Sandi Keane

Sandi Keane is a former Independent Australia's editor and environment editor. 

Sandi’s July 2011 investigation into the anti-wind lobby, the Landscape Guardians and Waubra Foundation, exposed the ‘guardians’ as astroturfers and the web of vested interests behind them. It has been widely referenced here in Australia, the USA and Canada and led to an invitation for her to speak at the 7^th Australian Wind Energy Conference in Melbourne in December 2011.

In February 2012, Sandi’s investigation made it into Hansard when Labor MP John Murphy used her investigation as a speech in the House of Representatives in support of the Clean Energy Bill.

Before coming back to Melbourne, she hosted a column in two regional newspapers, was a regular writer for the glossy mag, Town and Country Farmer, as well as frequent contributor to environment journals.

She has a Master of Journalism which includes Masters units in environmental and climate change policy (Master of Environment). Her professional career as a freelance journalist, PR consultant, major event manager (such as directing the Bicentenary's Tall Ships event in Melbourne), arts administrator and policy adviser has taken her to London and Vienna as well as Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Her last stint in Melbourne was PR for the City of Melbourne when she was in charge of Customer Relations. Her writing skills led her to be one of the Lord Mayor's speechwriters along with the crafting of media releases. As one of Melbourne's major events coordinators, she also directed one of Melbourne's biggest events, the Bicentenary's Tall Ships, overseeing 350 staff.

Sandi’s treechange in Victoria’s high country gave her an opportunity to focus on her love of the natural world. She has been involved in the environmental movement since the 1970s. In 2008, she was instrumental in forming the highly successful Up2Us Landcare Alliance in Mansfield and was its first President. Up2Us employed a coordinator, established an office and resource centre and organised funding websites for member groups. network. In 2009, Sandi was invited as one of Victoria’s environment community leaders to the invitation-only breakfast with Al Gore.

After returning to Melbourne in 2010, Sandi now specialises in investigating what she describes as "carbon claptrap and other bunkum".

You can follow her on Twitter @jarrapin.