Woolgrowers are paying their research body directors more than that of any other commodity.
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An ACM Agri analysis of non-executive director salaries of the nation's 15 grower and taxpayer funded rural research and development corporations has revealed Australian Wool Innovation directors were paid significantly more than other RDC directors in 2022-23.
Of the RDCs that reported chair salaries, AWI came out on top, with chairman Jock Laurie paid $189,627 in 2022-23, nearly twice as much as that paid to the next highest-paid RDC chair, Dairy Australia's James Mann.
Mr Mann earned $100,594 in 2022-23.
The analysis revealed Wine Australia chair Michele Allan earned $90,350 in 2022-23, while Grains Research Development Corporation chair John Woods earned $87,659 in 2022-23.
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation then-chair John Williams earned $69,239 in 2022-23, while Cotton Research and Development Corporation chair Richard Haire was paid $59,814.
Meat & Livestock Australia did not reveal its chair salary for 2022-23, nor did Australian Eggs, LiveCorp, Australian Meat Processor Corporation, Forest and Wood Products Australia, Horticulture Innovation or Sugar Research Australia.
Non-chair director salaries
AWI also paid its non-chair directors more than other RDC, ranging from $82,051 to $104,805 in 2022-23. This comprised a base of $66,003 plus superannuation and committee fees.
The total paid to AWI seven directors' in 2022-23 was $732,520, an 11 per increase on the previous year.
An AWI spokesman said this was due to a consumer price index rise and directors serving on an extra committee created in October 2022.
The spokesman said AWI board fees fell 2.9 per cent in 2019-20 and dropped 12.4 per cent in 2020-21.
Outside of AWI, non-chair board members for the RDCs that report in adequate detail had a salary range from $29,912 at Cotton Research and Development Corporation to $62,561 at GRDC.
Meat & Livestock Australia paid its eight directors $697,184, at an average of $87,148 per director in 2022-23, however the chair salary was in this pool.
This was below AWI's $732,520 pool for seven directors.
MLA had levy and taxpayer income in 2022-23 of $191.9 million, while AWI received $55.4 million.
Both, however, were dwarfed by GRDC's levy funds and government grants of $393.4 million.
AWI's 62,077 wool levy payers contributed $40.4 million in 2022-23. In September woolgrowers will vote on keeping or changing the current 1.5 per cent levy for the next three years.
Reporting cloud
The true picture of how much directors earn at many RDCs was masked by a hotch-potch of reporting that lumped executives and directors into one salary pool.
These RDCs have previously maintained they were adhering to accounting rules, when questioned as to why executive salaries were hidden.
Australian, Eggs, Australian Pork Limited, Forest and Wood Products Australia and Sugar Research Australia present figures that cover executives and directors.
In 2022-23 Sugar Research Australia paid $3,287,643 to directors and key management personnel.
An SRA spokesman said key management personnel included staff outside the senior management team, as well as members of its Research Funding Panel. However, he said he could not provide the number of people the $3,287,643 covered.
Australian Pork Limited, Australian Eggs and Forest and Wood Products Australia did not return calls and emails to explain how they determined key management personnel or reveal how much directors actually earned.
However, the Australian Eggs constitution stated its six directors cannot be paid more than a total of $200,000, or $33,333 each. The chair and committee members can earn more.
Multi-board director salaries
A number of directors sit on multiple RDC boards, providing double salary streams.
As a Wine Australia and MLA director, former Horticulture Innovation Australia chief executive John Lloyd could be earning $131,204, according to figures published by the respective RDCs.
Cath Oates is a director of Wine Australia and Horticulture Innovation Australia, providing a potential salary across those RDCs of $107,747.
Julie Bird, as chair of Horticulture Innovation Australia, earned at least $63,680 in that role. Ms Bird also joined the Cotton Research and Development Corporation last October, so could be eligible for $29,912, based on 2022-23 pay.
Saranne Cooke, as a board member of both Fisheries Research and Development Corporation ($41,458) and the Australian Meat Processing Corporation ($48,833) could have earned $90,291, although she joined the AMPC board in September 2022, so would not have earned a full-year director salary.
Catherine Cooper was on the Wine Australia board ($44,067) and the Australian Eggs board ($33,333) in 2022-23, earning at least $77,400.
Cotton Research and Development Corporation director Rosemary Richards earned $29,912 as deputy chair in 2022-23, but her salary as a Sugar Research Australia director was shrouded in secrecy.
