MURRAY Goulburn Cooperative’s (MG) decision to slash its milk price has flushed out a big field of south-west suppliers keen to have input into the company’s future decisions.
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Rebuilding trust with suppliers after the big shock of MG’s April’s milk price cut is a common theme of many of the candidates’ election pitches to suppliers.
Seven nominations, about double the usual number, have been received from MG suppliers for the forthcoming election for three supplier directors for MG’s western region that covers Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
The nominees include Dairy Australia director Lisa Dwyer of Hawkesdale, Harper Kilpatrick of Koroit, and real estate agent David Falk of Timboon who is a co-owner of a Scotts Creek dairy farm.
Also nominating are Bradley Plozza of Scotts Creek, accountant Matthew Rosenberg, who has a dairy farm near Mount Gambier, Craig Dwyer of Bullaharre near Cobden and incumbent director Martin Van de Wouw, who is seeking a third term.
Apart from Mr Dwyer, all other candidates agreed to be assessed by MG’s candidate assessment panel, a process that MG said it introduced last year to help present suppliers with the best possible choice of supplier directors.
Mr Dwyer said he chose not to take part in MG’s assessment process because he did not want to be endorsed by MG’s current board and wanted to stand on his own merits.
Following the panel’s assessment, the MG board endorsed Ms Dwyer, Mr Kilpatrick, Mr Plozza and Mr Van de Wouw for election.
Regardless of the MG board’s endorsement of particular candidates, all seven candidates are up for election in a postal ballot.
Nominees will speak at meetings throughout MG’s western region with south-west meetings to be held on Tuesday, August 2, at the Koroit Football Netball Club from 11.30am-1.30pm and the same day at Camperdown Football Netball Club from 7.30pm-9.30pm.
Ballot papers are to be sent to supplier/shareholders on Friday, August 12 with voting closing on August 29 and announced on August 30.
Cobden accountant and dairy farmer Duncan Morris resigned from his position as MG Western Region supplier director in May, only weeks after the cooperative cuts its milk price.
The third Western Region supplier director, John Pye of Bessiebelle, is ineligible to stand again because of the length of his tenure.