Fonterra Elections 2026: Voting Opens Tuesday 20 October
Fonterra shareholders can begin voting on Tuesday 20 October in the 2026 Board of Directors’ election, a Co-operative Council election in one Ward, and seven Annual Meeting resolutions.
Three sitting Fonterra directors - chairman Peter McBride, Leonie Guiney and John Nicholls - have been re-elected to the board for another three-year term.
The three directors were the only candidates for board elections this year: however new election rules mean a candidate must get over 50% of the votes cast to be elected.
Fonterra Co-operative Council chairman James Barron announced that shareholders had voted to re-elect the three sitting directors.
Elections were also held in three council wards.
In Ward 10 (Northern Bay of Plenty) Don Hammond was re-elected.
In Ward 13 (Central Taranaki) Karyn Johnson and in Ward 19 (Tasman / Marlborough) Simon Tripe defeated their opponents to get elected to the council for the first time.
In the seven other Co-operative Council wards where elections were due, nominees were elected unopposed.
They are: Ward 1 (Northern Northland) Peter Giesbers, Ward 2(Central Northland) Greg Collins, Ward 7 (Waipa) Mike Montgomerie, Ward 16 (Central Districts West) Megan Cushnahan, Ward 21 (Central Canterbury) Mark Slee, Ward 22 (South Canterbury) Mark Cressey and Ward 25 (Western Southland) Kevin Dixon.
Giesbers, Collins, Cushnahan, Cressey and Dixon are new councillors.
Federated Farmers is backing Feilding High School’s call to keep Agriculture and Horticultural Science as a standalone subject in Year 11.
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Zespri has welcomed the entry into force of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement today, calling it a significant milestone that will support long-term growth in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing consumer markets.
Southland's wet winter and spring will potentially cost Wyndham sheep and beef farmer Ben Dooley between $100,000 and $120,000 in lamb losses.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand says the National Party’s agriculture plan provides a strong basis for lifting productivity, supporting rural communities and recognising the sheep and beef sector’s environmental track record.
Wools of New Zealand chief executive John McWhirter says its new direct-to-consumer wool carpet service, Laneve, is the next step in the development of the business.
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