It was with much sadness that the Conservation Council ACT Region farewelled its former Executive Director, John Hibberd.

John was a dedicated and passionate person who had dedicated decades to the protection of the environment. For the last three years John was the Conservation Council's Executive Director, only stepping down from this role in November 2011. John worked hard on many projects including the vast and complex issues arising from Canberra’s urban spread. Urban planning took up a lot of his time and he fought for the acknowledgement and protection of endangered biodiversity and species across the Canberra region.

One of the most recent successes was the Biodiversity Mapping Project. John secured funding for the Council to purchase software and hardware to support the vital task of mapping biodiversity across ACT.  Thanks to his persistence with this project John was able to obtain the cooperation of ACT government bodies and this resource is now available for our member groups.

John was also committed to the Bush on the Boundary Working Group (BoB), a group that focuses on resolving issues arising from suburbs being developed adjacent to nature reserves. BoB is a platform that facilitates communication and cooperation between representatives from Government, non government and community organisations. John’s enthusiasm for such a group helped drive the Gungahlin Group and led to the formation of a second BoB for Molonglo. John also won funding to expand BoB even further to include Jerrabomberra and Tuggeranong.

John had many environmental interests and was on the Board of the NSW Nature Conservation Council and the Australian Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  He described himself as passionate about ornithology with particular expertise in the landscape approach to conservation, as well about tackling the economic growth at all costs paradigm which bedevils society.

The protection of koalas along the New South Wales south coast and the stopping of logging in the area was very close to John’s heart and he worked alongside environment groups such as SERCA to raise awareness of the importance of preserving forests to ensure there remains enough food and habitat for koalas.

John has been at the forefront on many vital environmental issues in the ACT and region. He led the Conservation Council with a style, passion and vigour that made him an inspiration to work with. Our job now is to ensure the ball keeps on rolling on his behalf.

As a boss, John, was always a pleasure with his witty humor and not to mention his sweet tooth! Staff knew him as a generous man with a kind heart whose passion for the environment was an absolute inspiration.

The Board is indebted to John for his commitment and perseverance. He expertly guided the Board through complex issues of governance, policy creation and political challenge. His counsel was respected and gratefully received and the Board was honoured to have considered John as a friend, as well as a colleague.

The extended family of the Conservation Council ACT and Region, including its staff, board and member groups send our heartfelt condolences to John’s family, and thank them for sharing with us a man whose legacy will live on in all that we do.

He will be sorely missed.