PHA Board meeting 107 Communique

  • PHA Board meeting 107 Communique image

The Plant Health Australia (PHA) Board met virtually on 28 June 2022 for Board meeting 107. The meeting had the full attendance of the PHA Board, as well as Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Corcoran, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary, Michael Milne and Jessica Arnold, National Manager Risk and Resilience.

The Board meeting was delayed from its original planned date as a face to face in Sydney to ensure all members were available to attend. The Chair welcomed new Director, Susan Petrellis to the Board following her successful appointment at the General Meeting held on 24 May 2022.

The agenda included discussion of strategic issues, a review of financial reports, risk mitigation plans and policy and the approval of the Annual Operational Plan and budget for 2022-23. The Board thanked the PHA team for organising the successful members/EPPRD/PIF/meetings in Sydney during May and reflected on how wonderful it was to see industry and government members alike and have everyone working towards a unified plant biosecurity sector.

The Board also discussed and endorsed a number of other topics of importance to our members including:

  • the importance of ESG and Greenwashing considerations on company operations at the upcoming PHA Board Strategic workshop and joint meeting of the PHA/AHA Boards
  • approved the Owner Reimbursement Cost frameworks for Melons and Sweetpotato. These frameworks are critical to their respective industries
  • the Board takes an active role in PHA’s culture development and considered and approved policies that support staff learning and flexible work arrangements
  • finance and governance was considered with a number of papers dedicated to a new tender policy, a review of the delegations and authority schedule and approval of the external audit program for 2023.

Overall, Board Meeting 107 was a productive and successful meeting with Board meeting 108 to be held in Mildura, Victoria on 22 September 2022.