Minister for Small Business, Minister for The North Coast & 
Minister for Recovery

Janelle Saffin MP is Minister for Recovery, Small Business and the North Coast, and Member for Lismore in the NSW Parliament. 

A lifelong advocate for regional communities, she has served at all levels of government including in the NSW Legislative Council and as Federal MP for Page. From teaching and law to policy work in Timor-Leste with José Ramos-Horta, Janelle’s career reflects deep commitment to social justice and practical change.

Known for her fearless advocacy during times of crisis and recovery, she is a trusted voice for her community and a driving force behind local infrastructure and reform.

Michael has gained experience with the fast moving consumer goods industry across a number of different supply chains and countries. With a key eye for commercial value creation and capture, Michael has been a major driver of change and value appreciation in his current role of Chief Executive Officer at the iconic Norco Co-Operative, a 100% farmer owned co-operative, and previously at Bega Cheese via the various senior roles held during the growth of that company. 

Michael’s professional achievements are excellent, with a number of key business making activities delivered under his leadership, such as; 

· Improvement of total value returned to stakeholders by taking the profit of Norco Co-operative Limited from breakeven to record results in 24 months, delivering 30% more operating profit in the last 5 years, than the cumulative sum of the prior 20 years. In addition, increasing the payment to Norco’s farmer owners by $65m in the same period – a turn-around that has added sustainability to the Northern Dairy industry; 

· Completion of major long term complex deals with offshore multinational organisations; 

· Development of relationship with major retailers, including major long term supply agreements; 

· Acquisitions – identification, transition and ongoing execution. 

With core values of trust, honesty and empathy, along a strong sense of entrepreneurialism, Michael has gathered support of key management teams and boards to deliver results that were previously not part of the various organisation’s history, creating value for all key stakeholders.

As Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Education Impact), Ben leads the University’s strategic impact agenda in research and education.

As a human geographer, Ben is passionate about participatory approaches to sustainable development and the role that education and engagement can play in creating resilience, capacity and well-being in communities. He has taught, researched and practised in the areas of community-based learning, participatory planning, sustainable development and community engagement. Ben also provides advice to various organisations and governments on strategic approaches to education, engagement and development.

Ben's contribution to community engagement in higher education, specifically service learning in built environment disciplines, has been recognised through a national Carrick Citation. For this work, he also received the Edith Cowan Authentic Learning Award from the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia. In 2019, Ben received the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Award for Best Industry Engagement and the Business Higher Education Roundtable Award for Excellence in Community Engagement for the national pilot program, Farming Together. Ben is the Immediate Past President of Engagement Australia.

Tobias co-leads of the Harvest to Health Research Impact Cluster at SCU, which integrates agricultural innovation with biomedical science for healthier people and healthier environments. He researches value-added niche crops with focus on natural products and bioactive compounds, supporting the Australian industrial hemp, medicinal cannabis, coffee, rice and tea tree industries. 

He currently leads the Australian Industrial Hemp Program of Research and develops the Australian Coffee Program of Research, both key investments into regional emerging industries by AgriFutures Australia.

Prior to joining SCU he spent seven years at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, supporting climate-smart rice science to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across Asia.

Tobias has a PhD from the University of Zurich, Switzerland and an MSc from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Maxine Shea is the founder of Hemp Collective, an award-winning Australian-made hemp hair, body and pet care brand manufactured in the Byron Shire for almost a decade. They are stocked in more than 300 stores across Australia. She is also an Executive Committee Member of iHemp NSW, advocating for the growth of Australia’s industrial hemp industry through education, regional development and sustainable manufacturing.

Last week, Maxine spoke at the Australian Senate Inquiry at Parliament House into the opportunities for the development of a hemp industry in Australia, helping represent the broader agricultural, environmental and regional economic potential of industrial hemp. Through both Hemp Collective and her industry advocacy work, she is passionate about supporting regional innovation, Australian manufacturing, sustainable agriculture and low-waste value-added industries.

Loretta Willaton is the Regional Australia Executive at, where she works closely with regional, rural, and remote communities across the country to improve connectivity, digital capability, and customer outcomes.

With more than two decades of experience in telecommunications and regional engagement, Loretta has built a strong reputation for working alongside local communities, industry, and business to tackle the practical challenges facing regional Australia.

She is passionate about digital inclusion, resilient infrastructure, and ensuring regional communities have access to the technology and support needed to grow and thrive.

At Telstra, Loretta leads initiatives focused on strengthening regional connectivity, supporting local businesses, and helping communities adapt to changing technologies and economic opportunities.

Each guest has received selection of products sourced from our Regional Leaders and The Hemp Collective

From hemp lip balm and Manuka honey gummies to roasted nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate-filled cone tips, these products reflect the creativity, quality, and innovation coming out of our region.

We encourage you to enjoy your gift and support the businesses behind them. Every product tells a story about the people, produce, and ideas that make the Northern Rivers such a strong and distinctive part of regional Australia.

We also encourage you to enjoy a delicous Norco flavoured milk or iced coffee - Thanks Norco!

Thank you to the businesses who generously contributed today’s treats and helped showcase the quality and innovation coming out of the Northern Rivers.

Clarence Property

Scandinavian Cone Company

Brookfarm

Tropical Fruit World

Gatherby Manuka

The Hemp Collective