Leading agricultural businessman, John Watson, has been appointed
as the first Chairman of the new Export
Wheat Commission (EWC).
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Peter McGauran, announced the appointment today and said Mr Watson brought extensive corporate and governance skills to the position, as well as a broad range of industry experience.
“Mr Watson currently serves on a number of boards, is Chairman of fertiliser company Incitec Pivot Ltd, and is a past Deputy President of the National Farmers’ Federation. I am delighted he will be the EWC’s first Chairman,” Mr McGauran said.
“The EWC will play a vital role in Australia’s wheat export marketing arrangements.
“Its primary functions are to control the export of bulk wheat from Australia, to administer the non-bulk wheat quality assurance scheme, to monitor the performance of the single desk company and to report on the benefits to growers of that company’s performance.”
The EWC replaces the Wheat Export Authority (WEA) as part of the new wheat marketing arrangements announced by the Federal Government in May. Its operation has been strengthened under legislation that came into effect earlier this year.
The other members of the EWC are Terry Enright (WA), Leith Cooper (SA), Barbara Clark (NSW) and David Bedbrook (WA).
“Mr Cooper, Mrs Clark and Mr Bedbrook have been retained from the WEA to provide valuable continuity between the two bodies,” Mr McGauran said.
Mr McGauran thanked the WEA’s outgoing Chairman Tim Besley for his valuable contributions to the operation of the former Authority.
EWC members:
- John Watson AM (Chairman) is Chairman of Incitec Pivot Limited, Primesafe and the Co-operative Research Centre for Innovative Dairy Products, a Director of Tassal Group Limited and Rural Press Limited, Councillor of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria and a member of the Rabobank Food and Agribusiness Advisory Board for Australia and New Zealand. He is also a past Deputy President of the National Farmers Federation. In 2004, he was awarded a Membership in the Order of Australia for services to the agricultural and food production sectors.
- Terry Enright, the immediate past Chairman of the Grains Research and Development Corporation and currently a board member of Agricultural Research Western Australia and past Chairman of the Albany Port Authority. He has extensive industry experience, particularly as a grain producer, and is highly regarded within the grains industry.
- Leith Cooper, a former board member of the South Australian Cooperative Bulk Handling Ltd and a former Director of the South Australian Grain Storage and Handling Company. He is a wheat grower who has substantial knowledge in the field of export wheat production.
- Barbara Clark, is a former director of the NSW Grains Board and has an extensive background in finance and accounting.Mrs Clark and her husband own and operate a grain and livestock enterprise in northern NSW.
- David Bedbrook is the principal of Bedbrook Johnston, a Western Australian-based agricultural consultancy firm. He is a director and part-owner of a major farming operation at Hopetoun WA.
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