GROW2017: New Board Members, structural discussions dominate WAFarmers AGM

The 2017 WAFarmers Annual Conference: GROW2017 kicked off this afternoon with the WAFarmers AGM, which included the appointment of new Board Members, and detailed discussion regarding structural and constitutional changes.

Lyn Slade retained the position of Senior Vice President, being unopposed, and WAFarmers President Tony York announced that, following no nominations for the position of Vice President, the position would be filled by the WAFarmers Board.

With the retirement of Ian Barden Brown and Bob Iffla from the Board, an election to fill the vacant positions saw Hayley Goad from Roleystone and Chris Wyhoon from Baker’s Hill elected to the positions.

“On behalf of WAFarmers Board, members and staff, and all those who had the opportunity to work with Ian and Bob in their capacities as Board Members, I would like to extend our thanks to them both and recognise their outstanding commitment and dedication towards WAFarmers,” Mr York said.

A significant point in the formalities was the discussion regarding the WAFarmers structure.

“Due to the legislative amendments within the Corporations Act, an opportunity was presented for the organisation to reviews its structure and Constitution,” Mr York said.

“During the AGM, we discussed how our organisation is currently structured, how Zones and regions operate, and the composition of both Commodity Councils and General Section.

“We focused on these areas as they are the sections with the greatest potential for improvement, which will result in streamlined processes and enhanced representation from our members and the community.

“Given the growing importance of agriculture to the state and federal economies and the ever-evolving nature of the sector, we must remain relevant so that we can continue to work towards a more viable, profitable and sustainable future for the agricultural industry.

“We believe that an amended structure and Constitution will achieve this, and will both capitalise on the knowledge and experience of our older members, while encouraging more young people to remain in or enter the industry, thus safeguarding the future of agriculture.”

Mr York said he was pleased with the feedback received from the floor.

“Our members had time to consider our proposal before the AGM, so we knew this discussion could generate both passionate and constructive responses,” he said.

“We will take all these views on board over the next 12 months, and look forward to presenting the changes at next year’s Annual Conference.”

ENDS.

All media requests must be directed to WAFarmers Media and Communications Officer Melanie Dunn on (08) 9486 2100 or [email protected].

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