About us | Fairbairn Irrigation Network

About the Company

Fairbairn Irrigation Network Limited (FIN) is a locally owned company managing the distribution of up to 86,000 megalitres of water from the Fairbairn Dam to channel customers. Through an extensive irrigation supply and drainage network, FIN is responsible for the timely delivery of water for use in irrigated annual crops, horticulture, and stock and domestic supply.

Our Team

The day-to-day management of the Company is overseen by a our General Manager, who reports directly to the Board. We have ten staff members, in addition to the General Manager.

Our Board

The Constitution provides that the Board will consist of a minimum of five and a maximum of seven Directors, with at least two Independent Directors and at least two Shareholder Directors. At the first general meeting after the Transfer Day, and each year thereafter, at least two of the Directors will retire. The Constitution provides that Directors may not serve for longer than a three-year term, without re-election. Directors will be entitled to be paid for their role on the Board.

The Directors are currently paid based on rates that have been determined by Government in accordance with the Government’s general policy for remuneration for board members on an entity of this type and size. Those rates will initially, subject to review by the Board, continue to apply after the transition to Local Management. The Board intends to adopt higher rates for Independent Directors, as a means for attracting suitably qualified individuals. The Board will have the power to manage the business of the Company except for those matters reserved for the Shareholders. The Board may delegate any of its powers to a committee of the Board, a Director or an employee of the Company.

Details of the current Directors are set out below.

David McDougall

Chair

Ross Burnett

Director

Peter Galea

Director

Emma McCullagh

Director and Company Secretary

Hamish Millar

Director

Mitchell Petrie

Director

David McDougall

David has over 35 years’ experience providing strategic, financial and economic advice to Government and the private sector. He was previously a partner of KPMG leading the Infrastructure & Projects Group in Queensland and PNG, a Director of a major Australian investment bank in Australia and the USA and a senior manager at Westpac specialising in Project Finance. David has expertise in project evaluation and procurement, transaction structuring, project and structured finance, mergers and acquisitions, valuations, capital raising and strategic advice. He was previously a Director of Water Secure and Seqwater and a number of public and private companies and is currently a Director of Mineral Resources Lihir Pty Ltd the manager of the Australian assets of the Lihirian Equity Trust, a PNG based investment fund.

Ross Burnett

For more than 14 years Ross has successfully owned, operated and expanded his cropping business in the Emerald Irrigation Area. He has been a pro-active advocate for Emerald agribusiness on local and national industry organisations, serving in various executive roles on the Central Highland Cotton Growers & Irrigators Association since 2006 and as President from 2011-2014. He has been the Emerald Member Representative on Cotton Australia from 2015-2018. He is currently the grower representative on Cotton Australia’s Sustainability Working Group and is a director on the Queensland Farmers Federation board. His understanding of corporate governance and stakeholder engagement has been gained through involvement in operating his own business and past board and executive roles. Ross has been involved in the LMA process since its inception in 2012.

Peter Galea

Peter has practical and in-field agribusiness experience spanning more than 35 years including irrigation farms in Mackay, Burdekin and Emerald, in addition to dryland farming in the Clermont district. An active representative of the local community, Peter served as a director on Stage 2 of the Local Management process.

Emma McCullagh

Emma has been actively involved in advocating for Emerald’s community and agribusiness for many years. She is the former president of the Central Highlands Cotton Growers and Irrigators Association and has held various executive positions in the organisation over the past seven years. Emma is a representative on the people’s panel of the Cotton Research and Development Corporation. She is employed as a project officer for Central Queensland Rural Health where her role includes conducting stakeholder engagement across the primary health sector. She also supports the governance process and procedures within the organisation. Emma and her husband manage a family farming enterprise on the river system at Emerald. During Stage 2 Emma was the project co-ordinator for the Emerald interim board, gaining direct experience of the Local Management governance and stakeholder engagement processes, in addition to an understanding of the entire Emerald distribution scheme.

Hamish Millar

Hamish is the Managing Director of Cowal Agriculture, a large scale agribusiness based in Emerald, producing predominately irrigated cotton and grain. He is a graduate of the Memphis Exchange International Cotton School, and has experience in classing and marketing. Hamish has extensive knowledge of production and agribusiness within the cotton industry, including roles requiring strategic planning, business management and trading commodities. He has had extensive experience in several cotton industry organisations, including the Chair of the Australian Cotton Growers Research Association, Director of Cotton Australia, Director of the Cotton Industry Council, Director of the Cotton Research & Development Corporation, Chair of Cotton Industry Development in Northern Australia and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Hamish is committed to the benefits of welltargeted research and development to underpin the overall performance of Australian agriculture.