Board Director Candidates 2026
Rhys Turton GAICD - York, WA
Allow me to introduce myself. I am a farmer from York in W.A. where we grow mixed broad acre grains. I have been farming for 30 years and have been actively involved in serving our local community. I have been dedicated to the ag industry in many varied membership and leadership positions for many years now.
I currently serve on the board of GrainGrowers as Chair, a position I have held for three and a half years and prior to this, as deputy chair for two years.
I also held the role of Investment Committee Chair with oversight of the GrainGrowers investment portfolio.
Through this current board role, and from previous extensive board and leadership experience, I am a seasoned corporate governance professional and am proud to have cultivated a healthy and collaborative culture within GrainGrowers and its membership along with my fellow directors and
management team that progresses our industry into a leading entity with a powerful position not just in Australia, but also across the world.
GrainGrowers works hard on your behalf. We exist only to serve your needs as grain farmers. We are currently in the process of beginning the GRDC levy review engagement with growers across Australia. I have regular government interaction at Ministerial level to push the needs of grain farmers with government and we are currently advocating hard over fuel, fertiliser, and chemical availability and tax issues, particularly CGT changes. We have recently had the opportunity to have the Federal Ag Minister on farm to hear directly from local growers on the current issues pertinent to their businesses and what currently affects them.
The organisation has continued it’s excellent capacity building programmes to develop industry ready and leadership ready people, and has grown its thought leadership business to explore and solve industry challenges and opportunities, such as fuels of the future and finance availability in challenging environments.
After a large investment, we continue our work on grain freight supply chains as the challenges and inefficiencies here continue to have a huge impact on growers around the country.
I am keen to serve your needs on the GrainGrowers board again. I have the required skills and experience, having held senior board positions and leadership roles across the Australian and International agricultural landscape including in large commercial trading agribusinesses. I am passionate about our industry and the people within it and believe that strong governance, good culture, education and forward thinking leaders create enormous opportunities to support and create a better industry not just for us as farmers now, but for all our future farmers down the track.
I understand intimately the needs and challenges growers face, and I am 100% committed to achieving the GrainGrowers mission of ensuring thriving growers in vibrant communities.
As I have said previously, we exist to serve your needs as a member and I will ensure GrainGrowers takes our many challenges head on, deploys its resources to the best possible advantage responsibly and transparently, and delivers tangible results to you on farm.
Thank you for your consideration.
John Hassell - East Pingelly, WA
Having been a grain grower for 40-years, it gives me strong understanding of the WA and Australian grains industry.
Different roles I’ve held over this time have also given me great opportunities to stand up and represent the collective interests of WA and Australian grain producers.
My mixed farming business is located at Pingelly in the WA Central Wheatbelt, with 2000 hectares of cropping and 4000 sheep.
This gives me a diverse understanding of not only the grains industry’s priorities, but also livestock production, and supply chains.
Added to this, my extensive experiences representing growers and industries more broadly includes:
- CBH Board – nine years (2009-2018)
- WA Farmers member – 30 years (General President 2021-2025)
- NFF Vice President – 2023-current.
- APVMA Advisory board – 3 years
So why am I running for the Grain Growers Ltd Board?
I’m passionate about making a difference for farming communities and firmly believe my diverse background and experiences – especially skills in board governance and farmer representation – can help deliver positive changes.
If elected to the GGL Board, my main aspiration will be to improve collaboration with like-minded organisations, to strengthen our collective knowledge and use it to positively influence government decision-making.
GGL has a unique opportunity to use its resources better, to achieve full potential. It can be a leading catalyst to shape policies that can deliver these outcomes to benefit all growers.
My first order of business will be proposing to initiate an independent external review of GGL’s performance, in the years since the AWB wheat export monopoly was deregulated in 2008 – taking feedback and evidence from all stakeholders.
My vision for GGL is for it to be the catalyst for the success of the grains industry in Australia. This can be done by collaboration with organisations like the state farming organisations, and by combining their collective knowledge and taking proposals to government. Too often we (all of farming) are fighting rearguard actions against poor policy.
I’m passionate about talking to other farmers and people in the industry, to hear about real problems – then working together to put a plan of action in place that can deliver real solutions.
That’s how the system of farm representation should work – to benefit the greater good and help build a stronger and more sustainable future.
My phone is always on, and email open, to hear from anyone in the industry and know how we can work together, to help solve some of these perennial challenges.
Mobile: 0428875073
Email: boyangs@treko.net.au
Richard Konzag - Mallala, SA
Richard Konzag, Farmer from Mallala, SA and Upper Great Southern, WA offers himself for re-election to the GrainGrowers Board
The Konzag cropping operation now covers just over 8000ha. growing a variety of crops in two states.
Richard has been involved in the Grains Industry off farm for more than 20 years.
He has developed a national network of growers and industry people who he is able to reach out to, to obtain insight on different issues.
He has served on The Advisory Board of Agriculture, GRDC Southern Panel, National Plant Biosecurity CRC Grains Advisory Panel, Australian Grain Growers Co-op (Chair), Rural Business Support Board and most recently GrainGrowers Board.
During his time at GrainGrowers, Richard has serves as board conduit to the National Policy Group and is currently Chair of People and Culture committee.
At a local level, Richard has been involved with sporting organisations in his local town at committee level and association level. He has also been incolved with the Mallala Ag Bureau, (life member), and hosted trials and farm visits for Bureau members, University students and others, including National and International delegations.
Richard has qualifications that assist him to serve on the GrainGrowers Board.
He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
He has a diploma in Agriculture and has completed many other training courses, including cyber security, media trainings, grain leadership program, grain marketing workshops, Australian Governance summit and the CSIRO Gene technology course.
Richard’s vision aligns with GrainGrowers, Thriving Australian Growers in Vibrant Communities.
He would like to see local production of critical farm inputs and better terms of trade for Growers.
Richard asks that GGL members consider voting for him for a third term, so that he can help continue the great work that GrainGrowers does.