Alliance forms to tackle flock decline

More than 40 industry entities, associations and commercial businesses which service the sheep sector have become alliance members to help activate intervention strategies - highlighting the level of concern that exists about a likely on-going decline of the State's flock.

The alliance replaces the Sheep Industry Leadership Council (SILC) which has worked with industry groups since February on the restructure into an organisation with a membership open to everyone in the sheep industry and where a skills-based board reports directly to the membership.

During last Friday's formal transition, the SILC board adopted a new constitution which included the change in name, membership and accountability structure.

As a key part of the restructure process all SILC director positions were declared vacant and new directors were called for who have the ability and influence to respond directly to the organisation's sole purpose of addressing the sheep population decline.

An independent selection panel reviewed 16 applications and unanimously recommended appointments.

They were alliance interim chair and WAMMCO chairman Craig Heggaton, producers Richard Coole, Wayne Pech and Bindi Murray, sheep researcher David Pethick, livestock agent Andrew Lindsay, live exporter John Edwards, ag consultant Andrew Ritchie and veterinarian, consultant and sheep producer Tim Watts.

The new directors will nominate and appoint a chairman and vice-chair for a two-year term at their first meeting, which will take place on August 8.

Mr Heggaton paid tribute to the Department of Agriculture and Food's economics team for its efforts to prepare scenario forecasts for WA sheep numbers which galvanised action.

"The new directors are listening carefully to the ramifications that live sheep exporters, wool exporters, meat processors and industry service providers will face if sheep numbers fall further within the next two years," he said.

"We all know there will be no silver bullet available to us in turning this around, but one thing is for certain, we need every member of our sheep supply chain working on a series of agreed strategies - individually we have little chance of making a difference."

Dr Heggaton said the new directors would work to progress a strong industry desire to ensure sheep industry research and extension is well executed, relevant and adopted.

"One of our first orders of business, as was requested of us at the AGM, is to develop a business case for developing a co-ordinated suite of sheep research, extension and communication activities," Dr Heggaton said.