Producer representation

As a state farm organisation, our key task is to ensure that the view of sheep and wool producers in Queensland is heard at the national level. To do this, we maintain a national affiliation with the Sheepmeat Council of Australia, a member body of the National Farmers' Federation and WoolProducers Australia (WPA). We have a seat on both boards, meaning that the views of the industry in Queensland, is heard at a national level. We also have a seat on the Goat Industry Council of Australia, to represent goat producers throughout Queensland.

AgForce Sheep & Wool board

President: Richard Pietsch

Policy Director: Michael Allpass    

North directors:
• Scott Counsell
• Rachel Noble

South East directors:
• Bruce McLeish

Southern Inland directors:
• Alan Rae
• David Jamieson

South West directors:
• Jim McKenzie (VP)
• Kane Lucas

Special director – Stud Sheep:
• Karen Huskisson

Special director – Sheepmeat Council:
• Mark Murphy

Special director – Youth:
• Eleanor Falkiner

Role of directors

Your AgForce Sheep & Wool board directors volunteer a huge amount of their time to meet with members, policymakers, market experts and other key representatives of the sheep industry to formulate sound policies and deliver these to government and industry service providers.

You – through resolutions put forward at AgForce branch/regional meetings – have a direct role in setting the policy of AgForce Sheep & Wool. We are the only state farm organisation to have a direct policy-setting link between producers and directors; there are no extra layers of bureaucracy where your opinions could get lost.

A key role of AgForce Sheep & Wool directors is to discuss relevant issues with members to advise of recent developments and hear direct feedback from you.

Your levy

Your levies are used by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) to deliver research, development and marketing programs that advance the sheepmeat and wool industries.

The industry's peak councils, including the Sheepmeat Council of Australia (SMC), have an oversight role in the use of the levy funds that go to MLA, including approval rights for MLAs annual operating plan. WoolProducers provide feedback to AWI, on how they as the peak national body for the wool industry should be spent. So the only way in which you can have a direct role in setting how MLA  and AWI spend the levy funds is through your state farm organisations – like AgForce.

It requires extensive work to assess and review the many marketing and R&D programs, but AgForce Sheep & Wool board members travel long distances to do so, knowing that this is the only way to ensure levy funds are spent appropriately so producers reap benefits from the work of industry service providers.

Have your say

If you are not a member of your state farm organisation then you cannot influence the outcomes of MLA and AWI's R&D and marketing spend. It is only through direct involvement that you can play a role in steering MLA/AWI and SMC and WPA policy and the directions of government to ensure beneficial outcomes for the Queensland industry.

To have your say, talk to one of your region's Sheep & Wool board directors.

AgForce Sheep & Wool Limited - ACN 087 429 829
AgForce Sheep & Wool is a company limited by guarantee. Our members are Queensland sheep & wool producers.