New CEO and chair appointed to Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority

Australia’s agriculture and veterinary chemicals regulator finally has a new chief executive and chair — a year after their predecessors quit amid a damning investigation that uncovered “serious and systemic issues”. The leadership shake-up at the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) would ensure the government agency’s “stable and secure future”, Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said. Former NSW Department of Primary Industries director general Scott Hansen is the new CEO, while Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria director Catherine Ainsworth was appointed chair. Senator Watt said it was a sign “positive reform” was under way at the embattled government agency. “After the final rapid evaluation into the APVMA, we knew there needed to be a change of gears within the organisation,” he said. “The APVMA needs to be strong, well-functioning and orderly so our farmers, consumers, and overseas customers can be assured that we have the world’s best chemical regulator.” A probe into workplace culture at the APVMA was triggered in February last year after allegations of bullying — including that a senior male staffer urinated on his colleagues — surfaced during a Senate hearing. The independent review by law firm Clayton Utz also uncovered “serious and systemic issues” with the regulator’s operations, conduct and governance. “Concerningly, the review found serious allegations of chemical industry capture of the APVMA, which appears to have played a key role in the organisation not performing its full regulatory responsibilities,” Senator Watt said at the time. The APVMA’s diminishing performance record has been an ongoing concern in WA’s cropping sector, with product registration delays raising serious questions about the impact on farm productivity and competitiveness. Earlier this year, it was revealed in Senate Estimates that just 78.3 per cent of APVMA major application assessments were completed on time for the quarter ending December 2023. Former APVMA chair Carmel Hillyard and chief executive Lisa Croft tendered their resignations in the days before the report’s release on July 14 last year. Ms Croft’s replacement Mr Hansen— whose previous positions include general manager, regional manager, and managing director at Meat and Livestock Australia — was appointed by the APVMA board after a “merit-based” selection process. “Mr Hansen is an experienced leader with more than three decades of experience in managing large and complex organisations in primary industries,” Senator Watt said. “Mr Hansen also has a strong track record in driving innovation and culture change to lift performance.” Senator Watt said Dr Ainsworth was well versed in corporate governance, risk management, regulatory matters, financial management, agriculture and public health. Mr Hansen and Dr Ainsworth will serve five-year and four-year terms respectively. National Farmers’ Federation acting CEO Charlie Thomas welcomed the appointments, saying both newcomers were “exceptionally qualified”. But he warned they would “have their work cut out”. “For too long, Australian farmers have been forced to cop the cost of inefficient application processing and a blow-out of statutory timelines for chemical reviews,” Mr Thomas said. “We simply cannot afford to continue on this path. Farmers need timely access to safe, effective and innovative technologies.” Mr Thomas said access to leading agvet chemicals like crop protection products and animal medicines underpinned productivity, sustainability and international competitiveness. “Slow approvals, permits and reviews mean farmers are missing out on more effective and economical products,” he added. “We look forward to working with the new leadership in the APVMA to tackle these systemic issues head on.”