THE public face of the Australian banana industry Tony Heidrich has stepped down from his role as Australian Banana Growers’ Council chief executive officer.
After almost eight years in the role, Mr Heidrich said he had accomplished all of his goals since taking up the position in 2002.
“I think eight years in a job like this is a pretty good knock,” Mr Heidrich said.
“When I got to thinking about where to from here, I came to the view that I probably didn’t have the same degree of enthusiasm I had when I first started which is only natural as you stay in these jobs, and it was time then to give someone else a crack.”
While the position availability was kept tightly under wraps, an advertisement in a national newspaper sparked questions as to what was happening within the body which represents one of Queensland’s largest horticulture industries.
The deadline for applications for the position has closed and candidates are currently being assessed.
The ABGC hopes to settle on a candidate before the end of year, with an official announcement likely to be made in early 2010.
Earlier this year, ABGC upper management went through a series of changes with vice-president Cameron MacKay moving into the role of acting ABGC president after Nicky Singh stepped down.
Mr Singh remains on the board to represent New South Wales until the annual general meeting on December 4.
Tully grower Patrick Leahy was also appointed chairman of the ABGC imports committee after veteran campaigner Len Collins stepped down.
Mr Heidrich steered the ABGC through its most tumultuous decade, from seeing through the successful eradication of Black Sigatoka disease from Tully, rebuilding after Cyclone Larry in 2006, the ongoing battle over the importation of Philippine bananas, and the eventual adoption of an industry levy.
“I’m really pleased with what we’ve achieved in that period and where the industry is heading,” Mr Heidrich said.
“The Philippine imports thing was just so resource intensive and of course the levy was a challenge because it got knocked over the first round.
“We learnt a lot from that exercise and had to go back to the drawing board and have another crack at it and obviously we got it right the second time.”
Mr Heidrich said Cyclone Larry affected him on a personal level because he knew so many people that faced financial ruin at the time.
“Looking back I was pleased to play a small part in bringing the Government to the table and negotiating a workable package at the end of the day,” he said.
But it was the successful implementation of a grower levy, one of Mr Heidrich’s initial goals, which he said made him most proud.
“I think the levy just secures the funding stream for the industry and it will pay dividends for so many years,” he said.
Mr Heidrich said he had no immediate plans for his working future but considered heading back into the resources sector where he started, not without fond memories of his time involved with bananas.
“I think it is one of the crown jewels of horticulture this job,” he said, regarding the ABGC CEO position.
“There hasn’t been a single morning when I haven’t looked forward to getting out of bed and going to work, and I think if you can look back over eight years and say that then that says a lot about the industry and the opportunities that it gives you.”
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