Robyn and Marteena

Robyn is studying towards a Bachelor's degree in Business and Environmental Science at James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville. She is on course to graduate at the end of 2019.

Over the past decade, Robyn has worked for the Provincial and Local-Level Governments Program and the Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen program. She has also volunteered at the Morobe Development Foundation, TNR Holdings, where she organised back-to-school essentials for East New Britain children, and at the JCU PNG Student Association.

While posted in Kokopo, Robyn introduced Toastmasters to the local professional community as she recognised that people were eager to improve their public speaking and leadership skills.

Robyn has a strong interest in natural resource management and integrating cross-cutting issues - such as gender - into PNG's land, water, infrastructure, planning and management sectors. She would like to bridge the gap between current and traditional land management practices and to draw on and share traditional land and resource use practices for more effective management in the present day. She is interested in capturing lessons learned from traditional indigenous natural resource management practices to inform a new strategy that will develop rural communities in line with the 2011 PNG District Development Plan Act.

Marteena specialises in indigenous and remote service delivery and energy equity issues. Currently, she manages the design and roll-out of a renewable energy program for four remote Indigenous communities in north Queensland. She is based at the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy in Brisbane and has degrees in environmental management and policy.

Prior to this, Marteena worked with the Centre for Appropriate Technology and its engineering subsidiary, Ekistica. She successfully managed several large Indigenous service delivery programs from inception through to implementation, evaluation and reporting while holding management, research and project delivery roles.

Marteena has also worked extensively with and for Indigenous communities in Central Australia, Arnhem Land, the Torres Strait, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, and in the Kimberley regions. She has managed remote staff, operated large cross-sectoral projects through a consortium model, and worked with remote outstation communities, Land Councils and Indigenous-controlled organisations.