Stephen Duffy is the Chairman of the Pappinbarra Valley Emergency Management (PVEM) Team, responsible for the development and implementation of the PVEM Plan.  Steve and Wendy reside on their property at Murrays Creek.  Stephen was a Naval Officer of 22 years, retiring at rank of Commander.  He served in the Marine Unit of Australian Customs Service, then as Senior Adviser to United Arab Emirates Coast Guard.  Steve then established a maritime security company, consulting / advising internationally on maritime risk management to shipping and offshore oil companies, State and national governments.  He is experienced in conduct of Hazard / Risk Assessment and Analysis, developing and implementing EM Plans, and exercising Crisis and Incident Management Teams.

Lisa has lived with her partner Darcy, on a rural property in Pappinbarra since 2011. On moving to the area Lisa joined the Pappinbarra Progress Association and not to long after the Hollisdale Rural Fire Brigade. Lisa has been President of the Progress Association twice from 2015 to 2019 and from 2021 to 2024. Lisa’s passion is helping others and with all the disasters that have happened in this area Lisa was at the forefront both educating the community on how to be prepared, responding to disasters and recovering in the aftermath. Lisa has spoken at RFS conferences on her lived experience in the 2017 fires. Lisa also spoke at the 2022 Disaster & Emergency Management Conference about community led preparedness, response and recovery along with Heather Smith who also resides in Pappinbarra. After spending 32 years in the construction industry and a further 3 years in the Dept. of education Lisa is now a Disability Support Worker. 

Peter has lived in Pappinbarra since 2008 and maintains and enjoys a small lifestyle block with his family. He joined the Hollisdale Rural Fire Brigade in 2011 and is currently the Senior Deputy Captain, Permit Issuing Officer and Training Officer for the Brigade. After spending a decade in local government managing Council’s network of bushland reserves, he now works with Local Land Services (LLS) as the coordinator for Travelling Stock Reserves in the North Coast Region. He is also LLS’ representative on the Port Macquarie-Hastings Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) in the Agricultural and Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA). 

Age:  77 years. Married to Susan Frost. Lives in Pappinbarra Valley. 2 daughters and 2 teenage grandchildren live on the same property. Qualified Communications Engineer. Worked in space satellite tracking stations in Carnarvon, WA and Orroral Valley, ACT. Contract Manager on Defense satellite tracking station in Geraldton, WA. Worked in Canberra as Engineer/ Contract Manager in RAN warfare systems development and training centre. Worked as Computer Equipment Engineer for Alcoa Aluminum Company in corporate computer center in Fremantle, WA. Worked in Brisbane as Biomedical Engineer servicing medical equipment in 4 hospitals. Retired 2010. Built 2 houses. Currently: Senior Deputy Captain in Pappinbarra Rural Fire Brigade. Member of SES communications support team. Licensed Amateur Radio Operator and active member of Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club.

Heather Smith has been a resident of Pappinbarra Valley for 11 years, living in Lower Pappinbarra. She has a background in Information Technology and Marketing Communications, and currently works part time for a mental health advocacy organisation. Heather and her family moved to the Valley from Sydney for a better lifestyle and found it here – apart from the occasional natural disaster curve ball. Those curve balls have given Heather the opportunity to support and assist in Pappinbarra’s emergency responses in the past, and to want to give strong support to the Pappinbarra Valley Emergency Management Plan so we can all be better prepared if nature throws us any more curve balls.