National Awards Dinner postponed, AGM goes online

One of the highlights of the Holstein Australia year, the National Awards Dinner, scheduled to take place in Western Australia in the first week of September, has been postponed in the light of government restrictions on mass gatherings and uncertainty around interstate travel for the foreseeable future.

The Annual General Meeting will proceed as originally scheduled on Thursday 3 September via video conference from the Holstein office located at Dairy House, with members encouraged to attend online. Full details on how to attend the AGM will be made available in August.

Holstein Australia CEO, Graeme Gillan, says the decision was disappointing but necessary and the best course of action to take, and expressed his thanks to Farmwest in Bunbury for all their preparatory work for the event.

“When we weighed up the National Awards Dinner versus the health and safety of our Holstein community and their families there was only one course of action to take. Our plan is to reschedule the dinner, subject to the easing of restrictions and people’s willingness to travel, at a time that will be convenient to members.

“While we may not be able to get together in the usual way this September, our award program for 2020 is still running – Cow of the Year, the Semex-Holstein Australia All-Australian Photographic Competition and our Master Breeder Awards,” says Graeme.

“From August onwards we will be making a series of announcements recognising our 2020 award winners via social media, in Holstein Dispatch and of course, in the Journal. We’ll also be undertaking additional media activity to ensure that the success of the many breeders entering these competitions along with our Master Breeders reaches as wide an audience as possible.

“The Board, management and staff look forward to getting together with members at a rescheduled Awards Dinner as soon as it is safe and practicable to do so. Hopefully we will be in a position to announce when this will be by the time of this year’s online Annual General Meeting,” says Graeme.