Nominations for Fonterra Elections open today
Nominations are now open for the 2009 Fonterra Elections.
This year elections are being held for three shareholder-elected Directors for Fonterra’s Board of Directors, two members of the Directors’ Remuneration Committee, and 14 members of the Shareholders’ Council.
Fonterra shareholders, or a shareholder of a company, or a member of a partnership or a person having an interest in a body corporate that is a Fonterra shareholder, are eligible to stand for election. Candidates must also be nominated and seconded by Fonterra shareholders.
Nomination Papers and Candidate Handbooks are now available by phoning the Election Hotline on free phone 0508 666 446 or emailing elections@electionz.com. Nominations must be received by the Returning Officer, Warwick Lampp of electionz.com, by 12 noon on Thursday, 17 September 2009.
Nominations can be free faxed to 0508 666 447 or posted to the Returning Officer, 2009 Fonterra Elections, PO Box 3138, Christchurch 8140.
In accordance with the Constitution, every year three shareholder-elected Directors must retire from the Board. They may seek re-election. Directors required to retire by rotation this year are Colin Armer, Stuart Nattrass and John Wilson.
The incumbent Directors do not need to advise the Returning Officer of their intention to retire or stand again before the opening date for nominations for candidates. This means that the incumbent Directors are not disadvantaged by being required to confirm their candidacy before they have the opportunity to participate in the Candidate Assessment Panel (CAP) process. Candidates for the Directors’ election will be announced by the Returning Officer following the completion of the CAP process on Thursday, 1 October 2009.
For the Directors’ Remuneration Committee, Murray King and Rodney Wilson are retiring by rotation and are eligible for re-election.
This year there are Shareholders’ Council elections in 14 wards. Councillors in 12 wards are retiring by rotation in accordance with the By-laws of the Shareholders’ Council and there will be elections in two other wards, Ward 16 and Ward 18, to fill casual vacancies.
The 14 wards up for election are:
Ward 2 - Whangarei
Ward 5 - South Auckland
Ward 8 - Hamilton
Ward 11 - Western Bay of Plenty
Ward 14 - Te Awamutu
Ward 16 - Rotorua
Ward 17 - Eastern Bay of Plenty
Ward 18 - Otorohanga
Ward 20 - Northern Taranaki
Ward 23 - Egmont Plains
Ward 26 - Hawke’s Bay
Ward 29 - Tasman/Marlborough
Ward 32 - Southern Canterbury
Ward 35 - Western Southland
The Shareholders' Councillors who have advised they will stand for re-election are:
Ward 2 - Whangarei - Mark Croucher
Ward 5 - South Auckland - Bill Millar
Ward 8 - Hamilton - Neil McLean
Ward 11 - Western Bay of Plenty - Murray Linton
Ward 14 - Te Awamutu - Kevin Ferris
Ward 17 - Eastern Bay of Plenty - Brian Power
Ward 20 - Northern Taranaki - Blue Read
Ward 23 - Egmont Plains - Shona Glentworth
Ward 26 - Hawke's Bay - Sarah von Dadelszen
Ward 32 - Southern Canterbury - Desiree Reid
Ward 35 - Western Southland - Philip van der Bijl
The Shareholders’ Councillor retiring is:
Ward 29 - Tasman Marlborough - Paul Todd
Ward 16 (Rotorua) Councillor Steve Carroll and Ward 18 (Otorohanga) Councillor Willie Berkers resigned from Council during the year. The Council has appointed Councillors to fill these vacancies until the 2009 Annual Meeting in accordance with the By-laws of the Shareholders’ Council. These appointees will be eligible to stand for election in the 2009 elections. The successful candidates in these wards will hold office until the date on which the vacating Councillor was due to retire by rotation – 2010 for Ward 18 (Otorohanga) and 2011 for Ward 16 (Rotorua).
The three elections will run concurrently. The voting period is from Friday, 23 October until 10.30am on Monday, 16 November. Election results will be announced by media release later that day.
The Single Transferable Vote (STV) system will be used for all election voting by internet, fax and post.
