New directors announced

In Western Victoria, Craig Dwyer, Bullaharre, Lisa Dwyer, Hawkesdale and Harper Kilpatrick, Koroit, have been elected to the three board positions.

In the Gippsland region, Kelvin Jackson, Toora, was elected to replace the late Max Jelbart.

Bullaharre supplier Craig Dwyer said one of his first priorities would be to see the return of transport logistics, to the regions.

“Tanker scheduling happens out of Melbourne andschedulers are not familiar with the roads, milking finishing times, distances between farms and which roads drivers should take,” Mr Dwyer said.

“There are so many efficiencies to be picked up quickly, by reinstating scheduling back to the regions.”

He said drivers were the first point of contact, for the company, with suppliers.

“If we can pick up some efficiencies there, it’s going to help restore a bit of faith in the company and it shows something has changed.”

Resolutions seeking shareholder approval of the election of the candidates will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting on October 26, 2016.

The election follows a profit downgrade, deep cuts to farmgate milk price payments and the introduction of the Milk Support Supply Package, which involves producers returning overpayments to the co-operative.

Mr Dwyer said the next priority would be to find out what financial savings acting chief executive David Mallison was planning.

“That hasn’t been completely announced yet,” Mr Dwyer said. “But we have to do what we can to retain milk supply.”

He said while the supplier directors had a “big job ahead”, farmers should expect to see their representatives at least once a year.

“They deserve that, at the very least – there’s three directors in the south-west, Tasmania and South Australia, so it can’t be hard to split up.”

Other successful candidates were unavailable for comment. Lisa Dwyer is currently in the Middle East, returning later this week.

There were 11 candidates vying for the four positions, with a turn out of nearly 60 per cent of 600 suppliers.