IN YET another surprising twist of wool industry politics, former Woolmark executive director Brenda McGahan has decided not to stand for the board of Australian Wool Innovationwhile Stud Merino Breeders president Will Roberts and West Australian woolgrower David Webster have thrown their hats in the ring.
Ms McGahan has been weighing up whether to run for the board for some weeks and despite significant support amongst woolgrowers for her fresh approach to marketing, decided this week not to enter the often bitter world of wool politics.
Speaking to Rural Press this week from the National Merino Sheep Show in Dubbo, NSW, Ms McGahan said she would not be involved in the AWI elections for personal reasons.
“It has been a very hard decision to make because I have made some great friends in this industry and I thought it best to come to Dubbo and tell people face to face,” she added.
Ms McGahan was appointed to the board of Elders earlier this year and was the driving force behind the Test Marketing Project for wool in the United States in 2006 but was overlooked for an ongoing position at the top of the wool industry when AWI purchased Woolmark last year.
West Australian woolgrower David Webster has announced he will stand as he said the industry was in “self destruction mode” and he wanted to help turn it around by removing politics and beaurocracy from the top of the industry.
Producing about 1000 bales a year, Mr Webster is one of the biggest woolgrowers in the west and chaired the advisory board after the Australian Wool Research and Promotion (AWRAP) was disbanded in 2002.
“This industry has become far too political since then and the politics has followed the poor performance of AWI. I believe out of the ashes of this industry will come great opportunity but we must completely reform AWI while we still have time,” he said from Dubbo this week.
Australian Stud Merino breeders president Will Roberts is also standing for election.
“I am concerned about the further demise of this industry and want to get some returns back to woolgrowers, because I am one and without us there is no AWI,” he said.
Mr Roberts runs the Victoria Downs Merino stud, Morven, Queensland and said financially he was 100 pc reliant on his Merino operation and wanted the board to stay in touch with woolgrowers.
“Growers need a voice at board level and given its expansion to nine members earlier this year our voice could be lost. I want to be positive about this industry and help turn it around because we don’t have much time. A skills based board is good but growers also need representation.”
The AWI board elections are set to take place in November with AWI chairman Brian van Rooyen and elected board member Chris Abell re-standing.
Professional board members appointed to AWI earlier this year Ken Boundy, Robyn Clubb and John Keniry are also standing for the five seats to be contested.
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