Dairy Australia appoints new Board Directors at 2020 AGM

Dairy Australia members today elected three Board Directors at the organisation’s 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held online due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Six candidates stood for election for three vacant Board Director positions. Tania Luckin and Roseanne Healy were re-elected respectively as a Milk Producer Director and an Agribusiness, Innovation and Change Management Director, while Paul Roderick was elected to the Board for the first time as a Milk Producer Director.

Dairy Australia Chair James Mann addressed the online meeting from the DairySA office at Mount Gambier in South Australia and congratulated the new Directors on their appointments:

“We welcome Paul Roderick to the Dairy Australia Board and congratulate both Tania Luckin and Roseanne Healy on their re-election. All three bring significant farming and business experience to assist us best deliver for the dairy industry.

“Graeme Nicoll retired from the Board today and I would like to recognise Graeme’s commitment to the industry over many years in roles with both GippsDairy and Dairy Australia. Graeme has brought an intelligence and sharp analysis to the work of the Board and we wish him well.

“I would like to acknowledge Carlie Barry, Phil Ryan and David Beca for their interest in standing as candidates in our Director elections. There has been an unprecedented level of interest from people wanting to become a Director of Dairy Australia and support our organisation in being the best it can be in the service of dairy farmers,” Mr. Mann said.

Two additional items of business were approved by members, including the inclusion of profitability as an objective in Dairy Australia’s Constitution and an increase in the available remuneration pool for Directors.

Mr Mann, who was re-elected as Chair at a Board meeting following the AGM, said it was an exciting time for the dairy industry, with conditions improving in most dairying regions and the industry committed to delivering on the Australian Dairy Plan released at the end of September.

“2019-20 was a year of contrasts, with dry conditions and damaging bushfires in the first half of the season followed by improved conditions in the back end for most regions. We’ve now seen consecutive monthly increases in national milk production for almost 12 months in a row and there’s cautious optimism for a profitable season for many farm businesses.

“Our supply chain has worked together very effectively during bushfires and COVID-19. Milk continued to be picked up from farms throughout these crises and this collaboration bodes well for our future, as industry organisations lock into delivery of the Australian Dairy Plan. Dairy Australia is focused on supporting the implementation of the dairy plan through our own new strategic plan.”

More information including a recording of the AGM are available on the Annual General Meeting page.