Derek  Povel is a horticulturalist.  He collects and grows fruit trees and has extensive orchards at home, and vegetable gardens.  He is currently growing many Bamboo varieties for wholesale sales (to retailers) and for further development of the commercialisation of Bamboo in Australia. He hopes to be involved in supplying Bamboo to growers in the longer term for paper, textiles, timber, and more, using waste products from farm, sewage and other industry as sources of nutrient and water.

He is a founding member of Clean Energy For Eternity (CEFE) and was the co-organiser for CEFE human signs including 2007 Schools Projects and Australia's largest non commercial human sign Manly 2007 6500 people. He also helped to organise 50/50 by 2020 endorsement in 5 shires. 

Derek is a founding member of South East Transition Towns and TT BEGA.

John Champagne is a noted Permaculturist and Facilitator of Transition Towns Bega. Together with Derek Povel they have spearheaded the campaign to involve the community in formulating a plan and taking on the challenge of making the transition.

John has been an activist involved at a local level implementing permaculture into his property, his life and his local community. He works as a permaculture designer and developer and has led a consultative design approach toward the development of a “Food Forest” playground at Mumbulla School for Rudolf Steiner Education in Bega. As President of the Sapphire Coast Producers Association (SCPA) for 7 years, he positioned sustainability as the guiding principle for new rural industries emerging within the region and has actively promoted a local organic food industry.

He has facilitated the Design team for the Bega Eco Neighbourhood Developers (BEND) that has put together a development application for an urban subdivision under community title on the edge of Bega.