. What would you do to solve change, improve that situation? Anything that promotes transparency, trust, accountability and engagement between government departments and community stakeholders to ensure quality economic development. What do you see as one of the most important current world issues? The overconsumption of resources like water, and the proliferation of global waste, without considering the needs of future generations. My Nanna is 89 and recounts stories of how resilient and frugal the community was in the face of limitations. Back then, things were built once and built well. If things were broken, they got fixed, not replaced. If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire (past or present), or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why? Actually, I would love to go back in time and for Bangerang artist, Tommy McRae (1835-1901) to show me what Lake Moodemere and the surrounding natural landscapes of Wahgunyah, Rutherglen and Chiltern were like before the gold rush and onset of European agriculture. What book are you reading? I’m in a book club here in Rutherglen so my bookcase is often overflowing. However, a locally-written favourite is “Nobblers & Lushingtons – A History of the Hotels of Beechworth and the Ovens Districts” by Richard Patterson. It’s a fascinating account of the role of pubs, commerce and hospitality in the early gold rush days of the area, and the memorable characters who lived during these times.

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