Australia
26 October 2022

Grains Australia Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of eight industry representatives to its newly established Oat Council. Council members include growers, breeders, grain traders, quality and technical experts, and processors and handlers from across Australia. Three of the appointed Grains Australia Oat Council members are also currently on the Grain Industry Association of Western Australia (GIWA) Oat Council.

The new Grains Australia Oat Council members include:

• Ashley Wiese, Chair of GIWA Oat Council and Grower from Narrogin, WA
• Calvin Chiew, CBH Group
• David Oates, Demeter Cormack
• Greg Carroll, Croker Grain
• Jack King, Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC)
• Michael Vaccari, Unigrain
• Sara Grafenauer, University of NSW
• Tress Walmsley, InterGrain

Grains Australia Chair, Terry Enright said the first priority for the new Oat Council will be assisting with the establishment of a national oat classification system, working closely with GIWA, AEGIC, InterGrain and other industry stakeholders.

“The Oat Council will also have key responsibilities in providing advice to Grains Australia on international trade and market access priorities relevant to the Australian oat industry and its requirements for market information and education,” said Terry Enright.  

Appointments to the Oat Council were made following an open expression of interest (EOI) process and review of all applications by a Selection Panel that considered skills and experience as well as diversity in terms of gender, background, supply chain understanding, geography, and knowledge of the Australian oat industry.

The Oat Council joins Grains Australia’s other Commodity Councils for Wheat and Barley, which were established earlier this year. Plans are also in progress to establish a Pulse Council and Oilseeds Council in the coming 12 months.

The role of Grains Australia’s Commodity Councils is to provide strategic advice to the Board on behalf of individual grain commodities. Individual appointments to Commodity Councils are for a period of two years, with the option to be extended for consecutive terms for a maximum of three terms.

About Grains Australia
Grains Australia is the leading organisation delivering value to the Australian grains industry. Its purpose is to manage classification, market access, and marketing information and education to enhance the industry’s competitiveness and profitability.

Grains Australia is an initiative of the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC). GRDC leads investment in grains research, development and extension (RD&E) in Australia to create enduring profitability for grain growers. A partnership between the Australian Government and grain growers, GRDC’s primary objective is to drive the discovery, development and delivery of world-class innovation to enhance the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Australian grain growers and benefit the industry and the wider community. 

Published: October 26, 2022