Ag minister wants results from new council in 12 months

Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor wants his new council to deliver results by next April.

Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor says he's looking for "lateral thinkers" on his new Primary Sector Council to produce action and results by the end of the next 12 months.

The new 15-member agribusiness council, criticised by the Opposition for its lack of dairy firepower, is charged with providing independent strategic advice to the Government on issues confronting primary industries. Its first job is to develop a sector-wide vision to help the sector face what O'Connor said were unprecedented levels of change.

The only direct dairy sector representative on the council is Mark Paine, strategy and investment leader for people and business at industry good body DairyNZ.

Member Julian Raine, chairman of Horticulture NZ's board is a dairy farmer.

O'Connor said many people had been considered for the council, which is believed to be the first of its kind.

"We narrowed it down to a group we believe could work together and will not sit on their hands, not keep quiet but will actively participate and contribute to what will be a really important discussion."

He said most of the appointees had shown lateral thinking towards agriculture and its future.

"They have been involved in new initiatives and that's really important. Being far-sighted and looking way ahead is really important for what we are trying to do here.

"The challenge with such an effective bunch of people engaged in their own businesses will be getting them together as often as we need. I hope they can put some real commitment and focus to this for at least 12 months and have action as of this time."

O'Connor dismissed as "completely unfounded" a claim by Opposition rural spokesman Nathan Guy that the shortage of dairy representatives did not bode well for the Government's imminent dairy industry review.

All participants in the dairy industry would have the opportunity to be heard in the review, the terms of reference for which would likely to be published in the next fortnight, O'Connor said.

Federated Farmers deputy president Andrew Hoggard, a dairy farmer, was dubious about the value of the council's work and the shape of the review.

"They're all good people on the council but someone who has cows..t under their fingernails would have been handy," Hoggard said.

"These committees and working groups can all dream up lots of stuff but if you haven't got someone sitting there who turns gobbledygook into practice you can miss the mark.

"We have to have that balance between the dreamers and the doers. It would've been good to have a few more doers."

Hoggard said indications were that the Government's review would be looking into much more than industry competition, which was what the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (DIRA) was confined to.

"DIRA is about competition, I don't think the review should do any more than that. We shouldn't be confusing things."

O'Connor said he had appointed former Zespri chief executive Lain Jager as council chairman because he had "shown himself to be a very effective leader through challenging times".

"He's someone connected to consumer trends and views internationally, someone who is committed to New Zealand agribusiness and who I think is an excellent communicator."