Kate McBride

Background

About Kate McBride

Kate McBride is a fifth-generation farmer from Western NSW. She was born and brought up on a acre sheep property located along the Lower Darling Barka river. In 2020 Kate completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Adelaide University, majoring in management with agriculture and environmental electives. In 2021 she begun a masters in Global Food and Agricultural Business. Having grown up on the Darling-Barka River and seeing its continual mismanagement in 2017 Kate became a healthy river ambassador and have worked with people from all walks of life fighting for better water management within the Murray Darling Basin. In 2017 Kate was elected by fellow landholders onto the Western Local Land Services board becoming the youngest board member in the organisation’s history. Kate has been an active member of both the Aboriginal Community Advisory Group and Chair of the Regional Weeds Committee. In 2020 she was elected for a second term on the board and will continue this work until 2024. Over the past five years she has become a familiar face in the fight for a healthy Darling- Barka River and Menindee Lakes and had been interviewed for a number of programs, most notably Australian Story ‘Cry me a river’ and ABC’s Q&A three times. In 2019 Kate completed Women & Leadership Australia's 'Executive Ready' program and is a fellow of the Peter Cullen Trust. In early 2021 Kate completed training to become a Livestock Leader, strengthening her ability to advocate for the Agricultural industry. Kate has also awarded an achievement award by the Adelaide chapter of UNESCO for her work. Over the years Kate’s advocacy and focus has shifted from purely water to broader regional issues such as climate change, services in the bush and mental health. In February 2021 Kate began working at The Australia Institute as an Anne Kantor Fellow and in late 2022 she moved to Canberra to become their Parliamentary Liaison Officer. After 14 months in the nations capital Kate had returned home to her roots, living and working on her partners property along the Darling Baaka between Menindee and Wilcannia.