Joan Lindros

Joan Lindros is a busy person. She has four adult children and owns four pharmacies, which she manages with her son - which would seem to be more than a full time job. But Joan is also deeply involved in the conservation movement and interested in terrestrial and marine issues.

Many of the organisations she works with are based in Melbourne and this entails a lot of time spent driving between her home in Geelong and Melbourne. Her friends wonder how she finds the time to serve on so many different committees and they marvel at her achievements.

Joan was a founding member of the Geelong Environment Council in 1972 and is now its President. She has been a member for many years of the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) and a councillor for ten years. Three years were spent as President and two years as Vice President. Joan served on the National Parks Advisory Council for a four year term and on the Geelong Regional Commission. She has served as delegate and President on the Conservation Council of Victoria, the Western Victoria Coastal Board and the Environment Protection Authority Storm Water Committee.

Joan is chairperson of the Great Ocean Road Committee, which deals with planning issues in the area. The Committee has raised $385,000 to purchase part of the Anglesea Heathland, which is to be added to the Lorne/Angahook State Park.

In marine conservation, Joan is lobbying for marine national parks for the southern end of Port Phillip Bay and Point Addis. She has taken a particular interest in the dredging of a shipping lane in Corio Bay and aquaculture in Swan Bay.

Joan believes strongly in the need to preserve our native forests and through various organisations she has endeavoured to save what is left of them - particularly in the Otways. Some of Joan's achievements as leader of the VNPA includes the proclamation of the Alpine National Park in 1989. Some other important issues during Joan's presidency were forestry in East Gippsland, conservation of native grasslands, the route of the proposed Very Fast Train, and the Marine Parks Committee. Joan served on the Land Conservation Council when the Grampians National Park was recommended and proclaimed. Her work for the Geelong Environment Council included a successful campaign opposing the removal and storage of chemicals from Coode Island to Point Lillias.