Board elections 'a transparent process'
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) chair Kate Acland says there are clear governance processes in place to ensure fairness and transparency.
As usual voting turnout was very poor: the voting return percentage for the ward was just over 21%. BLNZ says this represents 27% of sheep, 28% of cattle and 30% of dairy livestock numbers in the central South Island district.
Hyslop and husband Jonty farm Levels Estate, an intensive sheep, beef and arable property on the outskirts of Timaru.
Meanwhile King Country’s Scott Gower has been elected to represent the western North Island district. He replaces outgoing director Kirsten Bryant who did not seek re-election.
Gower got 5996 votes while the other candidate, Andrew Stewart from Marton, got 2491 votes – a winning margin of 3505 votes.
The voting return percentage for the western North Island ward was even poorer than the central South Island: only 16% of eligible meat farmers bothered to cast a ballot. BLNZ says this represented 27% of sheep, 25% of cattle and 7% of dairy livestock numbers in the district.
Gower and his wife farm High Glades, a 1300ha hill country sheep and beef property in Ohura in King Country.
Other changes at the BLNZ board table include the appointment of a new processor-exporter director and a new associate director.
Tony Egan joins the board as a processor-exporter director, replacing Affco’s long-time chairman Sam Lewis. Egan is the managing director of Greenlea Premier Meats and a member of the Meat Industry Association council.
Anna Nelson also joins the BLNZ board as an associate director, taking over from Kate Acland. An associate director is appointed for a one-year term.
Nelson works as a co-ordinator for King Country River Care Incorporated, farms a 1100 ha breeding and finishing property and has taken part in the Kellogg Rural Leadership programme.
