CHAIR: Rachelle Williams until March 2019; Cathy Moir from March 2019
1.1. 2018-19 GOALS
GOAL 1. To source ongoing funding to provide for an Executive Director by 30 June 2019, to manage the day to day operations of FSIC Ltd.
GOAL 2. Director Education – to implement an ongoing education program for all Directors in governance and their responsibilities and obligations by 31 December 2018.
GOAL 3. To implement a Business Plan by 30 June 2019.
1.2. REPORT
2018-19 has been a turbulent year for the Food Safety Information Council. However, our consumer education activities, including our enormously successful Australian Food Safety Week (see item 4. Communication Report), continue to be extremely successful reaching audiences of several million through our media activities, radio and TV announcements, website and social media. We still haven’t been able to secure ongoing funding since the withdrawal of our long-term Federal Government grant in 2015. Following the resignation of two newly appointed Directors during the year, due to other work commitments, the Board considered it opportune to put to members at a Special General Meeting in March 2019 whether we should continue operation or not.
I’m delighted to say that a majority of members voted for us to continue and a new Board was elected including three of the five former directors. I would particularly like to thank Rachelle Williams, our former Chair, who had to step down due to other commitments but has kindly agreed to continue on the Board as Company Secretary. During her time as Chair, Rachelle has firmly established FSIC as a Health Promotion Charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee. We welcome Brigitte Cox, CSIRO Honorary Fellow, and Dean McCullum, Senior Policy Officer, Food and Controlled Drugs SA Health and Flinders University Lecturer to the Board and I would like to thank outgoing Board Directors Deb Kerr, Gavin Buckett, Karine Mac and Karen Jacques for the contributions they have made. At our Annual General Meeting in October 2019 we will be encouraging others to also stand for election as directors and to broaden our diversity, skills and expertise.
At our Planning Day in June 2019, the Board and the members who attended developed a new operating model to give us some financial security into the future including increasing membership fees by approximately $100 pa to ensure we cover our basic operating costs such as the website, phones, insurance, bookkeeping and media release distribution (progress against Goal 3). We have also improved the visibility of fundraising on our website and are currently finalising a Google Ads for Non-Profit grant to increase traffic to our website.
The appointment of a contract CEO has been a priority for the whole FSIC during the year and to date has remained unachieved (Goal 1). Extensive meetings were held with both the current Government and the Opposition prior to the 2019 Federal Election and, while both were sympathetic to our cause, no further funding has been forthcoming. It continues to remain the priority for the Board.
The former Risk Director arranged an education session on Cyber security for Board members in January 2019 (Goal 2).
We are looking forward to the year ahead and we have already secured sponsorship for Australian Food Safety Week 2019 with the theme of handling and preparing eggs safely, as well as sponsorship for a handwashing education campaign. Finally, I would like to thank our Directors, members, volunteers, sponsors and supporters who contribute so much to keep our important work going.
Cathy Moir
Chair
Food Safety Information council Ltd
1.3. AWARDS
Long term member of our Technical Committee Dr Trish Desmarchelier was formally invested with her OAM for services to microbiology by the Queensland Governor on 20 September 2018
Our former Chair, Rachelle Williams, was awarded the Innovator in Food Safety Award on behalf of the Food Safety Information Council Ltd at the APAC Food Safety Conference in August 2018
1.4. 2019-20 GOALS
GOAL 1. To source ongoing funding to provide for an Executive Director by 30 June 2020, to manage the day to day operations of FSIC Ltd.
GOAL 2. Director Education – ongoing education program for all Directors in governance and their responsibilities and obligations by 30 June 2020.
GOAL 3. To implement a Business Plan by 30 June 2020.