7101.0 - Ag Mag - The Agriculture Newsletter, Sep 2008  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 18/09/2008   
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Ag Mag | the agriculture newsletter

NEW DIRECTOR - ROBYN ELPHINSTONE
In April 2008, Robyn Elphinstone took over as Director of Agriculture Statistics Section, replacing Allan Nicholls who had retired in late February.

Robyn joined the ABS in 2005, following a 15 year career as an environment consultant in the private sector. Not surprisingly, Robyn commenced her ABS life in the Environment Section.

A couple of promotions later and Robyn moved to program management in the Population Census area. With staff changes and a program restructure in the wind, Robyn returned to Environment and Agriculture Statistics Branch to take over Agriculture Statistics.
Aerial view of farm sheds and silos
This was opportune timing as the Land and NRM Statistics Program, formerly a subsection of the Centre of Environment and Energy Statistics, soon joined the Agriculture Statistics NSC to form the Land and Agriculture Statistics Section.

Robyn is excited by both the challenges and opportunities that this merger brings. Her statistical experience and her understanding of environmental issues will be of great benefit in balancing the information demands of land managers and inevitable budget constraints.

"As a user of these type of statistics only a few years ago to now being part of their collection, I'm keen to see that the ABS is responsive to the important issues affecting land and agriculture", Robyn said.