First meeting for newly elected Policy Council and Board

First meeting for newly elected Policy Council and Board
May 25 2016

25 May 2016: First meeting for newly elected Policy Council and Board

CANEGROWERS recently-elected Policy Council, which will drive the peak sugarcane farming body for the next three years, is meeting in Townsville this week.

One of the first tasks of the 21 grower representatives from every Queensland cane growing district today has been to elect a new State Board:

Paul Schembri, Mackay, Chairman                          
Allan Dingle, Bundaberg, Senior Vice Chairman
Kevin Borg, Plane Creek, Vice Chairman                
Owen Menkens, Burdekin
Joe Marano, Innisfail                                
Rajinder Singh, Tableland
Michael Pisano, Herbert River                                  
Mark Mammino, Isis

“The strength of CANEGROWERS is its proud history of drawing representation and leadership from a democratic and decentralised process – every member can nominate and every member can vote,” CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan said of the election process which was started in February.

“This grass roots representation of growers, by growers, is at every level of our industry which contributes $2 billion each year to the Australian economy.”

Each of the 13 CANEGROWERS district companies elects a board which sends representatives to the Policy Council and from that group, the State Board has today been elected.

Paul Schembri said he was humbled and privileged to be starting his second term as CANEGROWERS Chairman.

“The past three years have been full of challenges for growers but we are hoping that the next three will give us a more stable and financially rewarding period,” he said. “Our right to choice in sugar marketing has been secured and prices have strengthened.”

“My belief has always been that with unity we can achieve great things and I look forward to continuing to work closely with growers and their elected representatives.”

Paul Schembri’s re-election follows his selection as a Vice President of the World Association of Beet and Cane Growers – the international forum for farmers in the world sugar industry.

“This role gives me the opportunity to promote the interests of the Australian industry while also contributing to the welfare of the five million farmers represented by the WABCG,” Mr Schembri said.

On Friday the CANEGROWERS Policy Council will be joined in Townsville by other district directors for an induction and planning meeting. A key item on the agenda will be the CANEGROWERS Federal Election priorities.

Media is invited to the Mercure, Woolcock Street Townsville, at 1200 on Friday for the launch of this document. Among the issues around which CANEGROWERS will be seeking commitments are spiraling electricity costs, access to export markets, support for Great Barrier Reef water quality improvement work and a commitment to education-based nutrition programs.

CANE FARM BUSINESSESArtboard 1TONES OF SUGAR 2