Appendix 9: Statutory Fishing Rights Allocation Review Panel Selection Committee Report

Statutory Fishing Rights Allocation Review Panel
Selection Committee

11 August 2009

The Hon. Tony Burke MP
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Parliament House
CANBERRA   ACT   2600

Dear Minister

Statutory Fishing Rights Allocation Review Panel (SFRARP) Selection Committee Report 2008-09

In accordance with section 141Q of the Fisheries Management Act 1991 (FM Act), I am providing you with a report on the operations of the SFRARP selection committee for the 2008–09 financial year.

During the 2008-09 financial year, the SFRARP selection committee finalised the selection process which commenced in January 2008 for two members of the SFRARP and commenced a new selection process in April 2009 for four members of SFRARP. The respective activities relating to each process are reported below.

On 7 April 2009 you reappointed me as presiding member of the selection committee for a further period ending 30 June 2010.

2008 selection process

The SFRARP selection committee was established in March 2008 for the nomination of two people for appointment as SFRARP members. The details of the advertising and interviewing stages of the selection process were reported to you in the 2007-08 financial year.

I reported that, while in the process of finalising the selection committee's two nominations to you, you advised me that there had been a resignation from SFRARP on 11 June 2008. On 25 August 2008, you provided me with further instructions on  how to progress the additional vacancy. A new selection committee was formed, as required by the FM Act, comprising myself as presiding member, Mr Michael Thomas and Mr Martin Exel (both nominated by the Commonwealth Fisheries Association), Mr William Zacharin (nominated by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council), Dr Wendy Craik and Mr Brian Macdonald (independent members). These other members of the selection committee were formally appointed by you on 23 September 2009.

Following my submission of three candidates to you on 2 October 2008, you advised on 30 December 2008 that you had finalised the appointment of two of the candidates nominated by the selection committee. You also advised that, in accordance with your powers under section 141E of the FM Act, that you did not appoint the selection committee's nominee to fill the third vacancy. You advised that due to the time that had lapsed since the positions were advertised, you would consider the third vacancy in conjunction with the three positions due to expire in September 2009.

On 30 December 2008 you reappointed Ms Barbara Yeoh and appointed Ms Nicoletta Ciffolilli as SFRARP members for a period of four years. I subsequently abolished the selection committee consistent with section 141P of the FM Act.

2009 selection process

On 7 April 2009 you commenced a new selection process according to the FM Act for a vacant position and three positions expiring on 2 September 2009. You asked me to convene the SFRARP selection committee and report to you with four nominations for SFRARP membership.

The selection committee comprised myself as presiding member, Mr Michael Thomas and Mr Martin Exel (both nominated by the Commonwealth Fisheries Association), Mr William Zacharin (nominated by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council), Ms Sevaly Sen and Dr Ron Edwards (independent members). You formally appointed the other members of the selection committee under the FM Act on 3 July 2009.

Applications for the four positions were advertised in the 'Australian Financial Review' on 17 April 2009 and the 'Weekend Australian' on 18 April 2009, with a closing date of 1 May 2009. Details of the positions were forwarded to the ACT Law Society, the law faculties of the Group of Eight Australian universities and to members of the Council of Australian Law Deans. A search of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 'Balance' database and the Office of Women's 'AppointWomen' database were also conducted and suitable people invited to submit applications. Applicants were asked to address the selection criteria contained in section 141C of the FM Act.

The selection committee received 40 applications, of which 14 were received from female candidates. Two of the existing panel members applied for reappointment.

As short-listing and interviews of potential nominees was undertaken in the 2009-10 financial year, I will report on those matters and the final stages of the 2009 selection process in my annual report following 30 June 2010.

Yours sincerely

 
John Pollock
Presiding Member
SFRARP Selection Committee

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