Farmer directors Phillip Lang and Lucy Galt, along with Claire Baumber, have joined the Murray Dairy Board in 2023.
Outgoing chair Andrew Tyler and specialist skills director Mark Bailey were farewelled at the Murray Dairy annual general meeting on October 19.
The AGM also saw farmer director Rachael Napier promoted to chair and Dustin Kemp take up the role of deputy chair. Claire Baumber is treasurer.
Mr Tyler has stepped down as chair after serving for six years on the board.
During his tenure, he shared his knowledge and experience as a dairy farmer. He also brought great enthusiasm to lifting the profile of the dairy industry and focusing on investment in regional priorities.
Dr Bailey has stepped down after serving his six-year term on the board. He conveyed a tremendous knowledge around water resources and policy, and a vision for a sustainable dairy industry.
The newly elected directors are poised to bring a wealth of knowledge and applied experiences relevant to the Murray Dairy Board’s vision for fostering a confident, valued and profitable dairy industry.
Mr Lang is director and chief financial officer of Lang Dairies and has extensive experience in the dairy industry, along with working on dairy farms in Brazil, Ecuador and Switzerland.
He said Murray Dairy was important to his development as a young farmer and now he would like to give back to the organisation. Being on the board will allow him to help shape and develop the industry he is reliant on for his livelihood.
Ms Galt has a strong background in education, delivering agricultural content in regional settings. She is also a hands-on partner in her family dairy business.
Her motivation to join the board is to make education accessible to all people in the Murray Dairy region looking to take up a career pathway in dairy.
Ms Baumber brings a wealth of experience with a diverse background in agribusiness and grew up on her family dairy farm.
She joined the board as she wanted to learn more about the dairy industry and how boards operate and influence industry outcomes and regional development.
In his final report as chair, Mr Tyler reflected on the challenges of the 2022 floods and Murray Dairy’s timely response with information and support for farm businesses, delivered in partnership with various industry bodies and the Victorian Government.
He also addressed the completion of the Fodder for the Future project, which was funded through the Murray-Darling Basin Regional Economic Diversification Fund. This will see continued research work on alternative feedbase options for farmers in our region.
In providing the financial report, Ms Baumber highlighted that Murray Dairy remains in a strong financial position, optimising opportunities for collaborative investments that supports dairy in the region.
To access Murray Dairy’s reports for 2022-23, visit: dairyaustralia.com.au/murray-dairy
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