|
THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the
Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand
will be at Copthorne Hotel, BAY OF ISLANDS
on Friday June 29, 2007 at 11.00a.m.
Business
- Roll call of duly appointed delegates
- Consideration of the annual report, audited statement of financial performance
- Confirmation of Election of Administration Officers and members to vacancies on the Executive. (Messrs McKerrow and Grigg retire by rotation.)
- Appointment of auditors
- Consideration of Notices of Motion and Remits.
- Annual Review of Subscriptions/levies
- Special or general business
- Presentation of National Service Awards
OFFICIAL OPENING OF CONFERENCE
To be held at Copthorne Hotel, Bay of Islands, on Wednesday 27 June 2007 at 7pm
THE RAS ANNUAL DINNER
To be held at Copthorne Hotel, Bay of Islands, on Thursday 28 June 2007 at 7pm.
The Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand is proud to be associated with:
 |
 |
 |
 |
THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND (Inc.)Officers 2006 - 2007
PATRON
Her Excellency the Governor General of New Zealand
the Honourable Dame Silvia Cartwright, PCNZM, DBE
PAST PRESIDENTS
Sir William Perry (1923-1931) L.R.C. MacFarlane (1931-1934) L.J. Wild (1934-1945) B.E. Keiller CMG (1945-1952) J.S. Marshall (1952-1958) M.S. Rennie OBE (1958-1966) J.H. Rutherford CBE (1966-1972) D.M. MacDonald (1972-1975) D.L. Ensor (1975-1978) J.L. Herrick (1978-1980) I.A. Barnett (1980-1983) T.M.R. Maskew OBE (1983-1986) H.D. Treadwell (1986-1989) J.G. Gunn (1989-1992) W.C. Scott ONZM (1992-1995) K.G. McKenzie (1995-1998) I.R.F. McKelvie (1998-2002) P.G. King (2002-2005)
HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS
H.R.H. The Duchess of Kent G.C. McDouall OBE (Wanganui) 1970 E.W. Sadlier (Gore) 1980 H.D. Treadwell (Taihape) 1992 R.S. Mackenzie MBE MC (Akaroa) 1994 J.G. Gunn MNZM (Darfield) 1996 E.M. Chittock (Gore) 1997 H.D. Chittock (Alexandra) 1997 F.W. Arnold MNZM (Pukekohe) 1998 W.C. Scott ONZM (Morrinsville) 1999 K.G. McKenzie (Invercargill) 2002 M.F.Vernon (Christchurch) 2003 J.R. Bruce (Ashburton) 2004 I.R.F. McKelvie (Palmerston North) 2005 R F James (Springfield) 2006 K Cholmondely-Smith (Kumeu) 2006 C.J Mason (Australia) 2006
PRESIDENT: M.G. Lester (Hastings)) VICE PRESIDENT: R. Lemon (Ashburton) IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: P.G. King (Waipawa) HONORARY TREASURER: M. McKerrow (Whangarei) EXECUTIVE OFFICER: D.A Cameron (Rangiora) EQUESTRIAN CO-ORDINATOR C. Roberts (Oxford)
EXECUTIVE:
Simon Collin (Hastings), John Grigg (Hororata),Malcolm McKerrow (Whangarei),
John Robins (Invercargill), Jane Smith (Invercargill), Bruce Orr (Tauranga)
UNITED BREEDS SOCIETY 2006 - 2007
CHAIRMAN: George Fletcher (Tapanui)
UBS EXECUTIVE:
George Fletcher (Tapanui), Richard Bradly (Helensville), John Dunderdale (Palmerston North), Peter Gardner (Hawarden), Doc Sidey (Hawarden).
HORSE STEWARDS COUNCIL 2006 – 2007
CHAIRMAN: : John Dunderdale (Palmerston North)
Vice Chair North: Jim Keyte (Waikato)
Vice Chair South: Ian Tippett (Otautau)
The Society also gratefully acknowledges the assistance it receives from
HONORARY ADVISORS:
Prof. R.A. Anderson (Palmerston North) and L.R.V. Bryant LVO (Wellington)
MEMBERS, FRIENDS AND SPONSORS OF THE SOCIETY
Throughout the year, members of the Executive and I have endeavoured to visit as many A&P Shows as possible and talk to as many representatives of our Breed Societies and life members as we can. It has certainly reinforced the message that our organisation plays a major role in the volunteer movement. With over 95 A&P Shows and 67 Breed Societies listed as part of our membership base and those organisations predominantly run by volunteers, this is no small feat and something to be extremely proud of. However the Executive realises the increasing pressure our members are under and that while there are some very strong and vibrant Associations and Societies out there, there are also some that are struggling.
The Executive is ever mindful of our purpose
“To promote, motivate and support the development of rural NZ by assisting our members to achieve their objectives.
We have endeavoured to spread the message to our members that we are here to help and assist where we can but we are well aware that goodwill and voluntary support alone will not achieve this purpose. A key to making this happen is to have the financial resources to back it, and to this end, the RAS Executive has contracted a professional consulting firm to source both government and corporate funding for the RAS and I hope to have something to report on this in the near future.
The challenge has also been there to make our urban population aware of the importance of the primary sector and obviously the locally based A&P Shows are a good avenue for this. To ensure the message gets to as many people as possible a national advertising campaign was undertaken with a series of adverts placed in the Sunday Star Times and Straight Furrow advertising the RAS website (www.ras.org.nz) as being the central point for people to access information on upcoming A&P Shows around the country.
Two years in to my term as President and I look back on this time with some very fond memories, as well as memories of challenge and change. While change is never easy, when all indicators point that change is needed, then it is indeed time to act.
At the end of 2005, the Executive made the decision to award the rights to host the Royal NZ Show for 2006 to 2009 inclusive, to Canterbury A&P Association. A year down the track and the results are extremely encouraging. The vision of the RAS Executive to see our flagship event become the premier agricultural event we want it to be is well on track.
Livestock entries for the Royal NZ Show were up by 30% and the numbers through the gate were also up from last year. The Christchurch City Council has pledged their support for the event by making a substantial grant over the next three years to not only promote the Royal NZ Show nationally and internationally (as part of NZ Cup and Show Week) but also to assist with the structure of the event.
This is a very exciting time for the Royal NZ Show and the Executive believe that any kudus and status achieved by this event can only be good for the agricultural movement and our members as a whole.
While a report on the Royal NZ Show can be found later in this Annual Report I will make a brief summary on this, along with a report on Royal Events and other activities that have taken place throughout the year.
ROYAL SHOW
Canterbury A&P Association hosted the 76th Royal New Zealand Show in November. The Show was hugely successful and that was evident by the increase in exhibitors from last year along with increased numbers through the gate. For the first time the RAS ran the RAS Marquee on the cattle lawn. The marquee was flagged by the new RAS banners and flags and had exhibitors from several of our Breed Society members within it. Life member, Hugh Treadwell was also there promoting ‘Show Biz’ – The history of the RAS from 1923-2003. Special thanks to Tenth Dot Management and the Canterbury A&P Association for hosting such a wonderful Royal NZ Show. My thanks also to the exhibitors who participated, particularly to those who came from far afield to support this event. Special mention must also be made of Glen Anthony Simmentals, with Monreid Yardstick – winner of the very prestigious RAS Supreme Animal Award.
ROYAL EVENTS
Poverty Bay A&P Association held the first Royal Event of the season, featuring horses. Congratulations to Simon Spence, President and Derek Allan, Event Manager, and the Show Committee for staging this very successful event. Poverty Bay has always been a great show with a unique East Coast flavour and that was certainly the case again this year. The Royal Event just added that extra dimension and proved to be very popular with exhibitors and public alike.
Winton A&P Association, also held a RAS Royal Event, featuring horse, cattle and the dog trial sections, in January this year. Attracting large crowds through the gate, as well as an increase in trade stalls and exhibitor numbers, President Alistair Hammond and Secretary Nicola White, along with the Winton A&P Association are to be congratulated on a huge effort and an outstanding result.
RAS COMPETITIONS AND AWARDSWhile a full report is included on the Society’s Competitions and Awards, I would like to make special mention of the FMG Rural Excellence Award, in commemoration of A.C Cameron.
It is with regret the Executive made the decision to hold over the competition this year, however this decision was not taken lightly. FMG has been a long time supporter of the Award, as has Ravensdown, however FMG believed the time for them was right to move on and acknowledge other areas of agriculture.
Efforts were made to seek another major sponsor and a family of sponsors was also looked at, however those efforts were unsuccessful in time to commit to running the Award for 2007.
As I have previously mentioned, the Executive is in the process of doing a full review of sponsorship and funding and until we know the outcome of this, no final decisions will be made on the future of the Rural Excellence Award.
I would like to thank all the Districts and Convenors who have supported this Award in their time and special mention must be made of Milton Chittock, Southern Convenor and Allan Whitehead, Northern/Mid Northern Convenor. Milton and Allan have been long-time supporters of this competition and their commitment is acknowledged.
GOLDEN FLEECE COMPETITION
Mackenzie Highland A&P Society have hosted the competition for the last two years on behalf of the RAS and have done an excellent job in securing sponsorship for the individual classes. The 2007 winners were:
Fine Wool A.D Paterson, Ranfurly Strong Wool Rachel Humphrey, Feilding NZ NATIONAL EWE HOGGET COMPETITION
The 2006/07 Breed winners are
Coopworth Ian & Karen Pullar, Kaiwera Romney Guy Martin, Darfield Fine Wools Buscot Station, Omarama Composite Doug McNaughten, Dannevirke Perendale D Cooper, Central Hawkes Bay Crossbred Neil & Sharryl Baird, Otama Valley As yet the overall winner has not been announced.
RAS YOUTH COUNCIL
This small team of seven have continued to try and spread ‘the youth message’ throughout the year in various ways.
Last year at the Royal NZ Show, the Youth Council with the assistance of several young Australians, held the RAS Youth Council Agri Challenge. Several local secondary schools were approached to enter teams in the agri challenge, which consisted of various activities e.g. raddle shearing sheep, building a saw stool etc in a relay type format. The teams that entered all attested to the fact that it was great fun and the proud winners were the blue team from Rangiora High School.
All representatives of the Youth Council have made an effort this year to make contact with their local A&P Shows and the majority of them are heavily involved within the local A&P and/or the NZYF branch. However, they realise with the exception of Stephen Belton, who recently relocated to Rotorua, they are all based in the South Island and they also realise that a team of seven can only achieve so much with the resources they have to hand. In an effort to spread the Youth Council message
“To attract, encourage and reward youth involvement in agriculture and A&P Shows by providing opportunities for personal development in a social environment.”
they have contacted all A&P Shows asking for them to nominate one young person who will act as a liaison person between the Youth Council and that A&P Show. The opportunity is there for that young person to become more involved with the youth movement if they wish.
Recently five of the Youth Council, at the invitation of the Auckland A&P Association, attended the Royal Easter Show and assisted in the various sections where they could. It was a great opportunity for them to renew old acquaintances and also to meet several new faces from the far North. On behalf of the Youth Council, I would to thank the Auckland A&P Association for their generosity in hosting the Youth Council and for the support they have shown them.
The opportunity was taken at the Royal Easter Show for the Youth Council to have a meeting to assess their progress for the year and ‘Where to from here?’ Reference was made earlier to what a small team of seven can realistically hope to achieve and this was the main topic of discussion. The Youth Council decided in order to achieve their aims they needed to work smarter as well as harder. They believe the NZYF organisation and the proposed RAS Herdsperson Competition may be part of the solution to this puzzle.
If the Youth Council and the RAS movement as a whole can work more closely with NZYF then this offers huge advantages in many aspects. Informal discussions are underway with NZYF and further progress will be reported on.
The Youth Council also saw the RAS Herdsperson Competition, as a way they could contribute and believed this was an excellent way of encouraging youth into the movement. The Youth Council believe by throwing their support in behind this, in either the practical aspect of stewarding or assisting with the planning of the competition, will be an excellent use of their resources at the Royal NZ Show this year.
This is not to forget the NZ Young Rural Achiever Award and again the Youth Council have pledged their support to making this a success.
Support for the Youth Council has been forthcoming from FarmSafe as well as the continued valued support from Whangarei A&P Society and our grateful thanks goes to these organisations for their ongoing commitment
MULTIPLE BREED SOCIETY AFFILIATION
I am pleased to report progress has been made in this area and the following new Breed Societies have joined our organisation as a result of this process: Premier Dairy Goats NZ, Purebred Holstein Friesian Society (NZ) Inc, National Miniature Horse Society NZ Inc, Charolais Breeders NZ, NZ Llama Association and Llama Association of Australasia (NZ Branch).Interest and enquiries have also been received from the following groups: Friesian Horse Society and Nubian Breed Society of NZ Inc. The NZ Pinto Horse Society has also made contact with regards to re-affiliating to the RAS and we hope to have more to report on this at the annual conference.
SPONSORSHIP
As mentioned earlier, the RAS is currently seeking both government funding and further corporate sponsorship, however this is not to overlook the significant contribution our current sponsors have made to this organization. Our grateful thanks are extended to, FMG, FarmSafe, NZYF and Ravensdown for their assistance within our competition and conference partnerships during the 2006/2007 year.EQUESTRIAN SECTION
The equestrian section of the A&P has always been strong and it appears this year is no exception. In an effort to recognise this, the RAS Executive contracted a part-time equestrian co-ordinator this year to run the equestrian portfolio. Christine Roberts from Oxford was appointed in August 2006 and has proved herself very capable and efficient.Two other new appointments were made in the latter part of the year and they were Jacqui Wadham and Jill Farrell as North Island and South Island FSJC Convenor respectively. It is early days yet, however Christine has been working closely with both Jill and Jacqui to establish an efficient and time effective notification procedure for all drug testing undertaken. Both convenors are very keen to run training seminars this following year (finances allowing) to ensure all test stewards have a good understanding of the practises involved.
Our thanks go to all judges, test and measuring stewards out there working away tirelessly and to Cyril Yearbury in his role as National Measuring Convenor. Special thanks must go to Nicky Hutchinson who goes that extra mile when undertaking her role as National Judges Convenor – at times a thankless task, however Nicky keeps on giving it her best.The equestrian section is unique in the fact it has a source of income (equestrian levies) and its own rulebook etc, however hand-in-hand with that goes the responsibility of living within its means. As per Clause 29 of the Constitution, the RAS Executive has the responsibility to see the proper collection and disbursement of funds of the Society and this includes the equestrian section. Financial constraints being what they are at present means we must be realistic with what we can achieve. Any income that comes into this section must be balanced against the expenses going out. As rule changes continue to be made, this effectively takes care of a good part of the printing and stationery costs as sections of the rulebook must then be printed each year. The need for training and education in all areas of the equestrian section needs to be weighed against the need for drug testing and so it goes on. The Executive is always open to suggestions how funds may be allocated, however unless changes are made to either the income or expense stream of this section, then reality will have to prevail.
NEW SOUTH WALES AND AUSTRALIAN RAS RELATIONS.
I attended the Royal Show at Sydney this year and as in past years was made to feel very welcome. As part of my role over there I was asked to give an update on the Sister Show Exchange and the RAS Herdsperson Competition and a summary of those presentations are included below.
Sister Shows – Currently the following shows have formed a thriving exchange partnership: Berry Society - Rangiora A&P Association, Dubbo - Southland A&P, Glen Innes – Ashburton A&P and Canterbury with Canberra. Wairoa A&P and Narrabri exchanged a very pleasant visit with each other however both Societies felt there was nothing further to be gained from an ongoing partnership. Expressions of interest have been received from Poverty Bay, Oxford, Te Puke and Ellesmere and I have asked for matches to be arranged for these shows.
RAS Herdsperson Competition – As I mentioned in last year’s annual report the RAS had been approached to enter the Australian inter-state stock judging and handling competitions to make it an Australasian Event. The intention of the RAS is to run a competition at this year’s Royal NZ Show covering the areas of dairy, beef and sheep. The Federal Council of Australian Shows has agreed to send out two highly experienced people to NZ (at their cost) to run a seminar on both the theory and practical side of the competition ensuring our young NZ contestants will be up to speed. Winners of the three sections at the Royal NZ Show will go across to Australia next year to compete in the NSW competition, allowing them another chance to become familiar with the procedures. The following year NZ contestants will standalone and it will be a truly Australasian event. This is a huge opportunity for our young people and bodes extremely well for future development of the Australian – NZ relations
Mick Lester
President
75th ROYAL NEW ZEALAND SHOW – CANTERBURY 2006
The 76th Royal New Zealand Show was a great success from both a governance and management perspective for both the Canterbury A&P Association and the further development of the Royal New Zealand Show in New Zealand.
A Royal Show traditionally attracts greater numbers and last year’s Show reflected this. The 2006 Royal New Zealand Show was the largest A&P Show ever held in New Zealand. It attracted over 7000 competition and livestock entries, 501 trade exhibitors and 115,000 visitors over three days; a 5% increase on the previous year despite the rain on Friday.
Of the 115,000 visitors to the Royal New Zealand Show, 5520 were international visitors, 10,350 were from the North Island, 14,000 from the South Island outside of Canterbury and the remaining 85,000 were from Christchurch and Canterbury.
Livestock and competition entries increased by well over 40% with cattle numbers more than doubling on the previous year. A total of 193 judges and 246 stewards presided over the livestock and competition judging with 21 international judges and a further 70 from outside of the Canterbury region.
Our objective in 2006 was to develop the Royal New Zealand Show in Christchurch as a showcase of agricultural excellence. Our successes from last year put us in a great position to further grow the Show and firmly establish the event in Christchurch.
We had a record number of trade exhibitors this year, 501 in total, with a significant increase in exhibitors from outside of Canterbury with 14 international exhibitors and just under 100 from the North Island.
We developed new branding and a name change for last year’s Show to highlight Royal Status. A new logo was developed for the Royal New Zealand Show, the style is very corporate, displaying a clean, professional image to the marketplace while also providing a connection to the tradition of an A&P Show.
Not unexpectedly Show expenses rose 7% on the prior year due to the higher investment in promotion and brand build designed to reposition and attract visitors to the Royal New Zealand Show.
Despite the name change to Royal New Zealand Show it had extremely high recognition recall amongst Show visitors.
The Royal New Zealand Show certainly had a national and international flavour with representatives from 14 consulates and trade commissions visiting the Show to investigate bringing trade delegations from their respective countries next year for the launch of the Ag Export Pavilion, which will be part of Central Governments Export Year 2007.
On Wednesday and Thursday 7500 school children, parents and teachers visited the Show as part of our School Visits Programme.
Unquestionably the Royal New Zealand Show is the icon event that reflects the character of New Zealand’s rural and urban lifestyle qualities. It is a major visitor draw card and contributor to the Christchurch economy. The Show in Canterbury is a unique event; it certainly is “When the Country Comes to Town” and more than ever before it is when New Zealand comes to Canterbury.
The Royal New Zealand Show is the cornerstone event of New Zealand Cup & Show Week, a 10 day festival of the best in racing, fashion and rural. The results of an Economic Impact Study commissioned by the Christchurch City Council and carried out by IER Pty Ltd, concluded that New Zealand Cup & Show Week contributed over $27 million in real gross regional product to the Christchurch economy, with $16.59 million being contributed directly from the Royal New Zealand Show. In addition to this, Show trade exhibitors and vendors generated an estimated $28 million in sales at or as a direct result of the Show. Another pleasing factor was that there was no stand out improvements for the Royal New Zealand Show identified amongst survey respondents. The outcomes of the Economic Impact Study are an emphatic and compelling endorsement of the iconic status of the Royal New Zealand Show in Canterbury.
Our members are the backbone of the Canterbury A&P Association and it is with their support that we have established the Show at Canterbury Agricultural Park. The atmosphere is extremely positive, everyone from members to livestock exhibitors, young and old alike, enjoys their Show experience. The facilities and location are ideal and the Royal New Zealand Show is now firmly planted on the rural calendar.
We are proud to be hosts of the Royal New Zealand Show and look forward to developing this event into an international showcase of New Zealand’s agricultural excellence. We are continually striving for improvement, innovation and improved stakeholder satisfaction.
My sincere thanks to our many Committee members, volunteers, Board Directors, sponsors, funders, exhibitors, judges, stewards, contractors, suppliers and management team who give their time, skill and expertise to be part of the Royal New Zealand Show and the Canterbury A&P Association. A great team, an outstanding effort and a superb result.
Rae Finlay
Event Director, Royal New Zealand Show
The 2007 Royal Easter Show
The Mayor of Auckland Mr Dick Hubbard opened the 2007 Royal Easter Show held in conjunction with the annual Art Awards. In opening the Show Mr Hubbard stressed the importance of events such as the Royal Easter Show to the economy of Auckland and emphasized the uniqueness of the event.
The Art Competition goes from strength to strength with in excess of 1200 paintings from over 600 artists being on display. In addition a record number of entries were received in photography, ceramics, textiles and woodcraft sections. Guests for the evening were able to taste the award winning wines from the Royal Easter Show Wine Awards. The RAS Medal for the most successful artist was awarded to Barbara von Seida with the RAS Medal for the most successful photographer being awarded to Colin Probst.
The Royal Easter Show Wine Awards continues to grow in strength with this year attracting in excess of 1300 entries with a record number of 76 gold medals being awarded.
Animal competitions attracted a good number of entries particularly in the dairy cattle and alpaca sections. Despite the absence of one of the leading exhibitors in the dairy section a large number of high quality animals were on display. It was very pleasing to see that the show had attracted stock from throughout the North Island including a number from Taranaki and the Lower North Island. Champion Dairy Cow was awarded to Okawa Ltd & the Barclay Family from Te Awamutu for Tahora Approval Lady Di. Beef entries were down on previous years due to a variety of circumstances. The Meat & Wool Cup was awarded to Koromiko Silky exhibited by the Koromiko Land Co from Paparata.
Some of the lesser animals provided extremely strong competition. The alpaca section has continued to grow in strength and this year resulted in over 160 entries with animals being on display from as far south as Ashburton. Dairy goat numbers are on the increase with good numbers from throughout the Auckland and Waikato areas. Two of the most popular competitions are the rabbits and the donkeys. The judge of the rabbit competition, Mr John Porritt from the United Kingdom was very complimentary on the standard of animals presented to him for judging.
The equestrian competition, now held on a sand/rubber surface in the main arena was well supported and included classes for show jumping, show hunter, round the ring jumping plus all the various breed classes and saddle classes. The winner of the Sue Yearbury Memorial for Best Equestrienne was Kelly Sheely from Rotorua riding Black Jack.
The W F Smith Trophy is awarded to the best livestock exhibit in the Show. For the 2007 Royal Easter Show we were delighted to have Mr John and Mrs Heather Gunn as our guest judges and after much deliberation the award was given to Glenanthony Simmentals from Waipukurau for their Simmental Bull, Monreid Yardstick.The committee was pleased to host the President of the RAS, Mr Mick Lester, along with RAS Executive Officer Debbie Cameron and members of the RAS Youth Council. We hope that they enjoyed their time at the Royal Easter Show and came away with an appreciation of an agricultural show in a major urban area.
The entertainment programme for the public was many and varied. Once again the Cadbury Crème Egg Circus Eggstravaganza proved extremely popular with capacity audiences for virtually all the Shows. The Logan Campbell Theatre lends itself to a variety of stage shows with the most popular being the Madagascar Show aimed specifically at the younger audiences. These shows combined with the Street Theatre and acts on the outdoor stage provided an extremely popular and varied entertainment programme.
The 2007 Royal Easter Show marked the completion of stage two of the extensive building development at the ASB Showgrounds. This stage, comprising 5,500 sq m of exhibition space was enthusiastically received by both exhibitors and public. Upon the completion of this project the Board is confident that the ASB Showgrounds will be one of the foremost exhibition venues in Australasia.Robin Hill
Manager – Royal Easter Show.
FMG RURAL EXCELLENCE AWARD in commemoration of A. C. CAMERON
The 2006 FMG Rural Excellence Award presentation function was held immediately prior to the Society’s annual conference. At a special dinner presentation in Palmerston North, Rob, Sandra, Will and Kirsten Foley were named as the 2006 winners.
Rob and Will Foley run a breeding and finishing unit in Hawkes Bay with a total land area of 1,254 hectares of which 1,130 hectares is effective. The land farmed includes a hill country-breeding unit and finishing blocks at Takapau. In addition to the farming enterprise, the Foley brothers operate a contracting business of significant scale. While Will Foley is in charge of the farming operations, Rob Foley manages the contracting business, which supplies services to several customers including their own farming enterprise on a commercial basis.
Judges, John Butchard and Sam Robinson were impressed with the Foleys’ overall ability and skills, and the Foleys’ were the leading point scorers in the area of sustainable production and profitability. The judges also commented on the Foleys ability to build key relationships with staff, suppliers, and customers, as well as maintaining active roles in the community.
FMG and Ravensdown have had a long association with this Award and we would like to thank them for their sponsorship and support over the years, however FMG have indicated the time has come to review their sponsorship. While both organizations remain supportive of the Award and would like to be involved in ongoing discussions of the future of the Award, for the lack of a main sponsor, the Executive has decided to suspend the Award for 2007. The next few months will be critical in evaluating the future of the Award and identifying other potential sponsors if the Award is to be ‘reborn’ in 2008.Richard Lemon
National Convenor
NZ YOUNG RURAL ACHIEVER AWARD
The 2006 NZ Young Rural Achievers Award was held in conjunction with the Royal NZ Show in Canterbury. Olin Greenan, a 28-year old contract milker from Taupiri won the competition, which was presented at Grand Parade time of the Royal Show.
Olin, originally from Ireland, arrived in New Zealand five years ago with the intention of working here just for the year. However once he experienced the NZ culture and observed the potential within the agricultural sector here, he chose to stay permanently and become a New Zealand citizen. Now self-employed as a contract milker on a 560 cow farm, Olin also assists as an agricultural tutor for Dexcel and is heavily involved in the Young Farmers movement.
To secure his position as overall winner of the award, Olin completed a panel interview at the Royal NZ Show. Chaired by Malcolm McKerrow of the RAS, the judging panel included the Honourable Jim Anderton, Jane Smith from the RAS Youth Council and Andrea Reid from NZYF. The judges commented on the extremely high quality of all the candidates present, however Olin secured his overall win with his obvious passion for agriculture and his knowledge of the farming systems within New Zealand
The other Award finalists were:Cath Lyall, agribusiness manager from Invercargill (Southern District)
Dallas Amalfitano, farm manager from Timaru (Aorangi District)
Steven Knight, vineyard and finance manager from Blenheim (Tasman District)
I would like to thank New Zealand Young Farmers for their co sponsorship and support of this Award, along with the District Convenors and the RAS Youth Council for their hard work in supporting this competition.Richard Lemon
RAS Competitions
UNITED BREEDS SOCIETY
Once again it has been a relatively quiet year from a United Breed Society perspective, however as part of my role as Chairman I have attended a couple of meetings of the MAF Agricultural Security Consultative Committee (a forum for animal industry representatives and MAF to discuss issues related to New Zealand’s biosecurity) . While there is nothing of note to report at this time the communication lines were certainly buzzing at the time of the Foot & Mouth scare. It is reassuring to know that the Royal Agricultural Society is able to have input on matters that affect our Breed Societies and the agricultural movement as a whole.
I understand the Dairy Breed Meeting sub committee have been in touch regarding the Dairy Rules passed at conference and will be making a report at the 2007 conference.
Tagging of cattle remains an ongoing issue in some instances and I note that a further remit is coming through for this year’s conference with regard to suggesting to the AHB that calves are tagged at first point of sale unless going direct to slaughter. From a TB point of view – anything that helps eradicate this disease can only be good.
It was heartening to hear of the 30% increase in entries at the Royal NZ Show in Canterbury in 2006. Once again I urge all our Breed Societies to keep up the good work and get in behind the Royal Agricultural Society’s flagship event. This is the ultimate way to reflect the New Zealand livestock market in one venue both nationally and internationally.
We must remember we are one Society – while we may have a North Island and a South Island, we are New Zealand and the RAS is one organisation. As such we must support the Royal NZ Show whether it be in the North Island or the South Island
I would like to thank John Dunderdale, Peter Gardner, Doc Sidey and Richard Bradly for their work as chairmen of the respective Breed Committees during the 2006/2007 year.
George FletcherChairman
TREASURER'S FINANCIAL REPORT
Membership as at 31 March 2007 stood at 956 life members and 10 corporate members with 6 new life members joining the Society during the year.
Subscriptions
As usual 5 per cent of the Life Members Fund was credited to the current account to cover the costs associated with servicing our life members. During the year the Executive reviewed life membership subscriptions, and new rates were effected from 28 February 2007. The new rates are:
Life membership $500 all exclusive GST Standard life membership $428 Over 60's membership $357 Subscriptions from Breed Societies increased following the resolutions passed at the 2006 conference.
Net Income from Activities
The positive outcome from the 2006 conference was a very pleasing result. The loss of sponsorship from some of our competitions had a negative impact this year. Last year's competitions produced a net surplus of $38,344, which helped offset corporate overheads, whereas this year the competitions produced an operating loss of $1,704. To a degree these outcomes were anticipated and in light of this the Executive was forced to review the continuance of some of the competitions through lack of sponsorship, the reality being that some tough decisions were made.
The equestrian section (with no district rebate provision) was budgeted to break even this year, however the lower number of drug tests undertaken has resulted in an operating surplus of $6,732.Administration
Organisations generally incur additional costs whenever there is a change in personnel, and this was the case this year following the resignation of our CEO, Chris Mason. The payment of two salaries over the change over period increased the secretarial fee this year.
Notwithstanding in virtually every other area of corporate expenditure, savings have been made with expenses down by $15,458 on the previous year, and the tighter controls applied reflect this.
The new investment strategy provides the Society with a greater opportunity to maximise its returns on the utilised capital, and it is pleasing to see the improvements in market value as detailed in the investment notes and New Zealand share summary shown under Note 7.
During the year Fonterra announced compulsory redemption of the capital notes held by the Society and the bulk of the proceeds were reinvested in fixed term deposits.
ore recently the Executive resolved to realise some of the capital gains in the shares of the Infratil stock, and the proceeds from this will be reinvested in share market stock.
Looking to the future there are challenging times ahead for the Society. Members need to be aware that the loss of the Royal Agricultural competitions has placed additional pressure on the Society's financial resources as the franchise and management fee income is no longer available to offset some of the corporate overhead. Further inflationary factors continue to have an impact. The 2007/08 budgets are extremely tight and caters purely on the organisation’s core activities.
In the absence of any substantial sponsorship, the organisation has no choice but to continue to review all aspects of its operations. Some further economies will have to be achieved as will the need to raise its income from its levy payers. No one likes increasing prices, however the reality is that prices have to be regularly reviewed to enable the organisation to go forward with some provision for growth.My grateful thanks go to my fellow executive members for their support throughout the year. To our chief executive officer, Debbie Cameron and our equestrian co-ordinator Christine Roberts for their work attending to the Society's affairs.
Mr President, I formally move the adoption of the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2007.Malcolm McKerrow
Honorary Chairman, Finance Committee
THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND (INC)
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
AS AT 31 MARCH 2007
2007
2006
Notes
$
$
MEMBERS’ FUNDS
General Fund
90,185
90,185
Trophies Fund
96,865
96,865
Life Members’ Fund
2
57,111
60,116
244,160
247,166
ACCUMULATED FUNDS
Balance 1 April 2006
67,407
93,669
Net Surplus (Deficit) for Year
(2,228)
(26,261)
65,179
67,407
TOTAL MEMBERS’ FUNDS
309,339
314,573
Represented by:
CURRENT ASSETS
The National Bank of NZ Ltd
43,075
15,130
ABN Amro Craig Deposit A/c
4,164
8,197
Trade Debtors
5,601
24,180
Stock
8,043
10,087
Petty Cash
200
200
Investments
6
108,590
125,084
169,673
182,878
NON CURRENT ASSETS
Fixed Assets (Trophies, Display Board, Banners)
5
104,712
99,848
Shares – New Zealand
7
45,153
40,988
149,865
140,836
TOTAL ASSETS
319,538
323,714
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Sundry Creditors
10,199
9,141
NET ASSETS
309,339
314,573
The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements
THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND (INC)
STATEMENT OF MOVEMENTS OF EQUITY
AS AT 31 MARCH 2007
2007
2006
Notes
$
$
Equity as at 31 March 2006
314,573
336,864
Net Surplus (Deficit) for the year
(2,228)
(26,261)
Plus Revaluation of Trophies
-
5,385
Less Life Members Funds
(3,005)
(1,414)
Equity as at 31 March 2007
309,339
314,573
The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements
THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND (INC)STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE - FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2007
INCOME
2007
2006
Notes
$
$
SUBSCRIPTIONS
A&P Societies
49,000
49,000
Breed Societies
22,918
11,516
Corporate Members
1,800
2,000
Kindred Associations
850
350
Life Members
4,906
3,164
79,474
66,030
NET INCOME FROM ACTIVITIES
AGM & Conference
4,132
(662)
Dairy Heifer Competition
-
(4,136)
Dividends Received
1,643
3,313
Donations
7,660
Equestrian Section
12,145
7,151
FMG Rural Excellence Award (AC Cameron)
8,452
4,728
Forbidden Substance
(5,413)
(5,050)
Golden Fleece
222
(726)
Grants to District Councils
(24,500)
(24,531)
Interest
9,985
8,555
Product Sales
4,061
580
Royal Show
827
(3,163)
Competition Franchise Fees
10,000
22,500
(Freemasons) RAS Young Achievers Award
(11,489)
(2,115)
RAS Youth Council
2,209
(8,086)
Rabobank NZ Ewe Hogget Competition
(8,889)
18,093
NET OPERATING INCOME
4
11,045
90,519
16,451
82,481
EXPENSES
Annual Report
673
878
Audit Fees
1,925
1,750
Bank Fees
333
67
Communications/Advertising/Website
10
9,953
12,996
Consultancy
3,310
13,019
Executive Meetings
11,840
15,535
General
11
5,680
8,568
Insurance
-
241
Legal Expenses
-
665
On Show
684
782
President's Honorarium
3,000
3,000
Printing/Stationery/Photocopy
3,386
6,770
RAS Subscription
12
4,917
2,156
Secretarial Fee
46,218
43,260
Travel Expenses
3,626
1,316
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
95,545
111,003
OPERATING SURPLUS (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR
(5,026)
(28,522)
Realised Capital Profit from Investments
-
13,282
Unrealised Gains/Losses
Exchange Variations
-
172
Investment Revaluations
2,798 -
(11,193)
NET SURPLUS (DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR
(2,228)
(26,261)
The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements
THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND
Notes to the Financial StaTements
For the year ended 31 March 2007
NOTE 1 – ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Reporting EntityThe Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand is incorporated under the Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Act 1908.
General Accounting Policies
These financial statements are a General Purpose Financial Report as defined in the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Statement of Concepts and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice as defined in that Statement.
Measurement Base
The accounting principles recognised as appropriate for the measurement and reporting of financial performance and financial position on an historical cost basis are followed by the Entity subject to any revaluations as detailed in the specific policies below.
SPECIFIC ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following specific accounting policies, which materially affect the measurement and reporting of financial performances and financial position, have been applied.
Differential Reporting
The Entity qualifies for Differential Reporting as provided for in the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Framework for Differential Reporting as it is not publicly accountable and it is not large. The Entity has applied all applicable differential reporting exemptions.
Stock
Stock of items held for resale or use in later years are valued at the lower of cost, determined on a first in first out basis, and market value.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts Receivable are valued at expected realisable value.
Investments
Investments are recorded at market value. Investment income other than dividend income is recognised on an accrual basis.
Goods & Services tax
Income and expenditure items are stated exclusive of Goods & Services Tax where applicable.
Taxation
The Society, being a charitable organisation, is exempt from taxation under Section CB4 of the Income Tax Act 1994.
Changes in Accounting Policies
There have been no changes in accounting policies. All accounting policies have been applied on bases consistent with those used in previous years.
Comparatives
Certain figures have been restated to conform to current year’s presentation.
NOTE 2 - LIFE MEMBERS’ FUND
An amount of 5% of the balance of the Life Members’ Fund is transferred into income each year being the estimated amount applicable to income in that year.
NOTE 3 - COMMITMENTS FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE & CONTINGENCY LIABILITIESAs at balance date, there were no commitments for capital expenditure, and the society had no contingent liabilities. (2006 nil.)
NOTE 4 - OTHER SPONSORSHIP AND INCOME INCLUDED IN ACTIVITIES
Net income from Activities reports the net surplus or deficit from each activity that is, it is the result of Income less Expenditure. Included in the following activities are the following amounts of sponsorship and other income:
Activity
Sponsorship $
Other Income $
AGM & Conference
3,794
27,107
Golden Fleece
2000
Equestrian Matters
0
38,832
FMG Rural Excellence Award (AC Cameron)
8,000
20,205
Forbidden Substance
0
28
Royal NZ Show & Royal Events
0
12,000
Youth Council
5,000
5537
Total
$18,794
$103,709
Total Operating Income
2007
2006
235,326
293,715
NOTE 5 – TROPHIES
The trophies have not been revalued to market value this year. The Society obtained an independent valuation of trophies from McLeay Jewellers in March 2006.
2006 Market Value $
$96,865
NOTE 6 – TERM DEPOSITS
This Year $
Last Year $
Fixed Interest
National Bank
-
17,184
Farmers Mutual Debentures
82,416.00
55,000
Farmers Mutual On Call
26,174
-
Fonterra Capital Notes
52,900
Total
$108,590.00
$125,084
The above assets are held short term and classified as Current Assets although it is noted on page 27 the actual maturity dates used.
NOTE 7 – SHARES
The share portfolio is shown at market value as at 31 st March 2007. These assets are held long term and classified as Non Current Assets. Details of the portfolio are noted below.
NOTE 8 – EQUESTRIAN REBATE
While not an accounting policy as such, the Society’s equestrian rebate paid to each RAS district is one year in arrears – i.e. the rebate paid in the 2006/2007 year relates to the levy collected in the previous year.
9. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Investment Summary
Farmers Mutual Debenture
$30,000 @ 7.50%
Matures 25/01/2008
Farmers Mutual Debenture
$52,416.50 @ 7.50%
Matures 29/08/2007
Farmers Mutual On Call A/c
$26,173.59 @ 7.75%
On Call
New Zealand Shares
Cost
Market Value
Akld Intl Airport Ltd (3000)
$ 6,095
$ 7,230
Infratil Ltd (2500)
$ 8,886
$14,050
Lyttleton Port Company (3500)
$ 6,888
$ 7,700
PGG Wrightson Ltd (3000)
$ 6,582
$ 4,440
Sanford Ltd (1,200)
$ 5,181
$ 5,808
Seeka Kiwifruit Ind Ltd (1,500)
$ 6,019
$ 5,925
$39,652
$45,153
10. Additional Expenditure Notes:
General: Key expenditure includes:Hire/Venue $177.78, Medals $3,608.64, Ties $212.15, Freight & Courier $186.78, Bank Interest $38.42, Sundry Expenses $1,456.80.
Communications: Key expenditure includes:Telephone and tolls $1,849.31, Advertising $4,980.67, Postage $1,459.92, Maintaining Website $1,662.8.
The 2006 Annual Report is located hereThe 2005 Annual Report is located here
The 2004 Annual Report is located here
The 2003 Annual Report is located here
The 2002 Annual Report is located here
The 2001 Annual Report is located here
The 2000 Annual Report is located here
The 1999 Annual Report is located here
