Monday 8 September 2008
Media Release
Nominations For Fonterra Elections Open Today
Nominations are now open for the 2008 Fonterra elections.
This year elections are being held for three shareholder-elected Directors for Fonterra’s Board of Directors, two
members of the Directors’Remuneration Committee, and 14 members of the Shareholders’ Council.
Fonterra shareholders, or a shareholder of a company or member of a partnership or a person having an interest in a body
corporate that is a Fonterra shareholder, are eligible to stand for election. Candidates must also be nominated and
seconded by Fonterra shareholders.
Nomination forms and Candidate Handbooks are now available from the Returning Officer by phoning the Election Hotline on
free phone 0508 666 446 or contacting the Returning Officer on elections@electionz.com. Nominations must be received by
the Returning Officer, Warwick Lampp of electionz.com, by 12 noon on Friday 26 September 2008.
Nominations can be free faxed to 0508 666 447 or posted to the Returning Officer, 2008 Fonterra Elections, P O Box 3138,
Christchurch 8140.
In accordance with the Constitution, every year three shareholder-elected Directors must retire from the Board. They may
seek re-election. Directors required to retire by rotation this year are Greg Gent, Earl Rattray and Jim van der Poel.
Like last year, the incumbent Directors do not need to advise the Returning Officer of their intention to retire or
stand again before the opening date for nominations for candidates. This means that the incumbent Directors are not
disadvantaged by being required to confirm their candidacy before they have the opportunity to participate in the
Candidate Assessment Panel process (CAP). Candidates for the Directors’ election will be announced by the Returning
Officer following the completion of the CAP process on Friday 10 October 2008.
For the Directors’ Remuneration Committee, Murray Holdaway is retiring by rotation and is eligible for re-election. Tom
Lees, who was also scheduled to retire by rotation, resigned from the Committee during the year and is not eligible for
re-election.
This year there are Shareholders’ Council elections in 14 wards. Councillors in 12 wards are retiring by rotation in
accordance with the By-laws of the Shareholders’ Council and there will be elections in two other wards. These are Ward
6, as the current Councillor, Peter West, was appointed by Council to fill a casual vacancy, and Ward 27 where the
current Councillor is retiring. Tom Mason from Ward 31 Central Canterbury was also scheduled to retire by rotation but
resigned from Council during the year.
The 14 wards up for election are:
Ward 1 Northern Northland Ward 4 Southern Northland
Ward 6 Hauraki Ward 7 Coromandel
Ward 10 Te Aroha Ward 13 Matamata
Ward 16 Rotorua Ward 19 Taupo
Ward 22 Central Taranaki Ward 25 Northern Manawatu
Ward 27 Southern Manawatu Ward 28 Wairarapa
Ward 31 Central Canterbury Ward 34 Eastern Southland
Councillors who have advised they will stand for re-election are:
Ward 4 Southern Northland Simon Couper
Ward 6 Hauraki Peter West
Ward 7 Coromandel Dirk Sieling
Ward 10 Te Aroha Graham Hallett
Ward 13 Matamata Grant Wills
Ward 16 Rotorua Steve Carroll
Ward 19 Taupo Campbell Shearer
Ward 28 Wairarapa Philip Palmer
Ward 34 Eastern Southland Lloyd McCallum
Shareholders’ Councillors retiring are:
Ward 1 Northern Northland Kevin Baxter
Ward 22 Central Taranaki Mark Masters
Ward 25 Northern Manawatu Greg Maughan
Ward 27 Southern Manawatu Grant Rowan
Candidates for all three elections this year are required to provide an interest statement with their profile.
The three elections will run concurrently. The voting period is from Thursday 30 October until 12 noon on Tuesday 25
November, and results will be announced at Fonterra’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday 26 November and on Fencepost.com. All
shareholders will be advised of the election results in a letter from the Board Chair.
The Single Transferable Vote (STV) voting system will be used for all elections by internet, fax and postal voting.
ENDS