Australia
October 18, 2023
CRDC's Board of Directors: Chair Richard Haire, Acting Executive Director Allan Williams, and Non-Executive Directors Julie Bird, Ross Burnett, Bernie George, the Hon. Niall Blair, Sally Ceeney and Michelle Tierney.
The new Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) Board has wasted no time in building on CRDC’s vision to grow Australia’s cotton industry by $1 billion over the next five years.
Less than one week after being announced by the Agriculture Minister, Senator the Hon. Murray Watt, the new CRDC board convened in Narrabri on Monday and Tuesday for briefings and inductions, getting straight to work on the ambitious targets of the new Clever Cotton plan. Clever Cotton is a strategic plan that guides all CRDC's research, development and extension (RD&E) investments from 2023 to 2028.
CRDC Chairman Richard Haire said the new board is laser focused on rising to the challenge set by Clever Cotton.
“Clever Cotton is our most ambitious strategic plan ever – calling on CRDC to turn a $125 million investment into a $1 billion return for the industry over the next five years. Capturing that $1 billion starts now, and our new board members have come with their sleeves rolled up, ready to get on with the job,” Mr Haire said.
“The two-day induction in Narrabri allowed our new board, CRDC staff, growers and other industry stakeholders to work out how we can most effectively deliver the Clever Cotton plan by mapping out clear goals, investment approach and planned impact.”
CRDC Board Directors (three-year appointment until 30 September 2026):
- Mr Ross Burnett, Queensland (reappointment)
- Ms Julianne (Julie) Bird, South Australia (new appointment)
- The Hon. Niall Blair, New South Wales (new appointment)
- Ms Sally Ceeney, New South Wales (new appointment)
- Mr Bernard (Bernie) George, New South Wales (new appointment)
- Ms Michelle Tierney, New South Wales (new appointment)
Mr Haire said the new board was a capable and experienced team with great diversity of background, experiences, and expertise.
“It’s exciting to welcome a passionate new team of directors to CRDC, and at the same time, great to have Central Queensland cotton grower Ross Burnett returning for a second term to provide some continuity,” Mr Haire said.
“The new directors bring a unique blend of industry experience and non-cotton backgrounds across business, research, government and communications – diverse external perspectives that will foster broad and rich insights to complement the learnings and thinking of the experienced team at CRDC.
"To our outgoing board members, I express a big and sincere thank you for their dedication to advancing Australia’s cotton industry. CRDC prides itself on listening to industry, and the outgoing board was no exception – responding with a strategic plan that prioritises the things that matter to growers: our paddocks, our planet and our people.”
CRDC Acting Executive Director Mr Allan Williams said the new directors come onboard at an exciting time for cotton industry innovation.
“Australia’s cotton industry has long been synonymous with innovation, but with the range of technologies available to us now, and more coming online everyday, it’s a really exciting time to be a part of CRDC – helping to shape the next generation of innovations that will see industry deliver on improved farming efficiencies and meet changing expectations around sustainability and supporting data.”
“I look forward to working with the new board to bring Clever Cotton to life,” Mr Williams said.
The CRDC board appointments were announced by Minister Watt
alongside new appointments for the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and AgriFutures Australia.
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