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VOTING FOR the Wool Levy Referendum has opened with voting papers sent to all New Zealand sheep farmers yesterday.
Farmers can vote by returning their papers to electionz.com or online at www.votewool.co.nz. The Referendum will only run for a month with voting closing on October 10.
"Wool has for too long been left without a voice across the industry and this has prevented producers from maximising their returns," says Sandra Faulkner, chair of the Wool Levy Group. "All other agricultural products in New Zealand are represented by an industry body – yet wool, a $700m industry – is not. It is time for this to change."
The levy will be 2.75c per kilogram on the average 5.4kgs produced per sheep each year, that is 14.85 cents per sheep, which means for a farmer with 2000 sheep the cost will be $297 per annum.
The levy will be used for non-commercial activities providing communication, education and innovation for the wool industry where this does not already exist. The new Wool Levy Organisation will not duplicate activities of existing organisations, the Wool Levy Group says.
The organisation will be efficiently run with costs kept to a minimum. The CEO will outsource activities to the most appropriate service providers and will partner with organisations where expertise can be leveraged, the group says.
Governance will be of utmost importance and there will be a board of three grower elected directors and up to two additional directors appointed by the board.
The Wool Levy Referendum is the result of four years' work by an industry wide group to find ways to improve the future of wool.
"Sheep farmers have voted in favour of this referendum going ahead, and now we need them to vote 'yes' for a wool levy. This will be used to plug existing gaps in the industry and help it progress in a cohesive, transparent and informed manner," says Faulkner.
For more information on voting please contact: ELECTIONZ.COM by phoning 0508 666 002 tollfree or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information on the Wool Levy Referendum please contact: Sandra Faulkner, chair, Wool Levy Group, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 021 529 041, www.votewool.co.nz
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