People
Primary Employers Tasmania is led by a Committee of hands-on farmers with practical experience in workplace relations, as well as a team of employees that are committed to providing the best advice, training and advocacy to underpin the long-term sustainability and compliance of your agricultural businesses.
Please take a moment to meet our people.
The Committee
Stephanie Terry | President
Stephanie and her husband Andrew are the owners of Tasmanian Berries. The business produces hydroponically grown strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, under polytunnels or in hothouses, as well as in ground blueberries and operates over three sites at Exton, Christmas Hills and in the Bundaberg region in Queensland.
The business employs approximately 70 local FTEs and is an Approved Employer of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme. The business both directly employs and labour hires over 500 seasonal workers in Tasmania, Queensland and South Australia.
Stephanie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tasmania, and has practised as a Barrister and Solicitor in Tasmania. She has been a member of the Primary Employers Tasmania Committee since 2018.
Ben Grubb | Vice President
Ben manages Strathroy Pastoral, a mixed farming operation across two properties at Breadalbane and Nile. The current enterprise mix is superfine Merinos, commercial Angus, primeline composites, Australian stock horses and irrigated cropping of potatoes, cereals and fodder.
Ben has a Commerce Degree from Melbourne University where he majored in Agricultural Business Management and Marketing. He spent 13 years working in senior management roles for Elders in North-East Victoria, Southern Riverina NSW and Tasmania.
Ben is also Chairperson of the Irrigators Representative Committee for the Lower South Esk Irrigation Scheme and is Vice President of the Tas Angus Breeders Group.
Kate Gofton | Treasurer
Kate and her husband Rodney own and manage Riverdale Dairies near Scottsdale. Their two properties span an area of 600ha, with a herd of 600 milking cows. They currently contract their milk supply to Lactalis Australia, who transport their milk to the Tamar Valley Yogurt factory in Launceston.
Kate is a qualified accountant and is a current member of CPA Australia. Kate’s motivation to join the Primary Employers Tasmania Executive Committee is to learn more about Tasmania’s agricultural industries and share her enthusiasm for promoting safe farm practices and agricultural career pathways in the education sector.
Ferdie Foster | Committee Member
Ferdie is a well-known and respected Tasmanian farmer who continues to operate his property Rosedale, producing wool, prime lambs and beef cattle. He constructed the first operating pivot irrigator in the State, previously having built the first major on-farm irrigation dam.
Ferdie has enjoyed a long career in agri-politics and community organisations. He started Angus Week in 1973, spent more than seven years on the Angus Society Federal Council, 10 years on the Campbell Town Council (five as Warden), was President of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, Chairman of the TFGA Meat Council, and a member of the National Farmers Federation’s Cattle Council (during which time CALM was established and the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation).
He spent five years on NFF’s Executive, including chairing the Transport Committee, and the Education and Training Committee. Ferdie is also a past president of Primary Employers Tasmania.
Monique Lubiana | Committee Member
Monique Lubiana and her husband own and manage the award-winning business Stefano Lubiana Wines near Granton in southern Tasmania.
They established Tasmania’s first and only certified biodynamic vineyard, which currently consists of 36 hectares over two sites. Plans are underway to plant a further 28 hectares within three years.
Stefano Lubiana Wines has won the best biodynamic wine in the world for three consecutive years. They distribute 15,000 cases of premium still and sparkling wines to all Australian states, as well as the UK, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore.
Monique’s motivation to join Primary Employers Tasmania’s Committee is the opportunity to share experience in employment and contribute to positive outcomes for both employers and employees in agriculture.
Piers Dumaresq | Committee Member
Piers is the Managing Director of Mount Ireh Estate at Longford which has been in the Dumaresq family since 1829. It is a mixed cropping and livestock enterprise which concentrates on environmentally sustainable production.
Previously, Piers has served on the TFGA Meat Council, with Sheep Producers Australia, and worked as a market analyst for Meat & Livestock Australia.
Piers graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics (Hons), obtained a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Sophie Greenacre | Committee Member
Sophie and her husband James operate Rosemount Ag, a dairy farm in Cressy. Their business is currently the Dairy Australia Focus Farm for Tasmania.
Sophie is also a lawyer practising in Launceston. She specialises in property and business law, particularly matters involving agricultural enterprises.
Sophie has a Bachelor of Arts and Laws from the Australian National University.
She is a Director of the Board of Toosey Aged Care in Longford, which is a volunteer role.
Passionate about the agricultural industry she feels strongly that all employers should have access to the support and resources needed to provide their employees with a safe and fulfilling work environment.
Melissa Fergusson | Committee Member
Melissa works full-time in her family’s grazing business Grindstone Bay Pastoral, located across two properties on Tasmania’s East Coast. They run about 20,000 fine wool merino sheep, approximately 1000 beef cattle and manage a sheep meat enterprise.
Melissa has played an active role on many boards, as well as in local community organisations. She joined the Primary Employers Tasmania Committee in 2018 and has served as the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk sub-committee.
She was also a former Treasurer and Board Member of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, Secretary of the local Spring Bay Tennis Club Inc, honorary auditor for Spring Bay Suicide Prevention Network, Triabunna Junior Football Club, and the Orford and District Riding Club. Melissa has a Bachelor of Commerce and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Course.
Marcus James | Committee Member
Marcus, his wife and 3 young children, own and run a 2500 acre diversified mixed farming enterprise on the urban interface just outside of Launceston. Their operations including wool, fat lamb and cattle production and an equestrian park, including horse agistment and riding academy.
Marcus is passionate about securing the long term economic, social and environmental sustainability of not only his farm but that of the industry more broadly. Prior to farming, Marcus worked as a senior policy adviser in the Federal Government and as a government relations and communication executive in the banking and airline industry. Marcus has a degree in Medical Sciences.
Marcus is hoping that his combination of farming experience and expertise in government policymaking and communications will enable him to contribute significantly to the committee and its efforts on behalf of the membership.
Ailsa Hooper | Committee Member
Ailsa and her husband Charlie own and operate a farm contracting company, Springland Ag Contracting. Springland Ag Contracting has been operating for more than 20 years performing seeding, ground preparation, spraying, freight, hay and silage and windrowing. It employs in excess of 25 people including local, international and seasonal employees.
Ailsa has studied at both the University of Tasmania and The University of Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Nursing and post grad in Marketing and Management. Ailsa also owns and runs an events and styling business, Flocked Events and Styling, with her business partner and works part time as a Registered Nurse at the Launceston General Hospital. Prior to these roles, Ailsa has worked in marketing, sponsorship and event planning roles both in Australia and the UK.
Ailsa is passionate about attracting and retaining good people in our industry and hopes through her role on the PET Committee she can help raise awareness of the services available to primary employers in Tasmania to ensure their employees have a safe fulfilling workplace.
Our Employees
Andrew Cameron | Executive Officer & Workplace Relations Director
Andrew has more than 35 years’ experience advising people and businesses in the law, industrial relations and human resource management. He has acted for many employers in Tasmania, providing quality advice designed to meet business requirements and has a practical and professional approach to workplace issues. A respected advocate, Andrew regularly appears for members and clients in the Tasmanian Industrial Commission, the Fair Work Commission and the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal.
He was previously a partner in a New South Wales law firm and has 10 years’ experience in private legal practice. He has also worked for the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as an Industrial Advocate, for an independent school as the Human Resources Manager, and ran his own workplace relations consultancy business for eight years. Andrew is an experienced trainer and has provided training to a variety of businesses across Tasmania.
Andrew has a Bachelor of Commerce (Industrial Relations), Bachelor of Laws, Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, Certificate IV Assessment and Workplace Training, Diploma in Human Resource Management and is a Qualified Small Groups Trainer.
Lindie Lupo | Executive Assistant
Lindie is a Tasmanian who has lived in Launceston, Devonport and Hobart. She has a Master of Business, a Bachelor of Business in Accounting and a Diploma of Applied Health and Community service — all from the University of Tasmania.
Lindie has previously held senior financial and administrative positions in a range of public and not-for-profit organisations. She has skills in administration, governance, strategic and business planning, financial and project management.
Lindie started her career working as an auditor with the Tasmanian State Audit Department, which took her to many rural areas in Tasmania leading to a passion for rural and coastal Tasmania. This passion led to roles with the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, the University Centre for Rural Health and Wildcare Tasmania.
She is a director of Citizen Advocacy Launceston Region. She has an interest in health and wellbeing and photography.