Jane Mouritz

Jane Mouritz and her family live and work on their wheat and beef cattle property near Hyden in the eastern Wheatbelt of Western Australia. She is a director of Hydillowah Pty Ltd. Ms Mouritz is keenly involved in the Hyden community and has served in local government and appointed to a number of State and national advisory committees including the Regional Communities Program, Stronger Families and Communities Initiative, the National Advisory Committee for Ageing, Internet Advisory Panel, and the WA Telecentres Advisory Board. Ms Mouritz supports projects that improve rural people’s quality of life and provide better access to facilities and services in rural communities. Her focus is on community infrastructure, services for disabled, youth and elderly, small business development, tourism and landcare – all with the goal of supporting vibrant and sustainable communities. She was awarded 2001 Outstanding Rural Leader of the Year by the Australian Rural Leadership Network and she completed the Australian Rural Leadership Program in 2004. In 2003, Ms Mouritz received an Australian Centenary Medal for services to rural communications. She has been a director of Western Australian Community Foundation and Greening Australia WA division, and also has roles of responsibility in an Australian political party. Since August 2011, as well as farming, Ms Mourtiz also had a full time job as Wheatbelt Coordinator for OneLife Suicide Prevention Strategy, facilitating grass roots implementation of resilience building and suicide prevention initiatives for approximately 15 Noongar communities and about 40 Wheatbelt communities.