Advisory Board
The chief executive officer of the APVMA is supported by an advisory board selected and appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (external site).
The function of the advisory board, defined in legislation, is: to provide advice and make recommendations to the CEO in relation to the performance of a function or the exercise of a power of the APVMA. The advisory board does not have decision-making power, but assists to inform the CEO on strategic matters and provides an expert consultative mechanism. The CEO is responsible for the governance and management and of the authority, including the performance of its functions and the exercise of its powers.
The advisory board may consist of up to nine part-time members selected for their specific expertise in areas defined in the legislation. Thus, two members are to have experience in the regulation of chemical products, one in the agricultural chemical industry, one in primary production, one in environmental toxicology, one in protecting consumer interest, one in public health and occupational health and safety and, finally, if the minister chooses, one in a field relevant to the APVMA's functions.
Advisory board members do not act as representatives for particular interests. Indeed, the legislation provides that the advisory board members must give written notice to the minister of any direct or indirect financial conflict of interest. Any declarations of interest are advised in the APVMA's annual report. The annual report also lists the areas in which the advisory board has provided advice to the CEO.
Terms of reference
The function of the advisory board is prescribed in the APVMA's enabling legislation, the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992 (ComLaw) (external site) and further described in the APVMA Advisory Board terms of reference (PDF, 401kb) | (RTF 182kb).
Advisory Board Communiqué
In the interests of transparency, the APVMA will publish a summary of the key advice outcomes and discussion points from each meeting as an Advisory Board Communiqué.
Membership
In November 2012, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry appointed the following as members of the APVMA advisory board for a three-year term.
Lyn Fragar AO, Chair
Associate Professor Fragar is a public health physician and an adjunct associate professor with the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety (ACAHS), University of Sydney. She has been appointed as an advisory board member for her expertise in public health and occupational health and safety. She has also been appointed to chair the board. She was a non-executive director of the APVMA board in 2001–07 and a member of the APVMA advisory board in 2011–12.
Associate Professor Fragar previously worked as a medical officer, general practitioner and area medical superintendent in NSW and Papua New Guinea. She has extensive board experience including the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety, the Farmsafe Australia board, GP Synergy Ltd (a general practitioner registration training service) and ChemCert Ltd. She currently chairs the Hunter New England Local Health District Board.
She remains associated with the ACAHS of which she was the founding director from 1993–2011.
Professor Fragar has an MBBS, Master of Public Health, Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Diploma Agricultural Economics and a Graduate Diploma Ornithology. She is a Fellow of the Australian Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
Roger Toffolon
Mr Toffolon is Acting Director of Biosecurity Strategy, Legislation and Performance in Biosecurity NSW. He has been appointed as an advisory board member for his experience in the regulation of chemical products under state or territory law. Mr Toffolon was a member of the APVMA advisory board in 2007–12 and has also been involved with the Product Safety and Integrity Committee (a committee of the then Primary Industries Ministerial Council).
Mr Toffolon previously worked as an entomology researcher. He subsequently held a number of roles in the NSW Government as registrar and program leader for agricultural and veterinary chemicals, and manager of the biological and chemical risk management unit.
Mr Toffolon has a Bachelor of Applied Science.
Sandra Baxendell PSM
Dr Baxendell is the Director of Goat Veterinary Consultancies. She has been appointed as an advisory board member for her experience in the regulation of chemical products under state or territory law.
Dr Baxendell has extensive Queensland Government experience in a variety of roles including regional director, general manager (chemical use and food safety), director product integrity, and acting general manager plant biosecurity and product integrity. She has been a senior lecturer specialising in animal production at Curtin University and also worked in agricultural production and industry management roles. She has experience on a number of executive committees and boards, including the Advisory Board Land Use Study Centre, University of Southern Qld, Dalby Agricultural College Board and the Centre for Rural and Regional Innovation Board.
Dr Baxendell has a Bachelor of Veterinary Science, PhD, Masters of Rural Systems Management (Rural Extension), Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Science (Rural Extension), Graduate Certificate in Applied Science (Rural Extension), Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management and is a Member of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists.
Selwyn Snell
Mr Snell is the managing director of Barawyn Pty Ltd. With 40 years’ experience in agribusiness, he has been appointed as an advisory board member for his experience in the agricultural chemical industry.
Mr Snell began his career in corporate financial and strategic planning, then farming research and development. He was previously national sales manager for Shell Chemicals and group marketing manager for Elders New Zealand Ltd. He has been president and managing director of Zeneca/Syngenta KK Japan, chief executive officer and managing director of IAMA Ltd, chief executive officer and managing director of BioProspect Ltd, and chief executive officer of Single Vision Grains Australia. He has also chaired or been a member of numerous plant health, rural research and development, and horticultural committees and corporations. He is currently chairman of Horticulture Australia Ltd.
Mr Snell has a Diploma of Agrichemicals and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.
Lisa Wade
Ms Wade provides consulting services to the agricultural and veterinary industries as director of Bellmount Consulting Pty Ltd. She has been appointed as an advisory board member for her experience in the veterinary chemical industry.
She was previously a veterinarian in both Australian and UK mixed practices. She worked in a number of roles for Elanco Animal Health, including animal research scientist, research and regulatory affairs manager, new product development manager, manager regulatory and corporate affairs and manager corporate affairs and government relations. Ms Wade has been a member of the issues management group for the Animal Health Alliance and chaired the group’s Antimicrobial Resistance Task Force. Dr Wade has experience in the research and development of a wide range of veterinary therapeutics and experience with Australian and international regulatory systems.
Dr Wade has a Bachelor of Veterinary Science, is a member of the Australian Veterinarians in Industry and a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
John Hassell
Mr Hassell operates his own farming business together with off-farm contracting in baling, spraying and clover harvesting and is also a director of Cooperative Bulk Handling Ltd, Grain Pool Pty Ltd, Bulk West Engineering Pty Ltd and other subsidiaries. He has been appointed as an advisory board member for his experience in primary production.
Mr Hassell has previously been a farm and laboratory assistant working with a range of companies in WA, including Cooperative Bulk Handling Pty Ltd, Gabalong Farms, Chepana Park Grazing Company, Australian Wool Testing Authority Pty Ltd, and Eltin Pty Ltd. He was a member of Rural Youth and is an ongoing member of the WA Farmers Federation, including serving three years as zone president, and as state vice president and transport portfolio for one year. He is also a member of the Pingelly Land Conservation District Committee.
Mr Hassell has a Bachelor of Business (Agriculture), Diploma of Agriculture (Commercial Agronomy) and is a Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Gordon Reidy
Dr Reidy is the Regional Manager (Asia Pacific Regulatory Development and Toxicology) for the Sumitomo Chemical Company. He has been appointed as an advisory board member for his experience in environmental toxicology, including knowledge of the effects of chemicals in ecosystems.
Previously, Dr Reidy has held a range of toxicology related roles in Worksafe Australia, AGC Woodward–Clyde Pty Ltd, 3M Asia Pacific, and Reckitt Benckiser, where he was also global research and development director for the Mortein brand. Dr Reidy served on the Drugs and Poisons Scheduling Committee and the Basel Hazardous Waste Technical Committee. He has also been a board member of the Australian Consumer Products Industry Association (ACCORD).
Dr Reidy has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) and a PhD (Toxicology).
David Lawson
Mr Lawson is a financial counsellor and runs his own consultancy and general counselling business, Finding the Light Counselling Service. He has been appointed as an advisory board member for his experience in protecting consumer interests.
Mr Lawson was previously a sugarcane farmer and had a contracting and farm machinery hire business. He has experience working with people at risk of suicide, relationship breakdown, trauma, financial hardship and community recovery (fire and floods). Mr Lawson has also held a number of representative roles including a Sugar Research Development Corporation working group, Millaquin/Qunaba Cane Protection and Productivity Board (including a period as chair), CANGROWERS Bundaberg, and Millaquin Mill Suppliers Committee (including a period as secretary). He has represented consumer interests in the areas of financial counselling, telecommunications, energy and banking at a state and national level, including as representative of the Consumer Federation of Australia and as a member of the APVMA’s Community Consultative Committee. He currently chairs the management committee of a school for youth who are disengaged from the state school system.
Mr Lawson has a Bachelor of Social Science (Counselling), Advanced Diploma in Rural Business Management, Diploma of Community Services (Financial Counselling), Graduate Certificate of Couple Counselling and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Bronwyn Capanna
Bronwyn is the Executive Director of Accord Australasia, the industry association representing the hygiene, cosmetic and specialty products industry. She has more than 20 years’ experience in industry association management and has held senior positions as a regulatory and technical executive in the not for profit and private sectors (UK and Australia). She has been appointed as an advisory board member for her experience in a field relevant to the APVMA’s functions under the optional provisions in the legislation.
Independently to her Accord role, Bronwyn was the only industry representative on the National Drugs and Poison Scheduling Committee (NDPSC) from 1994 until it was disbanded in July 2010. She was then appointed as the industry expert to its replacement, the Advisory Committee on Chemicals Scheduling. Bronwyn was the first regulatory affairs specialist appointed to the Australian Government’s Medicines Evaluation Committee.
Bronwyn was a ministerial appointment to the Chemicals and Plastics Leadership Group and chaired its Regulatory Reform Working Group. She continues to be highly engaged in regulatory reform at a national and international level, participating in senior stakeholder and consultation bodies of regulatory agencies such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme and the Standing Committee on Chemicals, and through participation in international forums such as the APEC Chemical Dialogue and the UN Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management.
Ms Capanna has a Bachelor of Pharmacy and a Certificate and Advanced Certificate in Association Management.