Nicky Hyslop seeks Beef + Lamb NZ board position

Irrigation New Zealand chairwoman Nicky Hyslop is vying for a place on Beef+Lamb New Zealand's board.

Voting is now open in the industry organisation's director elections for its Western North Island and Central South Island districts.

Mrs Hyslop, who farms with her husband Jonty on the outskirts of Timaru, is standing against incumbent Central South Island director Bill Wright, who farms at Cannington.

In her candidate profile, she said her role with IrrigationNZ had provided her with "real insight" into the challenges and opportunities that were ahead for farmers.

Mr Wright, who was elected in 2016 having previously been chairman of the Beef+Lamb New Zealand Central South Island Farmer Council for six years, said the board had a clear vision and strategy.

Voting closes on March 15, ahead of the organisation's annual meeting in Timaru on March 21.

Two resolutions would be presented at the meeting, including a proposed increase in chairman and director fees.

At a meeting in November, the directors independent remuneration committee discussed director workload and reviewed independent advice in director fee increases across other organisations.

The committee noted the increasing workloads for directors as climate change, water policy and Mycoplasma bovis required significant additional time and expertise.

The directors' independent remuneration committee had recommended the chairman's fees be increased from $69,000 to $70,000 and directors' fees increased from $33,350 to $34,000.

The board supported the recommendations and cited increasing concerns about the time commitment required for each director to fully represent their region, farmers nationally on key policy issues and keeping up to date with a faster moving regulatory pace of change.

That had implications for each director's own farming business and was an area the board would "carefully consider" this year.