Dairy Australia Names Three Board Candidates Ahead of 2026 AGM
The AGM will be held in Melbourne, Victoria, on Friday, 27 November 2026. Dairy Australia members will be able to vote at the meeting or in advance by proxy. Each nominee must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected.
Three Board vacancies will arise when the current terms of Paul Roderick, Paul Bennett and Paul van Heerwaarden expire at the AGM. The positions require skills in milk production and farming; agribusiness, innovation and adoption; and the dairy supply chain and product promotion.
Paul Roderick is a dairy farmer from Harrisville in south-east Queensland and has operated his family farm for more than 30 years. He joined the Dairy Australia Board in 2020 and has served as Chair since November 2024. His industry experience includes leadership roles with Subtropical Dairy, Premium Milk Ltd and the Australian Dairy Conference Board.
Paul Bennett is the owner and manager of Ashgrove Farms, which operates five dairy farms milking approximately 3,500 cows. The business also runs a dairy-beef grazing operation with more than 4,000 cattle across 3,500 hectares in northern Tasmania. Bennett is Chair of Ashgrove Cheese and has served on the Dairy Australia Board since 2023.
Hamish Reid is Executive General Manager of Bega Nutritionals and Ingredients at Bega Group. He has more than 25 years of experience across the dairy supply chain, including dairy science and technology, innovation, brand development, international markets, milk procurement and primary processing. He is also a director of the Australian Dairy Industry Council and the Australian Dairy Products Federation.
The candidates were selected through a process overseen by Dairy Australia’s independently chaired Board Selection Committee. The committee assesses applicants against the skills and experience required by the Board and recommends one candidate for each vacancy.
All eligible Dairy Australia Group A members may vote in the election.
DairyNews.today previously incorrectly identified Helen Dornauf, Ross Fox, Dr Sally Phillips, Professor David Lamb and Kate O’Callaghan as candidates for positions on the Dairy Australia Board. None of these individuals are candidates in the 2026 director election. DairyNews.today regrets the error and apologises to those affected.
