This will be an important day for your industry body as we complete the final stage of the formation of a single entity operating for and on behalf of the NZ wineries and growers.
Planning for July 1 is well advanced, but from a member's perspective what can you expect on the big day?
Short term, our top priority is ensuring a smooth and efficient transition to NZW Inc from the pre-existing entities (ie NZGGC/WINZ/NZW) ... so smooth in fact that from a member's perspective you won't notice that anything has changed. That means ensuring cost effective and efficient delivery of business as usual services to members.
For 2016/17 those business as usual services will include:
Information
Delivering high quality information to members including materials such as the Spray Schedule, Winemaking and Labelling Guides, etc.
Research
Delivering a research programme that builds knowledge, protects members' ability to sustainably produce exceptional wines, and supports innovation. Current activities such as the low alcohol/low calorie and the vineyard ecology programmes will continue.
Advocacy
Delivering a regulatory environment that protects our members' ability to produce, market and sell competitively. A particular focus will be bringing the Geographical Indications legislation into practical effect.
Marketing
Delivering a range of activities, such as inbound media visits, seminars and educational programmes that develop and support the growth of our New Zealand wine brand. A major focus this year will be Pinot Noir 2017 and associated events.
Sustainability
Delivering a range of activities including biosecurity, communications and on-going development of SWNZ that create and communicate a legacy of sustainability.
User-pays
Deliver a range of user-pays activities and services including promotional events in exports markets, ANZWA, the Romeo Bragato Conference etc.
Planning for all these is well advanced and we recently circulated members with a request for comment on our JYE 2017 budget as part of our process of finalising the JYE 2017 plan.
However, not everything will stay the same because the move to NZW Inc is about positioning NZW Inc to serve its members in the future as well as the now.
One of the first and most important changes that members will see is the new election process for the Board which will kick into gear in August. This new electoral system was one of the major changes resulting from the consultation with members in 2015 around the structure of our industry body going forward.
The new election process is a radical departure from the systems operated in the past for NZGGC and WINZ. Rather than separate elections for grower and winery members of the Board, now all members get to vote for all ten elected directors. And elections will be held only once every two years, rather than annually. Once the elected directors are in place they will then decide on an additional two appointed directors who will complete the Board of 12.
The success of the new electoral system will depend on members understanding and embracing it. To that end in late July/early August a series of workshops will be held in all regions to explain the electoral process and the timeline for this, the first election of the Board of NZW Inc. Members will be advised of the dates and times for the workshops in due course.
The Board electoral process (nominations, campaigning, and actual voting) will conclude towards the end of October. The new Board will then meet for the first time, and one of its first duties will be to implement the process for appointing the non-elected Directors.
From then on it will be up to the new Board to decide what changes, if any, are needed to the operations of NZW Inc. Of course it is likely that much will stay the same (members need spray schedules, labelling advice etc) but change is always possible, and of course, is in fact necessary as the market and needs of the industry evolve.
So watch out for the information on the new electoral system as it comes out over the next few months. Most importantly, as members get involved and vote!
