FED: Head of WI advisory board to be announced this week

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-1998
FED: Head of WI advisory board to be announced this week

By Melissa Langerman

CANBERRA, Dec 8 AAP - The head of a special advisory board on the privatisation of Wool
International (WI) and future stockpile sales will be announced this week following the
passage of wool legislation.

The legislation, which allows for the freezing of the wool stockpile and the privatisation
of WI, which administers stockpile sales, was passed by the Senate last night.

Under the legislation, WI will be privatised by July next year and stockpile sales will
also be frozen until then.

A spokesman for Agriculture Minister Mark Vaile said a chairman was expected to be
announced by the end of the week with interim board appointments to follow.

The interim advisory board will manage WIs change to privatisation and develop a business
plan for future stockpile sales.

It will work alongside the current WI board, chaired by Dick Warburton, which will continue
until WI is privatised.

Mr Vaile is expected to make two other important industry announcements before the end of
the year.

These are who will chair the Australian Wool Research and Promotion Organisation (AWRAP)
following last weeks sacking of the AWRAP board by angry woolgrowers.

The government must appoint a chairman before the end of the year and the appointment of
other board members is expected to follow.

Another ministerial appointment to be announced soon is the chairman of the new Future
Directions taskforce into promotion, marketing and research in the wool industry.

The taskforce, announced by Mr Vaile after the no-confidence vote in AWRAP, will
essentially examine issues for which AWRAP was meant to have responsibility.

Speculation has been rife that former Defence Minister and National Farmers Federation
president Ian McLachlan could be appointed by the government as the new AWRAP board chairman
or to head the taskforce.

But so far government sources have not confirmed this possibility.

AAP msl/mfh

KEYWORD: WOOL BOARDS

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