Cattle Australia announces Board and Regional Consultative Committee at AGM

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Cattle Australia announces Board and Regional Consultative Committee at AGM.

Friday, 17 November 2023

Cattle Australia has announced its 2024 Board and introduced its new democratically elected Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting.

Grass-fed producers from across the country met in Albury at an AGM which marked the first full year of operation of Cattle Australia as the peak representative body of the grass-fed cattle industry.

Two Elected Director positions were contested through the Cattle Australia election process, with David Foote from the North Australia Beef Research (NABR) Region re-elected and George King appointed as Director from the South Australia Livestock Research (SALR) Region. Garry Edwards (SALR) with Bryce Camm (NABR), Elke Cleverdon (SALR), Adam Coffey (NABR), and James Bowie (West Australia Livestock Research) are continuing in Director roles.

Mr Foote thanked his fellow Board members for their work over the first 12 months of the organisation and said he was looking forward to continuing to develop a body that was driven by the needs and priorities of the nation’s more than 40,000 grass-fed cattle producers.

“In our first 12 months we’ve worked to put in place the right foundations to set the organisation on a path to becoming the most powerful advocacy body in Australian agriculture,” Mr Foote said.

“Our commitment and attention now turns to the next 12 months and continuing to develop a body that is truly representative of our members across the country.

“Our job is to roll up our sleeves and make sure what grass-fed producers have to say counts.”

Mr Foote said the election of the inaugural RCC was an important milestone in Cattle Australia’s evolution as a democratic representative body.

“The RCC comprises 15 directly elected Cattle Australia members from the identified 15 Sub-Regions plus eight State Farming Organisation (SFO) representatives, appointed by their respective SFO, with CA’s CEO Dr Chris Parker appointed Chair,” Mr Foote said.

“We were heartened to see each and every one of these positions filled, not a small feat for a new organisation, and see this as a marker of the enthusiasm that exists for the impact Cattle Australia will have on agricultural advocacy.”

RCC Directly elected members

Region One: Angus White
Region Two: Cye Travers
Region Three: Mac McArthur
Region Four: Loretta Carroll
Region Five: David Allen,
Region Six: Richard Sutton
Region Seven: Sam Nevill Bell
Region Eight: Tamara Michalek
Region Nine: Peter Camp
Region 10: Kari Moffat
Region 11: Ben Hewitt
Region 12: Lloyd Hick
Region 13: Jordan Wilson
Region 14: Tess Bitmead
Region 15: Caitlin McConnel

RCC State Farming Organisation representatives:

Livestock SA: Gillian Fennell
NSW Farmers Association: Bill Stacy
Pastoralists and Graziers Association of Western Australia: Murray Gray
Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association: Justin Dyer
WA Farmers: Melanie Tolich
Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association: Paul Saward
AgForce Queensland: Brontë Lloyd
Victorian Farmers Federation: Fiona Conroy

The Cattle Australia AGM was followed by an industry forum featuring speakers from across the grass-fed cattle supply chain.

ENDS

Media Contact:
Stacey Wordsworth
stacey.wordsworth@bluehillpr.com.au
0438 394 371

Garry Edwards

Managing Director and CEO, Maureen Pastoral Company

Garry was born and raised on a commercial beef cattle property south of Gloucester in New South Wales. Garry has personal cattle production interests in this region today as well as his corporate role as the Managing Director and CEO of AAM, a business that has a significant focus in continuing to expand beyond our cattle production interests in Central West NSW, near Forbes and Bective Station near Tamworth, NSW.

Garry has over 25 years’ experience in large scale livestock production management within the Australian agribusiness sector. His experience spans across a vast array of areas of the agricultural supply chain and includes managing businesses involved in livestock breeding, growing and finishing, financing of agricultural projects, implementation of precision agriculture practices, investigation and implementation of sustainability and innovation initiatives and developing and operating integrated agricultural businesses.

In 2007, Garry founded the company that today is AAM, commencing the development, operation and management of a portfolio of agricultural assets valued at $887 million and he remains the major shareholder of AAM.

Garry has a unique skill set across multiple facets of the grass-fed cattle production supply chain, from production through to finishing, as well as a unique perspective of the challenges facing all grass-fed producers within Australia through his involvement in the modernisation and development of livestock marketing facilities throughout Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

George King

Managing Director, The Whitney Pastoral Co and Manager, "Coombing Park"

George is a seventh generation Australian farmer, currently managing his family property which they have held since 1880. George operates an Angus breeding and finishing operation joining 1,500 cows per year, with a low-cost model turning off steers at feeder weights and direct sales of females.

George has long been on a regenerative agriculture path as it was the only way he could see to renovate their property 25 years ago without employed equity or working capital, which at the time they didn’t have. He continues with this model as it provides outstanding cost containments, continued production and profitability.

George is married with four (4) children, Harry 24, Emma 22, Dave 15 and Tom 13. He also enjoys flying and has his pilot’s license.

George is also a Founding Director of The Wellness House and a Founding Director of ONFARM CO. He has a strong voluntary involvement with his community including as the NSW Rural Fire Services Senior Dept Capt. and Chairman of St Paul’s Carcoar.

Bryce Camm

Grazier, camm agricultual group

Bryce Camm hails from Dalby in Queensland’s Darling Downs region where he oversees his family’s company Camm Agricultural Group; an integrated beef and cropping enterprise with interests across Queensland.

Bryce has been CEO of the group for the past eight years. Prior to that he was the Manager of the group’s award winning Wonga Plains Feedlot for eight years where he oversaw the operation triple in size. Growing up on “Natal Downs” Station in north Queensland Bryce undertook a dual degree in Business Administration and Communications at Bond University and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program as well as the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.

Bryce is currently the Chairman of Beef Australia Ltd and the Immediate Past President of the Australian Lot Feeders Council, as well as a previous Director of the Red Meat Advisory Council.

Elke Cleverdon

Owner and Director, Cleverdon Agriculture - Grass Fed Black Angus

Elke is an experienced non-executive director in the agribusiness and customer-owned banking sector with a passion for member-centric organisations. She brings a grower perspective coupled with her genuine drive to elevate the industry through innovation. She was selected to the National Farmers Federation ‘Diversity in Ag Leadership’ 2022, among 12 women nationally.

Elke has a broad background in the agricultural industry as a producer and rural financial coach across regional NSW challenging business models & production systems for growers across a wide range of commodities. Elke is a joint owner & director of a broad acre family cattle farm at Harden NSW since 1993. Cleverdon Ag raises & trades black Angus cattle

Elke brings a wealth of financial, risk management and governance experience. Her current non-executive director roles include Local Land Services (NSW), Murrumbidgee Health (NSW Health) and SWS Credit Union. Some of her many strengths is a strong focus on strategy, risk and a triple bottom line while chairing large scale audit & risk committees

David Foote

Director - Tandarra Partners

Nominated by: Peter Hall, Troy Setter, Bryce Camm, David Hill, Adam Coffey

For the past 45 years, David has held rural property management, executive and senior management positions across all mainland states in areas of; beef cattle & sheep breeding, growing and lot feeding, meat retailing, small seed growing, irrigated fodder, and the further processing and exporting of primary products such as meat, grain and fodder.

His export experiences which started in 1989 included a role with Stanbroke Pastoral Company to help develop Stanbroke’ s Live cattle export program. Additionally, David managed the integration of Bottle Tree feedlot grain feeding in the production system while developing and launching their now globally recognised Diamantina beef brand.

David has been in a leadership role at the Lee Family’s, Australian Country Choice group of Companies since 1999 and progressed in that time from General Manager Properties & Livestock to Group Managing Director until stepping back in December 2020 from a full time role to a strategic advisory and board role.

Headquartered in Brisbane and employing over 1,400 staff across 42 operations, Australian Country Choice (ACC) operates Australia’s largest vertically integrated beef supply chain; encompassing cattle breeding, cattle growing and feedlotting to supply its integrated food processing facility in Brisbane that incorporates beef slaughter, beef boning, value-adding and case ready beef packing.

ACC’s cattle property portfolio of around 4 million acres in Queensland & NSW encompasses operations from the Barkly Tableland, CQ coalfields, Carnarvon ranges, Augathella, Blackall, Roma, and Moonie districts of Queensland, with a carrying capacity of 300,000 head. of cattle to support the Company’s 3 feedlots.

Additionally, David represents Agricultural & Cattle industry interests in his role as; Non-Government member Australia Indonesia Red Meat & Cattle Partnership, member SmartSat CRC, member Cattle Australia -Policy Council, member Australian Meat Industry Council -China & Halal Trade Groups, Chair Workplace Health & Safety Queensland -Rural Industry Sector Standing Committee, Deputy Chair Laguna Bay Pastoral investment committee and Board Member lnventia Genetic Technologies (IGT).

Away from work David has a small cattle property in the Mt Kilcoy (Qld) district running Charolais & Charbray breeders to the delight of his four grandchildren.

David wishes to continue into a second term to help build a strong and successful Cattle Australia to represent the interest of all cattle producers

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Cattle Australia announces Board and Regional Consultative Committee at AGM.

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