Our People

Billie Ayling (Secretary and Public Officer) is a retiree living in Croydon. Her former careers were in curriculum and learning materials management in TAFE. Before retraining in adult education, she worked was a social worker in Redfern and in the Burwood/Ashfield/Strathfield area. After retiring, Billie undertook volunteer work, notably as ethics teacher at a local primary school. Through her interest in native plants, Billie became concerned about environmental damage and the dire consequences of climate change. In recent years, she completed units within an Environmental Science Graduate Certificate course, with a focus on plant families and ecology. She hopes to complete that course in the near future.

Rick Eyre (Vice-President and Treasurer) arrived at climate activism via public sector management, co-founding a leading international sports website, editing an environmental magazine, and listening to and talking with people through online social media worldwide for three decades. He is a close follower of climate news and policy and developments in the progtech industry. Rick joined CABCB in February 2020, and was elected to its Committee in 2021. As well as being treasurer, he administers CABCB’s website and technology. Rick is a member of the Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA) and Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC).

Robin Smith is a graduate of Sydney University, with a Bachelor’s degree in Science and a Master’s degree in Education. Before retiring, she was with the NSW Education Department for 33 years as a school counsellor and specialist disabilities consultant. Post retirement, she worked as a casual lecturer and tutor in Special Education at Sydney University. Robin has had a passionate interest in social issues since the 1970s, and a growing concern about climate change drove her to join CABCB in 2022. She currently coordinates CABCB’s Youth Footprint group, which has a focus on educating young people, from school age to young adulthood, on climate issues. One such project is Speaking4thePlanet, which is bringing together local high schools and the Councils in our three LGAs. Robin brings to CABCB her passion for education and her administrative and organisational skills. She has lived in Strathfield for the past 35 years. 

Steven Du came to Australia in 1979, as a refugee from the Vietnam War. He joined CABCB in 2022, and became a member of the committee in November of that year. He believes that concerted action is the only way to deal with the worst humanitarian problem facing the world today – the threat of climate change. As a dentist with almost 30 years experience, Steven is one of the few climate activists in Australia who works in the ‘extractive’ industry. Having served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy, then working in remote towns in NSW, in public hospitals, and in private practice, he deeply understands the community’s needs, expectations and aspirations, and strives to always “do no harm while making the world a better place”. Steven volunteers as a dentist for the Australian Dental Association’s ‘Filling the Gap’ program, which works with charities to provide free dental care for vulnerable and disadvantaged people. He is also Vice Chair of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) and NSW representative of the Tesla Owners Club of Australia (TOCA), both of which promote the adoption of EVs and a sustainable lifestyle.