The 10-person panels comprise of growers, consultants and researchers who help guide regional research priorities in the northern, southern and western growing regions.
In announcing the appointments, GRDC chairman John Woods said the new Southern Region Panel was well equipped to serve the interests of grain growers in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
“A key strength of the GRDC, the Regional Panels play a critical advisory and strategic role in informing GRDC investments in research, development and extension (RD&E) to create enduring profitability for Australian grain growers,” Mr Woods said.
“I congratulate members of the Southern Regional Panel on their appointment for the coming two-year term and look forward to working alongside them as they contribute to shaping our grains RD&E investments.”
Appointed to the Southern Regional Panel for the first time are Fiona Marshall from Mulwala in the Southern Riverina; Richard Murdoch from Warooka on SA’s Yorke Peninsula; and Randall Wilksch who is based at Yeelanna on SA’s Lower Eyre Peninsula.
GRDC Northern Panel chair John Minogue said the new northern panel harnessed a breadth of grains industry experience from production to agronomic and farm business consulting and research.
“The panel brings together a dynamic mix of specialised knowledge and experience, which is an enormous asset to the future of the northern grains industry,” Mr Minogue said.
“The panel selection process undertaken by the GRDC Board has been thorough with extensive consideration given to the blend of skills required to best serve the interests of growers and other grains industry stakeholders right across the northern cropping region.
Incoming northern panelists include Liverpool Plains senior agronomist Peter McKenzie, central Queensland senior agronomist Graham Spackman, Riverina district grower Roy Hamilton, Parkes district grower Bruce Watson, West Wyalong grower Roger Bolte and southern Queensland research pathologist and private consultant Jo White.
Dunn Rock grower Peter Roberts will continue as GRDC Western Panel Chairman, with a focus on maintaining a high level of engagement with the Western Australian grains industry and ensuring GRDC investments were focused on delivering enduring profitability to growers.
Mr Roberts welcomed incoming members Fiona Gibson, a Mingenew grower and applied economist, agronomist Michael Lamond, and Binnu grower Rohan Ford.
“The three new panel members join those who had been reappointed for another term - agronomic and agribusiness advisor Chris Wilkins, Ravensthorpe grower Andy Duncan, Mingenew grower Darrin Lee, Munglinup grower Gemma Walker, Merredin grower Jules Alvaro and wheat geneticist Greg Rebetzke from CSIRO,” Mr Roberts said.
GRDC’s regional panels in the northern (NSW and Queensland), southern (South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania) and western (Western Australia) regions are renewed every two years.
Find out more information on the new regional panels here:
