Owen Menkens Elected To Sugar Terminals Board

Burdekin sugarcane grower Owen Menkens has been elected to the board of Sugar Terminals Limited (STL), joining former CANEGROWERS chairman Paul Schembri as a grower director. Photo supplied

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Burdekin sugarcane grower Owen Menkens has been elected to the board of Sugar Terminals Limited (STL), joining former CANEGROWERS chairman Paul Schembri as a grower director.

Mr Menkens, the current CANEGROWERS chairman, defeated Tully Sugar chief executive Wei (Darcy) Li in the election at STL’s annual general meeting in Brisbane.

He fills the vacancy left by outgoing director Steve Kirby.

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As a grower director, Mr Menkens will join the board responsible for overseeing the company’s operations, finances and strategic direction. His election gives sugarcane growers a direct representative in board-level decisions affecting the infrastructure used to move their crop to market.

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CANEGROWERS chief executive Dan Galligan said the election strengthened direct grower representation on the STL board.

“Growers and millers share many interests, but their priorities are not always the same. It's important that the two grower-elected positions bring a genuine farming perspective to the board,” he said.

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The election comes as STL faces scrutiny over its decision to bring operations of Queensland’s six bulk sugar terminals in-house from 1st July, ending its long-term arrangement with Queensland Sugar Limited (QSL).

CANEGROWERS has previously raised concerns about the potential impact of the change on costs and the reliability of getting Queensland sugar to market.

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Mr Galligan said directors had a responsibility to act in STL’s best interests while considering the long-term interests of the broader sugar industry.

“Growers have made no secret of their concerns about insourcing and what it could mean for the cost and reliability of getting our sugar to market," Mr Galligan said.

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“STL is under considerable scrutiny, and rightly so. The new arrangements are now in place, and growers want to see whether they deliver the efficiencies and benefits that were promised.”