AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation has announced a working group who will decide the fate of a national wool exchange portal by November.
The working group, including four woolgrowers from NSW, Victoria and Western Australia, brokers, exports and business people, will determine the viability of the recent Wool Selling System Review’s main recommendation to establish an online Wool Exchange Portal and whether it should be pursued by the wool industry body.
In the final WSSR report released earlier this year, the panel suggest the WEP would reduce transaction costs, digitise the exchange of wool and create greater transparency throughout the sales process.
However this chief recommendation has been criticised by Australia’s major exporters who are against the potential removal of visual appraisals with online sale by description.
The working group have a four month deadline to undertake a business case review and conclude whether the WEP should be pursued at AWI’s Annual General Meeting in November.
It is expected the group will ask other industry bodies and digital thought leaders to present over the scheduled meetings to fully assess the viability of any future portal.
WSSR panel member Will Wilson was appointed chairman of the working group, while Free Eyre chief executive and former Elders general manager of wool Mark Rodda was selected as the executive officer.
AWI general manager of eastern hemisphere John Roberts will represent the industry body, together with WoolProducers Australia director and Yass, NSW woolgrower Ed Storey.
Woolgrowers will also be represented by Tony Flannery, Boorowa, NSW, Rob Lawrance, Cavendish, Victoria and Neil Jackson, Kojonup, WA.
Exporters will be represented by Steve Hill, Global Wool, and Tim Marwedel, Schneider, with brokers RuralCo, Landmark and Elders delegates.
UBank head of product and analytics Peita Piper will influence change, process and communications, while Australian Wool Handlers chief executive Matt Tamplin will guide logistics and storage.