Rural Climate Leaders: Perspectives from the Nambucca Valley

Local heroes caring for Country - Janette Blainey, Luby Simson, Dinah Eadie and Marc Percival

Last night, after cycling 200km from Taree and watching the sun drop over the Nambucca River in Macksville, I had the privilege of sitting down with four remarkable people: Janette Blainey, Luby Simson, Dinah Eadie and Marc Percival. Each, their own way, embodies the kind of climate-and-Country leadership Australia desperately needs.

Janette Blainey, from the Miimi Aboriginal Corporation and Earth Trust, has spent decades working with custodial peoples across Australia and the Pacific, linking community development, intercultural communication and environmental stewardship.

Ljubov “Luby” Simson, Councillor with the Nambucca Valley Council and a regenerative-farmer-turned-scientist, is helping lead the local transition to sustainable food systems, bush-foods and land stewardship.

Dinah Eadie is a deeply active community voice on Gumbaynggirr Country, working in local groups that champion the Voice referendum, cultural inclusion and environmental justice.

And Marc Percival has long worked as a horticulturist, educator and sustainability advocate on the mid-north coast; his work spans soil-health, compliance, local processing and community care. He's been central is exposing toxic chemical poisoning from the blueberry industry.

As I listened to their stories, what struck me was how Country, climate and community are inseparable here. On the one hand, the land holds scars - toxic pollution, floods, fires, droughts. On the other, the responses are local, grounded, practical and deeply respectful of culture.

Why this matters for the climate journey

• Janette’s work shows traditional custodial knowledge isn’t auxiliary to agriculture or environment - it's land-management. It cares for place and people simultaneously.

• Luby is not waiting for remote policy makers. She’s starting on-Country: regenerative cattle, bush food horticulture, local food security. That kind of embedded adaptation is rarely visible in national headlines - but it scales. And she's leading through local politics.

• Dinah reminds me that climate justice begins with inclusion: that when local Aboriginal voices are central, communities are stronger and more resilient.

• Marc’s soil and horticulture work connects with the land-use and supply-chain threads of climate adaptation. From the soil up, the change is real.

What we can all learn

In a world increasingly shaped by social media algorithms and global fads, these local leaders remind us: you either act in place or you wait for someone else. They show that leadership rooted in Country generates real outcomes. And for the broader climate transition, that really matters.

As I ride towards Brisbane for AlterCOP 30 Australia, I bring their voices with me. Because one of the truths I cycle with every day is this: climate action must include Country, culture and community, not merely infrastructure and targets.

So as I pedal, my ask is simple: engage with people on Country like Janette, Luby, Dinah and Marc. Listen to what’s already being done. Support it, amplify it. And recognise that when Country is cared for, people thrive - and the climate reckoning becomes one of regeneration, not mere survival.

See you on the road. #eBike4Australia #CaringForCountry #ClimateJustice

Janette, Luby, me, Dinah and Marc at the local RSL.