MEMBERS of farmer lobby group GrainGrowers (GGL) will tomorrow (Thursday) vote in new board members from the organisation’s western region.
Western Australian farmers Rod Birch, an incumbent director, and Rhys Turton, together with Michael Hunt, SA, will vie for the two grower director positions up for grabs after incumbent director Trevor de Landgrafft retired when he did not receive board endorsement for the position.
Mr Birch and Mr Turton hold the upper hand in the race for the vacant positions after receiving board endorsement.
Recent history shows board candidates that receive endorsement have a virtually unassailable grip on the board seat due to the proxies voted by the board members and the chairman.
The meeting will be held in Perth.
The GrainGrowers Board consists of two grower directors from each grain growing region – northern (Queensland and northern NSW to Dubbo), southern (south of Dubbo, Victoria and Tasmania) and western (South Australia and Western Australia) and two non-grower directors.
All GrainGrowers members, some 17,500 grain farmers from across Australia, are eligible to vote in the election, no matter where they are based, although the candidates have to come from the relevant zone.
Mr Birch, of Coorow, in WA’s Mid West, has been a director with GGL since 2014 and has also held board positions with Pulse Australia and Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) among others.
Mr Turton, of York, WA, is a younger grower who said he would bring skills in asset management and risk management to the board.
Mr Hunt, Bordertown, SA, is a grower who has been heavily involved in GrainGrowers national policy council.
Mr Eastburn said he was thrilled with the quality of the candidates.
“It’s a very solid round of nominations,” he said.