CBH Shareholders have passed a motion yesterday, to change the co-operative’s Articles of Association and generate a more equitable system of Board representation.
The proposal to increase the number of CBH Board member electoral districts from four to five was achieved by a paper thin majority, at an Extraordinary General Meeting in Perth.
Shareholders voted 75.23pc in favour of the motion and 24.77pc against it.
CBH shareholder and independent farm consultant, David Falconer, provided figures which showed the motion got over the 75pc required target, by a mere two votes.
The result was even more intriguing, given that 13 shareholders abstained from voting, out of the 845 who participated.
Not surprisingly, only a small number of shareholders attended the EGM.
Four of the five proposed districts will now provide two directors to the Board, while a fifth district surrounding Esperance will provide one.
The zones will be re-branded with the generic numbers 1-5.
The move was designed to align CBH Board directors with the volume of tonnage produced in each district and the number of growers.
The new rules will also provide greater flexibility at election time, with Board members no longer required to have their main grain growing interests located in the district that they wish to represent.
To remain on the CBH Board for another three year term, current Esperance zone director and highly regarded industry participant, Steve Tilbrook, will be required to seek re-election in either, Zone 2, Zone 3 or Zone 4, at next year’s elections.
The CBH Board unanimously recommended shareholders vote in favour of the proposed amendments.
CBH chairman Neil Wandel said it was a good result.
Mr Wandel said the model that the Board had developed and proposed was fair and equitable for all shareholders.
"I think everyone will accept this model going forward into the future, and it is a very good outcome,” he said.
“These changes will not affect any of the operations of the Port Zones.
“Growers will be well and truly notified of the changes.
“There will be a new director elected in Zone 2, which will be Northern Kwinana Zone, and with some boundary changes to the Geraldton and Albany Zone.”
Darkan grower Ray Harrington was at the meeting and said the CBH Board had been distracted for three years by the issue.
“I’m glad that it’s done and dusted now,” he said.
“I can’t say what the Board should do now, but I just want this distraction removed from them so they can get on with the job and the task at hand, which is going into the new world, post deregulation.”
Full story in next week's Farm Weekly.
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