With 42 members on WA’s eight port authorities boards, changes and reappointments are a regular occurrence.
This week WA Business News summarises the board changes over the past year and lists current members.
Albany
The Albany Port Authority has had one board change in the past year, with the October appointment of Albany Bulk Handling operations and business manager Bob Golding.
Mr Golding’s appointment followed the expiry of Ian Lunt’s term.
Mr Lunt, who had been a board member for five years, was a branch and corporate manager with the National Australia Bank, in a career spanning more than four decades.
The other members of the APA board are:
Terence Enright (chairman, appointed 1989, term expires June 2003)
Farmer; Deputy chair, Grains Research and Development Corporation; director, Export Grain Centre
Former: Chair, Western Australian Port Authorities Association
Melissa Fletcher-Toovey (appointed September 2001, term expires June 2004)
General Manager, Fletcher International
Russell Harrison (1993, term expires June 2004)
Partner, Lincoln’s Accountants & Business Advisors
Owen Uebergang (appointed September 2001, term expires June 2003)
Stevedore
Broome
The Broome Port Authority board will meet later this month, for the first time with new chairman Ian Burston.
The term of BPA’s former chairman, Allan Griffiths, expired in December, as did that of deputy chair and local tourism businessman Martin Peirson-Jones.
Another new member to the BPA board this year is Broome Shire Councillor Veronica Wevers.
Other board changes occurred during last year.
Theresa Howe joined the board, following the mid-year resignation of Reece Waldock.
As executive director of the former Department of Transport’s Maritime Division, Mr Waldock established and chaired the Broome Port Advisory Board, from 1995 until the Port Authority was established in January 2000.
The other BPA board members are:
Graeme Hutton (2000, December 2003) Geologist and pearling business operator
Kim Male (2000, December 2003) Businessman, pearling industry; Broome Shire Councillor; member, Kimberley Development Commission
Bunbury
Two women joined the Bunbury Port Authority board in July last year – Pacific Western (Collie power station operator) engineer business planning Neema Premji, and Collie Shire President Roseanne Pimm.
CARE Consulting managing director Gary Brennan was reappointed at that time, but not local chartered account-ant Neville Eastman, whose term expired.
Tom Kuzman, who had been a board member since 1998, resigned to relocate to Brisbane.
Mr Brennan was first appointed in 2000, and his new term expires in July 2005, while Mr Eastman was first appointed in 1993.
The other members of the BPA board are:
Clayton Hyder (chairman, 1999, 2003) Managing director, engineering ser-vices company Geographe Enterprises; director, Bunbury-Wellington Economic Alliance board
David Smith (July 2001, 2004). Bar-rister and solicitor; City of Bunbury councillor
Former: State MP 1983-96, including Minister for the South West
Dampier
Dampier Port Authority board chairman Wayne Stewart resigned last year, reportedly in conflict with the Planning and Infrastructure Minister.
In May, petroleum executive Peter West joined the board as chair, for a term extending until the end of next year.
Glen Bajars also commenced at the same time, as Woodside Energy’s representative, and for a similar term, following the resignation of Warwick Pointon.
Adam Parr is replacing Hamersley Iron representative Graeme Rowley.
Mr Parr is currently general manager, Dampier operations for Hamersley Iron, but from early next month will be general manager of another Rio Tinto company, Dampier Salt.
He will retain his industry position on the DPA board.
The other board members include Robert Vitenbergs, whose term expires December this year, but who is currently acting CEO, following the resignation of Greg Trenberth last November.
Local businesswoman Tonia Swetman has been reappointed this month, for a second term.
Esperance
The Esperance Port Authority board has three new members this year - former Labor member for Kalgoorlie Megan Anwyl, former Esperance Shire and WAMA president Ian Mickel, and Goldfields Esperance Development Commission member Toni Hawkins.
Ms Hawkins has been chair of the Esperance Port Development Consult-ative Committee, established at the commencement of the port’s upgrade process.
The new appointees replace former Portman Mining managing director Ian Burston, who resigned at the end of his term, and local directors, self-employed businessmen Jim Gray and Geoff Males, who were not reappointed after their terms expired.
Mr Gray had been a board member since 1996 and Mr Males, since 1990.
The other remaining members of the EPA board are chairman Richard Nulsen, and deputy chair, real estate principal, Dick Thorp.
Fremantle
The most recent appointment to the board of the Fremantle Port Authority was Robert Edel in February 2002.
Mr Edel, a lawyer with Gadens Lawyers, replaced Freehills lawyer Russell Allen, whose term had expired in December 2001.
Mr Edel’s term expires December 2004.
The other members of the FPA board are:
Ron Aitkenhead (chair, 1996, 2003) Tammin grain and sheep farmer
Former: Central Wheatbelt Enterprise Centre chairman; WA Farmers’ Federation branch president and secretary
Joe McKay (deputy chair, 1995, 2003)
Healy, Mckay and Wright Investment Services – founding partner, director, financial planner and investment adviser
Tony Finucane (1998, 2003) Mining engineer
Rosemary Pinter (2001, 2004) City of Fremantle councillor
Geraldton
In August of last year, chairman Robert Ramage was forced to resign after failing to declare interests in Mount Gibson Iron, a company seeking a long-term export contract with the port, but requiring a port upgrade.
Deputy chairman Mike Burrows also resigned.
Mr Ramage and Mr Burrows were both appointed to the GPA board in 1995, and Mr Ramage had been chairman since 1997.
Transport Forum WA chair and former Toll Holdings senior executive Ian King was appointed as chairman, but no replacement for Mr Burrows was made until last month.
This was Beverley Davidson, the local Home Building Society branch manager for the past 14 years.
Other members of the GPA board are:
Kevin Altham (1995, 2004) Profess-ional crayfisherman
Former: Mid West Development Commission inaugural board member
Bruce Anderson (1996, 2002) General manager, Otter Gold Limited, Tanami Mine JV
Kim Halbert (1997, 2002) Farmer
Port Hedland
The Port Hedland Port Authority has one new board member this year – former Maritime Union of Australia official Terry Buck.
Managing director of customs, cargo and freight company FJ Sherborne, Barry Ralston, has been reappointed
Mr Buck is replacing Derek Miller, whose term expired in June last year.
Jack Haunold has also left the board.
The other members of the PHPA board are:
Peter Hardie (chairman)
Brent Rudler (1998, June 2003)
Mayor, Town of Port Hedland; board member, Small Business Development Corporation
Dean Dalla Valle
Vice president ports, BHP Billiton Iron Ore
Roger Richardson (2001, 2004)
Superintendent shipping, BHP Billiton Iron Ore
Mary Russell (2001, 2004)
Director, Golden Eagle Airlines
• See pages 12 and 13 for more information on WA’s port authorities.