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MEAT THE NEW BOSS

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Bob GarnantCountryman
Newly appointed WA Meat Industry Authority chief executive Tim Collins at the Muchea Livestock Centre.
Camera IconNewly appointed WA Meat Industry Authority chief executive Tim Collins at the Muchea Livestock Centre. Credit: Countryman

WA Meat Industry Authority’s new chief executive officer Tim Collins officially took the reins this month, replacing Greg Lott — who resigned in February after two and a half years in the role to take up a position with the AAA Egg Company.

WAMIA chairwoman Sally O’Brien said Mr Collins would fit well into his role having worked in all levels of business from a grower level to corporate industry and government.

“Mr Collins was keen to get back into agriculture where he had previously developed multi-level relationships,” she said. “He is enjoying working with the team at the saleyards and will take up long-term strategies we have in place including land use.”

Mr Collins comes to WA Meat Industry Authority after four years at the Department of Transport’s Westport, where he was project manager and assisted in the development of a new port concept at Cockburn Sound, until 2021.

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“I went as far as I could with that project and decided to move back into agriculture with WAMIA,” he said.

“This offered something I never had exposure to — the livestock space.”

Before his role at Westport, Mr Collins worked at Arc Infrastructure from 2013 to 2018, when it was known as Brookfield Rail.

Mr Collins was also employed with CBH, in a number of positions cumulating as logistics executive manager.

He was headhunted by Grain Pool of WA in 2001, the same year it merged with CBH and continued his employment with the group until 2013.

Earlier in his career and enjoying logistical challenges associated with agriculture, Mr Collins found his perfect match with NSW’s rice co-operative SunRice as its general manager of logistics, from 1993 to 2000 — responsible for exporting millions of tonnes of product throughout the world.

His first start in logistics was during a 10-year stint as a logistics officer at the Australian Army in Wagga Wagga from 1983 to 1993.

Mr Collins praised Mr Lott for doing a great job of getting the Muchea Livestock Centre organised and stable.

“There will always be issues here, which involves people, animals and animal welfare,” he said. “The centre is 10 years old now, it was a huge investment by the State Government — it’s about maintaining the asset and continuing to improve the operation.”

Mr Collins said the 300ha site was included in the Department of Land, Water and Planning’s 2020 Muchea Industrial Park Structure Plan, which provided a prospect for commercial development.

“The WAMIA board is interested in how to develop the site,” he said.

“To allow complementary commercial investment to take place to help strengthen WAMIA’s business model.”

Mr Collins said the WAMIA board was currently reviewing its position to amend the WAMIA Act to allow the site to be appropriately developed.

“We are looking for good opportunities that can ideally leverage the saleyards,” he said.

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