Members of the peak national body, Sheep Producers Australia, have voted to streamline the application process for candidates to nominate to serve on its board.
The changes coincided with the opening of applications for two new directors on SPA.
Previously board candidates were nominated by a SPA member - the state farming organisations (SFOs) of Australia - and the board selection committee was comprised of individuals from SPA's service provider network who made decisions based on the skills requirements for the board.
Now SFO representatives will comprise the board selection committee, along with one independent member and a SPA board member observer.
And candidates nominating for the board no longer need SFO endorsement but can nominate directly to SPA.
SPA chairman, Chris Mirams, said these changes were recommended by the Board Selection Review Project Team, which was formed by SPA, based on member feedback, following the 2018 annual general meeting.
The team was independently chaired and included representatives from SFOs, a SPA board member and the CEO.
"The project team reviewed options and assessed what was consistent with contemporary governance practice and made recommendations to the SPA board," Mr Mirams said.
"To put these recommendations into action required some amendments to the Constitution.
"After being in operation since November 2017, SPA made these changes with our members, taking the opportunity to use two years of experience to finetune our approach to the selection process.
"These changes are now in place for our current board selection process. SPA is currently seeking nominations for two board director positions and is encouraging candidates to apply who are passionate about the success of the Australian sheep industry, would like to make a contribution and seek to further develop their professional governance expertise."
Nominations close at noon on Monday, October 21, 2019.
Visit www.sheepproducers.com.au or call (02) 6269 5610 for more information.