2023/24 Sustainable Living Tasmania Board

Kim Barker
President
Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Diploma of Education, Master of Arts
Kim is a project manager currently working on developing building design guidelines for the Department of Education. After spending over 25 years operating an interior design and architectural practice, Kim is very familiar with sustainability issues and design principles associated with the building industry. Kim has qualifications in and has delivered Business Sustainability Assessments and her business delivers NatHERs energy assessments.
Kim is currently undertaking an MBA with a focus on business strategy and has delivered communication strategy projects to the not for profit sector and developed a sustainability framework for the State Government.

Phil Anstie
Vice President
Bachelor of Economics
Phil Anstie joined SLT and became a Board member in 1991 (when the organisation was called the Tasmanian Environment Centre). He has served as Treasurer for many of the 20 years he’s been on the Board. He joined the Tasmanian Conservation Trust (TCT) in 1996 and was Treasurer until 2009 when he became President. Phil was a founding member of the Tranmere-Clarence Plains Land and Coast Care Group in Hobart and still serves on their committee. Phil initially practiced as an economist with the State Government. Later he switched to the Federal Government and finished his remunerated career as an insolvency practitioner with the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department.
Helen Pryor
Secretary
I have worked in community education for 30 years primarily with the Tasmanian Environment Centre and its successor, Sustainable Living Tasmania, my main focus being climate change. My last project was a Commonwealth Funded Community Action Program called Cool Communities, in which we incentivised people through education, training and financial rebates to adopt more energy-efficient practices in their homes. It was a highly effective program, which saw hundreds of households insulating, draught-proofing, window-proofing and installing heat pumps, energy-efficient hot water systems and solar panels.
For the past twelve years, my partner and I have run a small business selling second-hand clothes and books. Alongside the business, I have been an advocate for climate-friendly consumerism, presenting at Sustainable Schools conferences and working alongside teachers to implement simple ‘circular-economy’ practices. I am also an active founding member of the Pedestrian and Public Transport Users Group Inc which lobbies Councils and government to improve services and facilities that will discourage car use.
Lindi Wall
Treasurer/Public Officer
B.A. Politics, LLB (Hons)
Lindi started working life based in the UK as an overland expedition leader/driver in Asia and Africa whilst studying law on the road. Arriving in Australia in the eighties, she managed a YHA hostel in Esperance W.A. with local involvement in community youth support and education before moving to Tasmania to commence legal practice. Nineteen years of practice included environmental and planning law and founding membership of the Environmental Defenders Office(TAS). She continued on the EDO Board for 21 years. After leaving private practice in 2009, Lindi practiced as a Conciliator for the Justice Department and the Health Complaints Commission for the next ten years. She was a member of the Anti Discrimination Tribunal and the Guardianship and Administration Board (now TASCAT) where she remains a member. Lindi is President of TRAC which promotes the proactive use of public open space to create rural off road trails connecting communities in fast developing Kingborough.

Oren Gerassi
Vice President
Oren’s interest is in strengthening community and individuals through sharing the practice of art and music. He has over 20 years of experience in the arts, entertainment, media and museums sector as a technical specialist, project manager and entrepreneur, working as a freelancer, in partnerships and in all levels of government. As a passionate sound designer and engineer, Oren’s ambitions in an increasingly noisy world is to use technology sustainably, so it can help connect people while minimising the impact of its pollution on the environment.
Growing up in Israel and experiencing the tragic outcomes of senseless violent conflict, Oren is committed to bridging cultural and ideological gaps through promoting respectful dialogue, collaboration, compassion and compromise.
After living in Melbourne for 12 years, Oren moved to lutruwita (Tasmania) in 2020. He is now proudly growing vegetables in the garden and enjoys hiking and rock climbing while learning about the unique challenges and opportunities of living near the pristine wilderness of lutruwita.
Roman Alzengendler
Board Member

Margaret Steadman
Partnerships Strategic Team Lead
Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Diploma of Education, Master of Arts
Margaret was Executive Officer of the Tasmanian Environment Centre/Sustainable Living Tasmania for 13 years and oversaw the transition from an organisation involved primarily in education in natural environment issues, to one committed to urban sustainability and helping households and communities travel their sustainability journey. She is now ‘retired’ and is principally engaged in community climate change activism and supporting refugees when she is not working in her food-forest garden.

Sandy Astill
Community Engagement Strategic Team Lead
BA (Hons First Class), PhD (Society & Culture) James Cook University
Sandy is a Human Geographer who works part-time for the University of Tasmania as a Natural Disaster lecturer and researcher. Her research interests include community resilience, the impact of policy on vulnerable populations, natural disaster risk reduction and the impact of the aging population on long-term resilience of smaller more remote communities.
Her academic life is enhanced by her work as a community engagement officer and events coordinator as this builds community connection, stronger community links, information sharing, a sense of belonging and a community sense of pride.

Todd Houstein
Sustainability Consultancy Engagement Strategic Team Lead
Bachelor of (Electrical) Engineering with first-class Honours
Todd is a professional engineer who heads up Sustainable Living Tasmania’s consultancy services for organisations, including energy audits, carbon audits and more.
After working as a lightning protection engineer for Tassie business Novaris Pty Ltd, Todd did three years postgraduate engineering research into renewable energy systems with UTAS in Hobart and the Institute for Energy Technology in Norway.
Todd also founded the Tasmanian Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and was President of it for 2 years before moving to Melbourne to take on a paid staff role in their national office. He became fascinated by the intersection between appropriate technology and participatory, strengths-based community development.
In 2010, Todd moved back to his beloved homeland to work towards creating happy, healthy and sustainable Tasmanian communities as our Executive Officer. After running the organisation successfully for over nine years, he took on the position of Sustainability Consultant, heading up our services for businesses and other organisations.