Get to Know Arboriculture Australia
Who We Are
Arboriculture Australia is the national peak industry body for arboriculture and vegetation management and the largest professional arboriculture network in Australia.
We are proud to support and represent all tree care professionals and associates, including practicing arborists, consulting arborists, urban foresters, utility vegetation managers, trainees, ground crew, managers, business owners, academics and educators.
We work to improve the industry and promote the benefits of trees and we achieve this by hosting national events, producing core industry documents, liaising and advising on standards and qualifications, developing resources, and delivering updates, education and networking opportunities for our industry.
Arb Aus is a not-for-profit organisation relying on membership and sponsorship support, and the contributions of many remarkable volunteers. We work in partnership with various state and territory industry bodies and other like-minded arboriculture organisations to make our industry safer, smarter and more sustainable.
Download Arb Australia’s Strategic Plan
Arboriculture Australia Board of Directors
Meg Caffin, Chair - Meg is one of Australia’s leading urban forest experts and has worked with arborists and local and state governments for over 14 years, developing policy frameworks and benchmarking urban forest management.
Vijay Vetrivel, Treasurer - Vijay has 24 years of corporate experience, managing around $1 billion in projects across the utilities and energy infrastructure sectors. With a strong interest in arboriculture and community service, Vijay brings a wealth of diverse and dynamic knowledge to the Arb Aus Board.
Simon Strauss - Simon is a senior business and technology leader with 40 years of local and international experience across FMCG, logistics, mining, IT and arboriculture. Currently MD of Zygium, he authored MIS501 (risk) and MIS506 (valuation) 2nd editions.
Royce Turner, Vice Chair - Royce, a Perth-based arboricultural consultant and professional climbing arborist with 35 years of expertise, trained at Merritt Wood College, UK. He holds a Dip in Arboriculture and certifications in QTRA and VALID. Royce is passionate about arboricultural education and training.
Carl Dalla Riva - Carl is a Director of The Tree Company based in Melbourne and has an extensive knowledge of arboriculture spanning 33 years. With expertise in operations, Carl has worked in local government and private sector and was Chair of the Board for Council Arboriculture Victoria.
David Greenwood - Arb Aus CEO - David brings over 18 years of executive leadership experience across the education, training, and health sectors, having held senior roles as General Manager and CEO within not-for-profit and community-based organisations. David provides strategic and operational leadership, driving initiatives to grow membership, strengthen industry partnerships, and elevate the profile of arboriculture.
Ged Reynolds - Director, Arboressence Ged is Director and Senior Arborist at Arboressence, the Wangaratta-based business he co-founded in 2006. He brings more than 25 years’ arboriculture experience across Australia, the UK, Europe and Asia, spanning practical tree work, consulting, training and business leadership. Ged has delivered arboriculture training through the University of Melbourne, RMIT and Wodonga TAFE and remains actively involved with industry associations. He holds a Diploma and Certificate IV in Arboriculture, Certificate II in ESI and ISA TRAQ. An accomplished climber, Ged represented Australia at two international tree climbing championships and was a founding member of Red Bull Branched Out.
Sarah Priestley is a senior local government executive with over 20 years’ experience in arboriculture, urban forestry and natural asset governance. She held roles across metropolitan and regional councils, leading large-scale forest programs, with experience in consultancy and tertiary teaching.
Matthew Williams brings over 30 years of experience spanning arboriculture, municipal services, and infrastructure delivery to the Arboriculture Australia Board. Currently serving as Executive Manager Operations at Citywide Service Solutions. Matthew's professional foundations are firmly rooted in arboriculture, having begun his career in a specialist arboriculture business before progressing through operational and leadership roles in tree maintenance and vegetation management. A graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course, Matthew is passionate about Arboriculture Australia's mission to advance industry safety, standards, and education, and is committed to supporting members and strengthening the profession nationally.
Rebecca James is the Parks Planning Officer at the City of Launceston and has more than 20 years of experience in arboriculture across local government, consulting, and education. She has contributed to industry guidance documents including MIS501 – Tree Risk Assessment and MIS506 – Tree Valuation, and is passionate about advancing the profession through education, advocacy, and collaboration.