WOOLPRODUCERS executive director Greg Weller has warned that proposed changes to double Australian Wool Innovation’s director terms to six years put forward by AWI this week will not solve the organisation's problems and "blatantly ignores" the recommendations to fix its governance as stated in its performance review.
While welcoming the attempts to minimise the annual election distraction, Mr Weller said simply switching to having an election every two years did not address the issues that were causing the distractions and political infighting.
"Other bodies such as Meat and Livestock Australia can hold election processes without them distracting from core business - why can't AWI?" he told Rural Press this week.
"AWI should address the underlying root causes of its problems rather than sweeping them under the table."
Mr Weller urged AWI to disclose its director salary as it had in previous annual reviews.
"We know from past annual reports that Mr McLachlan received $140,000 annual salary. If the length of term was doubled a chairman on this rate would get over $800,000."
The release of the amendment of constitution to change the selection of directors by rotation to every two years, rather than one, will be voted at the AWI annual general meeting November 27 in Sydney.
AWI’s chairman Wal Merriman said this week: "Such a change would reduce the annual distraction of these elections and allow the board to focus on the business of wool."
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