At a meeting in Sydney yesterday, Great Southern's investor-growers voted in favour of Gunns's proposal to become the so-called responsible entity for the 2006 scheme. Gunns received approval to take over the 1998 to 2005 schemes at a meeting on December 23.

Voting on the resolution for the 2006 scheme had been adjourned until yesterday because of late proxy votes. Some 54.5 per cent of growers voted in favour of Gunns's proposal to take the schemes over.

Gunns chief executive Greg L'Estrange told The Australian Financial Review: "The whole package, including the 2006 scheme, was important to us because it gives us access to another year of the estate."