Permaculture Trainer Bios

Ian Trew Has been practicing and teaching permaculture for over 20 years, is deeply interested in integrated health, designing human settlements to look after the land while providing optimum health for humans. Ian is the co founder of Noosa Forest Retreat a 15 year permaculture community on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia and is manager of Beach Health Retreat a 4 star private health retreat on the Sunshine Coast. Ian is on the board of the ASC (Association of Sustainable Communities) and also of PRDA (Permaculture Research & Development) organisation. Ian has created and implemented designs from rural to urban and resort settings.

Dick Copeman was a co-founder of Brisbane's Northey Street City Farm in 1994, and was Coordinator of Education and Training there from 2005 to 2010. His particular interests and experience are in permaculture design, vegetable gardening, tree crops, bush foods, bush regeneration and food preparation and cooking. Dick started his working life as a medical practitioner from where his interests in nutrition and public health lead him progressively into involvement in health policy, food policy, environmental activism and permaculture.

Bunya Halasz completed his Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) in 1998 and has since worked in many areas of Permaculture and Organic farming in Australia and New Zealand, with a particular passion for Food Forests and Community Garden Work that has lead him to facilitate workshops, courses and festivals at Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane over the last 5 years. Bunya completed his Batchelor of Science majoring in Resource and Environmental Management in 2004 and currently works as an ecologist, permaculture designer, environmental educator, school gardener and yoga practitioner - bringing these fields of interest together to coordinate experiential retreats with his current business 'Growing Roots'.

Gavin Hardy discovered permaculture almost 20 years ago and completed a PDC with Bill Mollison in 1997. Gavin works as a professional landscape architect and has designed many private and publc permaculture-based projects including the recently completed "Whole Farm Plan for Northey Street City Farm". He holds qualifications in engineering, landscape architecture, permaculture and training and assessment. Gavin has a passion and flare for sustainable design solutions.

As a consultant Tim Lang offers Permaculture design, implementation and education services. After several years working as a horticulturist in the nursery and landscape industry Tim got involved in Permaculture in the early 1990's, he has experience in natural area management, farm forestry, organic gardening and community development. Tim has learned his Permaculture skills and applied his knowledge in various climatic zones in many rural and urban contexts both in Australia and abroad.

Tim Auld has been studying and applying permaculture for several years, and has been working as a full time designer since 2010 when he started All You Can Eat Gardens in Brisbane. Tim has a keen interest in natural beekeeping, aquaponics, aquaculture, food forests, soil improvement, biofuels and rainwater harvesting among other exciting aspects of permaculture.