Emma Hegarty Wins Inaugural Trans-Tasman Award – the Zanda McDonald Award
Emma Hegarty, 27 year old Beef Extension Officer for Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), has
scooped the prestigious Zanda McDonald Award 2015.
The award, worth around $20,000, was presented last night at the ‘Beyond the Top End’ 2015 PPP Conference in Darwin,
Northern Australia, by Platinum Primary Producers Chairman, and CEO of Allflex Australasia, Shane McManaway.
The prize includes:
• An expenses-paid, tailored mentoring package whereby Ms Hegarty can spend time with three-four relevant PPP
members in Australia and/or New Zealand.
• A place on the 2016 Rabobank Farm Manager’s Programme.
• $1000 cash.
• Access to the 130 of Australia’s finest producers and agri-business people who make up the PPP Group.
Ms Hegarty, who competed against fellow finalists; New Zealand’s Athol New, a dairy Farm Manager from Christchurch; and
Luke Wright, a deer and beef Farm Manager from Te Anau, said she was humbled and overwhelmed to be the inaugural winner
of such a prestigious award.
Mr McManaway said Emma was tremendously deserving and that through her work she clearly displayed Zanda-like
characteristics of leadership, passion, drive, ambition and commitment to her field.
Of Mr New and Mr Wright – who were both awarded runner-up prizes which included a place on the 2016 Rabobank Farm
Manager’s Programme and $500 cash – Mr McManaway said, “if this is the calibre of our young people coming through the
industry, agriculture is in good hands.”
The Zanda McDonald award is a PPP initiative which aims to preserve the legacy of the late Zanda McDonald – as well as
assist young agri-business people on their chosen career path.
Note to editors:
The Platinum Primary Producers (PPP) Group is a trans-Tasman networking collective that represents some 12 million
hectares (25% of land ownership) and around 20 million livestock units across Australia and New Zealand.
ENDS