Matt grew up in central Victoria and completed a biological science degree at La Trobe University, majoring in animal ecology with honours in conservation genetics. He then worked in local government, managing a range of ecosystem types, before completing a PhD in Botany from the University of New England, investigating weed invasion of floodplains and wetlands in the Murray Darling Basin. Matt moved to WA in 2009 and has since undertaken flora and fauna assessments across the state. Matt joined EK to work on the Kimberley Wetlands Project, with six Aboriginal ranger groups and their communities, to protect and manage wetlands on their Country.