Thank you to all of our member representatives who were able to join us for our March Member Engagement Week activities. It was great to have such broad representation from our membership, enabling a forum that brought both a diversity of views and strong collaboration on key issues.
We are already planning for our next one, so lock in the dates early for the week of the 23rd of September at Hotel Realm in Canberra – more information will be available on this soon.
We are now in the final stage of our Annual Operating Plan development for the 2024/2025 financial year. Key information about the AOP was presented at Members’ Forum and we’ll be following up with members in April and May regarding their specific contributions prior to final approval of subscriptions at our General Meeting in June. Please keep an eye out for our email and do get in touch with the executive if you have any questions or comments.
Our team are also busily preparing to showcase our organisation and our members work at Beef Week in Rockhampton from May 5 to 11, which comes around only once every three years.
AHA will have a stall in the exhibition area promoting biosecurity and emergency preparedness, and I’ll be participating in a panel discussion on the first day of Beef Week. The subject is emergency animal disease response and is being held in conjunction with the Queensland department, who are sponsors of the event. The team and I are looking forward to it. If you are attending Beef Week, definitely let us know and we’d love to see you there.
Finally, I’d like to acknowledge that after a long and successful period with AHA, Kathleen Plowman has decided to direct her energy and drive in a new venture after a few months break. Her last day with AHA was on 18 March 2024. Kathleen has expressed her thanks to the AHA staff and members for their contributions and the difference they make to the biosecurity system. It is the combined efforts of members which is so important to the future of agriculture and Australia.
The current management arrangements at AHA will continue for the foreseeable future.
Thanks,
Dr Samantha Allan
Vale Dr Bill Morgan
A valued collaborator and friend to AHA, it is with sadness we share the news of Dr Bill Morgan’s passing.
Dr Morgan was incredibly intelligent, a wealth of knowledge and played a huge role in bringing evidence and rigour to the field of milk quality and animal welfare within the milk processing sector.
He most recently played an important role in supporting the dairy industry in identifying and addressing gaps in EAD preparedness.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time.