ISSUE 63 — JULY 2022
Special General Meeting 2022 On Wednesday, 25th of May 2022, Fresh State held their Special General Meeting (SGM) at the Quest Hotel in Epping. The SGM covered all topics that impact Fresh State and its members and addressed all queries and concerns. Once again, it was a pleasure having the chance to have this meeting face-to-face. The day began with a delicious catered breakfast, warm coffee, and cold noses. We started with an update on FMA. The successful government grant was discussed and how it can benefit the members. This includes pricing transparency and accurate sales data nationally. We then touched on Hort Connections and how it allows members to connect and build rapport with growers. Fresh State then described its financial status as challenging, but optimistic for a good full year result. Gross income from investment has also been encouraging with a big contributor being our shareholding in the Brisbane Market. The Melbourne Markets Credit Service (MMCS) has invested time and money into the new CRS system. This system will provide benefits such as being extra secure, having audit accessible transactions/events, and providing an easy to use portal. Issues in the market were then addressed, we touched on ordering and payment platforms, The Hort Code of Conduct, Rent increase, Market Culture, Market Hours, and Data Fresh price reporting. All issues were reviewed with
18
importance and were discussed in great length, ensuring that everyone is aware of them and how they impact the members. Grant Nichol discussed the importance of contributing to FareShare and how Fresh State support the organisation and the growth of their charity. FareShare is an amazing charity that can turn older donated produce, into a meal within 24hrs and they pass it on to the people who are doing it tough. Market Purchase within the industry was next considered, with an update to members on the progress of the privatisation project. The final thing we touched on, was the traffic management around the market, this was brought up in general business. There are big plans in place at the market, for Fresh State and for our members. If you missed the meeting or would like to discuss the topics further, please contact Jason Cooper, CEO of Fresh State, jason@freshstate.com.au.
