East Gippsland Shire Council's Agriculture Sector Advisory Committee recently welcomed three new members.
Mayor Cr Tom Crook praised the committee for its role in promoting the prosperity of the region's vital agricultural sector, and welcomed Emily Richardson, Edward Mauger and Wayne Dredge to their new roles.
"The committee started in February 2021 with 11 members serving a two-year term, extendable for another two years," Cr Crook said.
"Three members recently stepped down, creating the opportunities to add another layer of experience to the committee. We look forward to having Emily, Edward and Wayne help shape the future of the sector in East Gippsland."
Emily Richardson: A livestock and finance farm manager who specialises in beef and cropping. Emily is actively engaged in Landcare, Women in Agriculture and holds positions on various regional boards and committees.
Edward Mauger: An agronomist and farmer based in the Bindi region, who is dedicated to strategic planning, new business concepts and community engagement. Edward isand has been involved with Goodman's CRT, Swifts Creek P-12 School, and the Swifts Creek Futures project.
Wayne Dredge: A commercial fisheries specialist, with international policy experience focusing on agriculture, fisheries, food security, and emerging technologies. Wayne serves on the Seafood Industry Victoria board, the Seafood Industry Australia Wild-catch Advisory Committee and was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship in 2014.
"Because the committee has people from different areas and industries in the region, we're confident that the farmers and agencies together bring a lot of knowledge and experience. This helps us take a good approach to address the needs of East Gippsland's agriculture sector," Cr Crook said.
"I'd like to express my gratitude to the outgoing members, Paul Menke, Leecia Angus and Simon Turner, for their work and dedication to the committee - all valuable contributions that have gone unnoticed.''
The committee met on November 16 and discussed issues including biosecurity, recruitment and retention of veterinarians, workforce challenges in the workforce, and the Gippsland Drought Resilience Plan.
