At its core, GMB Water has been established pursuant to Section 42 of the Local Government Act 1999 (SA) to oversee and operate Mount Barker District Council’s expanding wastewater and recycled water services.
The establishment of the Subsidiary enabled the Council to recruit specialist expertise and capability to effectively and efficiently oversee and manage the increasing scale and complexity of the operation and delivery of wastewater and recycled water services.
The Board of Directors, appointed by Council, are responsible for setting overall strategy, policy and direction to take forward to operation and expansion of the Council’s wastewater and recycled water services. The Board meets at least every three months.
Sean Keenihan, Chair GMB Water Board of Directors
Sean is a lawyer with 30 years of professional practice experience and holds a number of national and state based public and private sector leadership roles. Sean is recognised as one of the South Australia’s leading practitioners in local government law and over many years has led the South Australian local government sector’s growing role in key infrastructure, development and commercial projects. Sean has been a member of the Mount Barker District Council’s Wastewater Service informal advisory board for the last 3 years and has been appointed the inaugural Chair of the Subsidiary by the Council to ensure governance continuity in the transition of the Council’s wastewater and recycled water services to the Subsidiary. Appointed: November 2024
Mark Gobbie, Deputy Chair GMB Water Board of Directors
Mark has over 40 years’ experience as a professional engineer and general manager in infrastructure delivery and water utility operations with specialist expertise in water and wastewater. Mark is currently Chair of Water Research Australia, and his previous professional experience includes General Manager, and acting Chief Executive, roles with SA Water. Mark is also an experienced Company Director, bringing a wealth of knowledge in ‘best practice’ governance, having served on the Board of Diving South Australia (Chair) for the past four years. In addition to this, he was also a past President of the SA Branch of the Australian Water Association; a former Chair of the School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering Advisory Board at the University of Adelaide; a trustee of the Edwardstown Football Club (SA) and provides Board Advisory services to a number of private sector companies through his own business. Mark has been a member of the Mount Barker District Council’s Wastewater Service informal advisory board for the last 3 years and has been appointed the inaugural Deputy Chair of the Subsidiary by the Board to ensure continuity in the transition of the Council’s wastewater and recycled water services to the Subsidiary. Appointed: November 2024
John Comrie, Non-Executive Director
John is a former head of the South Australian Government’s Office for State/Local Government Relations and prior to that the Local Government Association of South Australia. He is a Fellow of Certified Practicing Accountants Australasia and holds a B.Ec and Grad Dip Bus Admin. He has consulted since 2006 independently and through Deloitte Access Economics focussing on financial and asset management in local government. He has written guides and undertaken reviews on local government financial sustainability and asset management for state governments’ local government departments, local government associations and individual councils throughout Australia. He is a co-author of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia’s Australian Infrastructure Financial Management Manual and wrote its long-term financial planning practice note. He has undertaken extensive training in these topics for IPWEA of local government practitioners in all states. John has been a member of the Mount Barker District Council’s Wastewater Service informal advisory board for the last 3 years and has been appointed to the Board to ensure continuity in the transition of the Council’s wastewater and recycled water services to the Subsidiary. Appointed: November 2024
Isabella Villani, Non-Executive Director
Isabella is a commercially astute and well-credentialed Executive and Board Member with extensive experience in governance, strategic leadership, and organisational development. Known for driving performance and fostering innovation across diverse sectors, she brings deep expertise in corporate governance, risk management, and financial oversight. Isabella’s senior roles across public and private sectors—including Utilities, Financial Services, Telecommunications, and Government—highlight her capability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes and dynamic markets. Recognised by Chairs and CEOs for her strategic thinking and collaborative leadership, she is committed to achieving sustainable business outcomes. Appointed: February 2025
Carmine Ciccocoppo, Non-Executive Director
Carmine is an experienced Board Member, CEO and Director with over a decade of board level experience spanning the environmental, water, and circular economy sectors incorporating both Not for Profit and Commercial organisations. Carmine is currently CEO and MD of Osmoflo responsible for the overall strategy, financial performance, risk management, compliance and governance of the Group of some 300 staff spanning 3 continents and with annual revenues exceeding AUD120 million. Appointed: February 2025
Susan Filby, Non-Executive Director
Sue is an experienced Non-Executive Director and former executive of large business enterprises in diverse industry sectors, with specific expertise in strategy, corporate performance improvement, customer services, culture change and regulatory environments. Sue has demonstrated strong, energetic and effective leadership in several Government and private sector utilities businesses, with a particular focus on building high standards of customer service performance and owner returns and reputation. Sue was previously on the SA Water board for 10 years. Appointed: February 2025
Helen Edmonds, Executive Director and Head of Wastewater
Helen has been Head of Wastewater with Mount Barker District Council since 2022 with responsibility for running the council owned and operated wastewater service as a standalone business within council. With a degree in Civil Engineering and a PhD in Fluid Mechanics Helen has worked in the water industry for more than 30 years years including a year in industry while still a student in the UK, working as a consultant to Scottish Water, working as a consultant and for Auckland's water utility in New Zealand, and since moving to South Australia has worked as a consultant and also for SA Water. Appointed: November 2024