The NCWSBA Annual General Meeting was held on Thursday, 27th August, followed by a meeting of the NCWSBA Board. It was a very different event compared with the event in past years. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the meeting was held as a Zoom videoconference and the AGM was restricted to the business of the AGM. Unlike previous years, there was no updates from AWTA, AWEX and AWI, nor did we have presentations by the Finalists for the NCWSBA Wool Broker Award (the Award has been postponed to a later date in the hope that we can have a face-to-face meeting to allow the Finalists to give their presentations to the NCWSBA membership in person).
It was a small group of 14 people who attended the AGM, compared with the usual numbers in past years of 30-40 people who attend in person. NCWSBA President, John Colley, presented his report on 2019/20. As he noted, the wool industry and the wool broking industry has been hit hard by drought, fire, floods, an industry-wide IT shutdown and then the COVID-19 pandemic. NCWSBA has been at the forefront in industry discussions and meetings with Government on the impact of COVID-19 restrictions, ensuring that open-cry auctions continue. The Presidetn's report is included as a separate new item. The AGM approved the financial accounts for NCWSBA for 2019/20 and also passed a Special Resolution to amend the NCWSBA Rules to introduce the new position of Immediate Past President, who will join the President and Vice President to form the Executive of NCWSBA. It was John’s final report as President, as he has now stepped aside after three years as President.
At the Board meeting following the AGM, Rowan Woods (Jemalong Wool) was appointed President and Stephen Keys (Nutrien) was appointed Vice President. John Colley (AWN) takes up the position of Immediate Past President. The other Directors of NCWSBA are:
- Emma Reynolds (Michells – appointed as Independent Director by the smaller volume members)
- Gerard Buchanan (Australian Wool & Pastoral Agency Ltd)
- Simon Hogan (Elders)
- Andrew Mills (Macdonald & Co)
- Tim Edwards (Nutrien).
