WoolProducers president Richard Halliday

WOOLPRODUCERS Australia’s three independent directors will stand for re-election to the WPA board, the body’s president Richard Halliday confirmed today.

WPA has opened nominations for the three positions on the executive of the nation’s peak body for wool growers.

Mr Halliday said the three current independent directors – Steve Harrison in Gippsland, Max Watts from Western Australia and Charlie Merriman in New South Wales – have confirmed they will re-nominate for the board.

Mr Halliday said nominations are also being sought from current wool growers who believe that they can contribute to national and international policy development and advocacy on behalf of Australia’s wool producing industry.

“WoolProducers Australia is led by a national executive of wool growers from around Australia, which is predominantly made up of delegates from our state farming organisations members.

“However, we also have three independent members that are directly elected by growers, which is unique to our organisation,” Mr Halliday said today.

“Democratically elected independent members give anyone involved with wool growing in Australia the opportunity to be a part of the leadership team.”

The successful candidates will be required to become directors of WoolProducers Australia Ltd as part of the WoolProducers Australia executive for a term of two years.

Directors also have animal health and welfare duties

As an independent director of WoolProducers the successful candidates will also be part of the WPA Animal Health and Welfare Board Committee, which is an initiative of WPA that determines the animal health levy collected from growers and is also unique to the wool industry as it is inclusive of other wool growing sector representatives.

‘The WPA Health and Welfare Board Committee was established by WPA in an attempt to provide a unified approach to significant animal health and welfare issues affecting Australian wool growers and includes representatives from AWGA, ASWGA, AASMB and the AVA’. Mr Halliday continued.

To be eligible for election to the position of independent director on the executive of WoolProducers Australia, candidates must:

 Have paid the 2 percent wool levy at least once during the past three years (since 1 July 2012);

 Be a member of a state farmer organisation that is affiliated with WoolProducers Australia or a direct member of WoolProducers Australia; and

 Be eligible to act as a company director.

Nominations must be received before 6pm on Monday October 5. If the election is contested ballot papers will be distributed during October, with the close of voting being close of business, Friday November 13. The results will be declared at the 2015 WPA Annual General Meeting in Sydney on Wednesday, November 18. For further information call (02) 4836 7369 or visit www.woolproducersaustralia.com.au

Source: WoolProducers Australia